Any recommendations for gel filters?

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Planning to buy some gel filters. Any recommendations?

 

[maroun.c]

What's your intention from using Gel Filters? you basically use those to match your flash color with the ambient lighting, i doubt there will be a filter that matches tank lighting.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

What's your intention from using Gel Filters? you basically use those to match your flash color with the ambient lighting, i doubt there will be a filter that matches tank lighting.

Hmm...I'd heard that people use those for removing the blue from pics.

 

[maroun.c]

do you mean filters that go on the lens? cause gel filters usually go on the flash.
Not sure if a Red filter on top of the lens would help. I tend to avoid using filters as the cheaper ones can cause distortions, Why add a cheapo glass in front of an expensive good quality lens glass? and the good quality ones are too expensive to justify:)
how about dealing with WB in post processing? which you'd still have to do with a filter cause you have different shades of blue in your tank at different locations and depths so you'll still need to tweak your image even if you use a filter.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

do you mean filters that go on the lens? cause gel filters usually go on the flash.
Not sure if a Red filter on top of the lens would help. I tend to avoid using filters as the cheaper ones can cause distortions, Why add a cheapo glass in front of an expensive good quality lens glass? and the good quality ones are too expensive to justify:)
how about dealing with WB in post processing? which you'd still have to do with a filter cause you have different shades of blue in your tank at different locations and depths so you'll still need to tweak your image even if you use a filter.

:doh: okay. You've talked me out of it (and I was looking at filters to go over the lens, but thought I was seeing them called gel filters by some of the guys posting pics they'd taken...but this could be a further indication of my lack of photography skill/knowledge). My photography just definitely needs some major help. LOL

 

[jackson6745]

The correct shade of gel is very helpful to give you an accurate color image. I use them for quick cell phone pics and they are surprisingly accurate. Here's where I got the idea.

I have a Solution to better cell phone pic?s - Manhattan Reefs

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

The correct shade of gel is very helpful to give you an accurate color image. I use them for quick cell phone pics and they are surprisingly accurate. Here's where I got the idea.

I have a Solution to better cell phone pic?s - Manhattan Reefs

Awesome! So I'm not going crazy! This is what I had seen some other guys do, and the results are solid. Thanks!

 

[bpn]

For less then $4 you can buy Rosco Roscolux Swatchbook which has 100s of gel filter sample (every shades of every color you can think of).. they are very high quality samplers all you need to do it stick the right gel to the font of your cell phone's lens or you speedlight/flash lens and snap!!

 

[N4sty T4te]

Awesome! So I'm not going crazy! This is what I had seen some other guys do, and the results are solid. Thanks!

The only real issue is that Gel's aren't meant to be used optically, so it will degrade the quality of the picture.

You can purchase a warming gel kit from an photo store. Stack them to the desired effect. But your better off shooting a raw image and then adjusting the tones in photoshop.

Cameras aren't designed to capture past 20 kelvin. So you have to help them fill the gaps to get to what your eye sees. (Your eye is a much more advanced image processor for color balancing)

 

[Water Dog]

I use an orange gel filter that I place over my iPhone lense to take a photo of my reef. The orange filter does a great job of toning down the heavy blue color from my LEDs. Got a pack of filters for $7 on Amazon. I only use the orange one though.

 

[hybridazn]

I use an orange gel filter that I place over my iPhone lense to take a photo of my reef. The orange filter does a great job of toning down the heavy blue color from my LEDs. Got a pack of filters for $7 on Amazon. I only use the orange one though.

Yup, if your wanting to take quick pics with heavy blues using an orange filter will help wash out the blue.