Dragon olpf questions

[Jason Weary]

Since all the old threads are nuked, is it worth getting the standard olpf if I have the sth and the lowlight olpf. Haven’t been able to find one but wondering if the search is worth it? Thoughts?

 

[Joshua Wilson]

I used to have the glass to make standard conversations but STD and Low are probably my favorites so it wouldn't be a bad idea if you can find someone willing to let one go.

 

[Devindra S.]

I'd also consider one of the Kipper tie diffusion OLPF's I've been using the carbon. i really dig it.

 

[Eric Santiago]

Any examples of the Diffusion one? I am new to OLPFs and only have the STD in my DRAGON.

 

[Mike P.]

They all have weaknesses, so here's my quick take:

STH is least likely to get deep aperture red-dots, but suffers from CMOS smear the most. It's also noisy over 400ISO (which at ISOcal1, is more like ISO200). Even 800ISO is too noisy unless it's a low-contrast scene/filled shadows.

STND is less likely to get CMOS smear, but does when ISO is pushed (and pushing ISO nets you better highlight performance). Clean at ISO800~1600. Suffers from deep aperture red-dots much easier than STH.

LLO least likely to get severely bad CMOS Smear (because it's clean at higher ISO, you see), but suffers from purple orbs around highlights/light sources, and more likely to get deep aperture red-dots because you more often need to stop down due to higher ISO. ISO1600~3200 clean.

In retrospect, the LLO's purple orbs are the least artificial/artifact looking (compared to the other artifacts, they look like lens flares). CMOS smear is the worst looking -- just a clearly defined green or magenta line across the entire frame with an attention grabbing highlight (not even spectral) as it's source. Regardless of which OLPF, you usually run into problems when trying to shoot silhouettes -- either CMOS smear or purple orbs -- and it's best to test which OLPF fits how you like to shoot for them first (anecdotally, I've had more success making it silhouetted in post, rather than through exposure on the day).

Personally, I like STH the least; it suffers CMOS smear the most and requires noise reduction the most (which I prefer to avoid). Because it's so noisy, the additional ~1.3 stops of highlights RED claims it protects can easily be retained on the other two OLPFs by shooting ~1.3 stops higher ISO.... For example exposing LLO at 3200ISO (which I'd say is cleaner than ISO800 on STH), is *2* full stops more highlight retention over 800. Plus keying skin tones and pushing them in the grade to better match STH is faster to render than noise reduction that you'd have to run on STH.

Lastly, if memory serves, KipperTies use the STH as their base, though I haven't used them. I was also looking into getting one of them, but couldn't figure out which one was most neutral.... I wouldn't mind an always-installed "1/8 BPM", but I couldn't tell which one -- Carbon? -- was supposed to be most like it, and was also concerned about the low ISO performance of an STH-based OLPF.

...That ended up being a little longer than a "quick take" but I'm waiting for a render, so it's cool.

 

[Phil Holland]

Just to add a few things related to Mike's post. In regards to CMOS smear versus "OG Dragon" versus DSMC2 Dragon, Gemini, Helium, and Monstro; you'll want to look at that closely as some of those sensors don't exhibit this artifact. It was one of the bigger improvements related from Dragon to Monstro if you dig through the old posts here.

The newer sensors and OLPFs like Komodo and V-Raptor don't exhibit the deep aperture/point source magenta orbs. That's been a rather large upgrading in my mind.

I know this is DSMC1 related, but some of the hardware improvements are good to know about really.

Also fairly large leap in quality at the higher data rates too. That may or may not mean much for how you use the cameras though.

 

[Eric Santiago]

I know this is DSMC1 related, but some of the hardware improvements are good to know about really.

Also fairly large leap in quality at the higher data rates too. That may or may not mean much for how you use the cameras though.

Thanks, Mike and Phil.
Some of us are (I am hoping) have stayed behind to get more experience with the RED ECO.
Even though I've owned a BT Scarlet since 2012, my film life wasn't as intense as I had hoped so I am still living on borrowed time.
No complaints I am loving it to this day and maybe one day it'll be like breathing air for me

I am so glad you guys are still here helping others.