Low ISOs on RED MX

[thomas-english]

There is nothing wrong with taping an ND to the front of the lens. I have had this done many many times on many manny jobs. You ought to have done it before but I'll explain to those that havent.

A ring of tape around the lens that goes over the edge. A pair of scissors cuts little slits in the tape. You fold out all the little tabs so the front of your lens looks like a sunflower and you put the ND filter onto the lens and it sticks.

 

[Tyler Black]

I agree with taping a filter to the lens. I have done this many times on low / no budget films. Everyone on the set knows this is low budget and cares more about the image on the sensor than the image of the DP. If the shot looks good, you've done your job. I wouldn't be too concerned with how "ghetto" it looks. I've read posts from Roger Deakins and I'm sure from our own David Mullen right here about gaffing all kinds of crap to the camera and lights to get it to look right.

If you DO tape the filter to the lens, be extra careful of lens flare. It's now hanging out there completely exposed. Get a solid or a piece of black card to protect it.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

You could always use one of these for controlling flares.
http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=47221

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

If you're taping filters to the lens (been there, done that), you may as well make yourself a sun-shade. You already have tape, so some black foil works great or use some card stock, cardboard, foam core board, construction paper, etc.. Black is best...

 

[Gunleik Groven]

LOL! !!

Of course the taping works, just never really thought of that as an option! (Or really needed to think that part up...)

Do it, you're better off that way.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

Absolutely, better of taping filters than doing nothing at all. The problem is stacking filters. That could be tricky. And the reality is, stacking filters is a common occurrence. But if it comes down to taping a filter or no filters at all by all means please do that, and come up with a DIY sun shade. Your images will thank you.

 

[Dan Hudgins]

Stacking

Stacking

The issue of stacking filters is worse with wide angle lenses since with a short matte box or sun shade you are more likely to get the "hall of mirrors" effect (with longer lenses and sunshades the reflections may be out of focus and be mostly flare).

If you are going to tape filters to the lens, and they are flat glass filters without the rubber or metal edging, its possable to put KY-jell or some other clear lube or clear mineral oil (baby oil) between the filters to avoid reflections. If you use a Hot Mirror put its Dichroic surface out on top of the pile facing the subject.

Mineral oil is problem with the tape since it wont stick well. But with water based lube you can wipe the extra that works its way out with a damp cloth.

To avoid bubbles, put some along one edge, then put the top filter on and close it like a book, the semi-fluid will flow and that way you can avoid bubbles, if you get a bubble you just wipe off and try again.

You do this with the filters flat on a table, and you can stack many this way with clear jell between them. They tend to stick together when the film is only about 0.001" thick, but you would need to clean the edges and run duct tape around to make a "brick" of filters.

The Pola cannot be taped to the brick unless you are using round glass filters without rims (rims can be removed with a lens wrench) because you need to be able to rotate the Pola, unless you rotate the square brick as a group to align the Pola so that you control the specular reflections on the subject, something that changes with the angle of the light, so you cannot pan or tilt when using a Pola filter, or at least look for changes.

Its a bit messy, and cannot be done with normal matte box holders, but can help reduce flare and reflections. glycerin is another option of a index matching fluid, but something that washes off with water may be easer to work with.

Another advantage of using index matching fluid between filters is that small marks on the surface may become less visable, as may some dust.

You don't want to pan the camera with the sun in the shot with 4 to 8 air spaced filters even if they are coated, their angles do not align in normal matte box holders and so the reflections do not make a nice row of spots.

==

If you have nothing else, you can cut some Lee gel ND and tape it over the OLPF maybe (or the back of the lens), if you look for a part of the sheet that does not have defects. I have used lee gel sheets as filters in front of the lens as well, if you look at the sheets you can find parts without mfg defects enough to get away with that if you don't have glass filters the right values, more so with wide angle lenses, since longer lenses need more parallel surfaces on the filters used in front. Wratten 96 are better but cost more now...

Once you push the image off the top of the green sensors you cannot get it back, the DRX may help with about 1/2 stop but more than that and its blown out for good, so using a black gauze over windows and such is the best way to make usable images, HDR may be useful for some kinds of shots, but getting the contrast lower on the sensor is better most of the time by controlling the light and lighting ratio. Use fill lights and pick the right time of day to shoot each shot.

 

[Jamie Metzger]

When shooting low light, keep an eye on your raw (program "view raw" as one of your user- assignable buttons). I've found that matching your ISO to what the RAW looks like will give you an accurate and health raw image so long as you expose the raw with enough light. You can get away with 1 stop over; and bring it back down in post.

If you are finishing on transcoded files, or coloring in Apple color, make sure to use the Camera RGB/REDlog settings for a really flat looking image that retains a huge range of info. Transcode with those settings to Pro Res 4444 and you will be happy

Before and after:

 

[ericyoung]

I think if you're going to stack filters you should just insist on finding a budget to hire a mattebox!!

 

[Graeme Nattress]

If you are finishing on transcoded files, or coloring in Apple color, make sure to use the Camera RGB/REDlog settings for a really flat looking image that retains a huge range of info. Transcode with those settings to Pro Res 4444 and you will be happy

Before and after:

REDColor / REDLogFilm is the preferred low contrast image for grading. Also, unless you intend to provide your own colorimetry for the camera, I'd avoid CameraRGB.

Graeme

 

[Pablo Villegas S.]

LOL! !!

Of course the taping works, just never really thought of that as an option! (Or really needed to think that part up...)

Do it, you're better off that way.

I guess, you didn't go to film school?

I've taped filters to the lens, lots of times, even last week, do to the matte box only having to slots, I had to tape 1 (smaller) filter to the lens.