85B nd filters being used with R1?

[Anthony Gratl]

I posted this in 'accessories' for some reason, so i thought i'd cross thread here as well:
I've got an opportunity to purchase some filters at a very good price....does anyone use the 85b nd filters? Are they worth purchasing for a digital system?
Any recommendations for filters in general to purchase, outside of the obvious polarizer and hot mirror/ir ?
I'm thinking along the lines of coral, skylight, and fog and diffusion filters....the pro mists are all gone...but i'm thinking of a few tobacco grads as well? Thoughts?
Thanks in advance

 

[A. Clint Litton]

I may not be the best one to answer this, but I would think the better route to take would be an 80-series filter, as opposed to the 85, simply because the sensor's "native" sensitivity is closer to daylight than tungsten. I've heard of a lot of people shooting with tungsten lighting and using an 80B or C, effectively changing all the lights into a daylight-balance and feeding the blue channel, thereby limiting the presence of noise in the shadows. From what I've read on this forum, it seems that shooting with an 85 could result in more noise by reducing the amount of blue wavelength light that hits the sensor. I would only be keen on the 85+ND combo were I to shoot tungsten-balanced film on day exteriors. Of course, read up some more on this, in the event others have had different experiences.

I've read about some DP's using various strengths of coral as an 85 replacement, but like everything else, much of this is to taste, and comes after extensive testing. I personally tend to favor a warmer look, so 1/8 and 1/4 corals could be good for this purpose, and I've seen some beautiful looks come from a tobacco filter. Adding a little pop of color to skies with different grads can be great, but if you're primarily interested in changing the color overall (i.e. non-grad), you may consider testing your ability to get there in post, possibly avoiding some of the problems associated with putting filtration in front of the lens (ghosting, etc.). That said, I think there's something great in using various kinds of diffusion filters (fogs, promists, etc) to achieve a desired look that just isn't the same when added in post.

I'd say if at all possible, go to a nearby rental house, or better yet to the seller, to test whatever you're interested in buying. Afterall, the testing process now will cost you considerably less than it would were you to do the same thing with film.

Happy hunting!

Cheers,
Clint