Magic Filter...??

Hi another Newbie question?? from

I have brourght the Magic Filter Auto for P&S.. will this work with custum WB adjusted at depth..or do I have to buy the other blue water Filter(since I want to use WB at depth)?? as the dicription for this Filter is "set on Auto"...

Any coments is greatly appriciated

I would imagine that the filter will work fine if you calibrate the white balance manually.

Like you say it is designed to work with the Auto WB feature of most PS cameras. I have not used the Auto Filter myself, but I can only imagine that the results will be the same if not better if you calibrate the WB manually.

At the end of the day while you are UW you can try both .. try it with the Camera on Auto and then Manually WB on the same shot .. and compare the two .. then work with whichever comes out best !

Hi Gills..and thanks for the respons!

So what your saying is that there is no or little diff. between the to types of Magic Filters(blue water model) !?

Thanks again for your time and sound advise!

No, thats not what I at least meant to say.

The way I see the differnce being is that the AUTO filter has been designed to work better than the Regular Magic Filter with Auto white balance features on PS cameras .. maybe even other cameras in Auto WB mode.

My Guess (as I have not used the AUTO filter) is that if you use the AUTO filter and yet Manually White Balance (as you are correcting WB better than Auto would) you will probably get better results.

Remember the Auto Filter was made for cameras without Manual WB primarily. Of course Logic would suggest you would get better results using the Original Magic filter if White Balancing Manually, but that doesn't mean results with the AUTO would be bad if manually adjusting WB.

The Auto-Magic Filter does just that, allowing filter shooting with your camera's white balance set on AWB (auto-white balance) .

I haven't tried it yet with my dSLR although I HAVE used the Magic Filter custom white balancing on a dSLR. I have used it on a P&S and it works very well. (Se photo below. Fuji E900 with externally mounted wide angle lens.)

The best recommendation is to get the sun directly behind you and shoot level or even slightly down. I aim towards the "bluest" water background finding that easier than spinning around to determine exactly where the sun is.....

Good luck!

dhaas

www.haasimages.com

Keep expecting Alex to jump in here but I think he is away taking pictures, shock horror !

When we were with Alex earlier in the year we talked about the design goals of the Auto magic and from memory it is not quite as strong a filter as the standard.

Again if my memory is holding up Alex said that you have a greater depth range with the original filter provided that you WB ( and even better shoot raw ). We were using the original down to 18/20m shooting the Ghiannis D stern.

So my take on the whole thing is if you can WB ( and ideally shoot raw ) then you are better off with the original Magic filter rather than the Auto Magic.

Bottom line is under the right conditions they will both produce excellent results, and convert to B&W ok also.

Paul C

What can I say....! This Forum is just too cool..Thanks everybody for you input's..!!

I will buy the origenal Magic Filter as well and give them both a test run with my Fuji f31 and INON 105 a.s.a.p. and wright a post about my exp.

MF's is just perfect for me as I do all my UW-photografy Freediving..and no deeper than app. 30m

Thanks for all your sound advice guy's

Wow .. you will have quite a lot of experiments going on

Magic Filter Auto Vs Manual

With and without stobes

.. and all while freediving .. can't wait to see how it works for you. The great thing free diving is that you will naturally have a downward agnle which I have always found works best .. then its just the case of keeping the light behind you.

My understanding is that the Auto Magic filter loses 1/3 stop more light than the original. That would make it just a big stronger. I have both, so I'll have to compare them.

Next week I'm headed to the Red Sea. I'll pop the Auto onto my F31 (housing just came today). From my own experience using the original on an Olympus SP-310 (shooting RAW), ISO 200 and 400 would come in handy. I will probably use the F31 in M mode with Auto ISO 400. It will be fun to compare it to my Olympus, for which I have an external strobe and wide angle lens.

The F31 is an excellent choice with the Auto Magic. It's got even better performance than the F40. That's what Alex uses and his photos are stellar.

I was told to get a magic filter so that my pics dun come out so 'blue'..

As it is I manually white balance when I get into the water but it's still no use..

Is it true w the magic filter, I can possibily not have to lug my strobe around?

I'm new in this.. is that true?.. my last pics of silkys came out very 'blue'.... so sad..

meimei,

show some examples of the silky's with the exif (exposure) information.

it may be a bit of many factors .. but it is not always the case that a magic filter can help.

Wow .. you will have quite a lot of experiments going on

 

Magic Filter Auto Vs Manual

With and without stobes

.. and all while freediving .. can't wait to see how it works for you. The great thing free diving is that you will naturally have a downward agnle which I have always found works best .. then its just the case of keeping the light behind you.

Hi Gills!

Can't wait to hear about your expirence...since MY go at a "hands on exp." has been put on hold due to work...and the fact that you have the same kit as me...will make it direcktly usefull!

In adition to my previous question I'd love to hear of any WB exp. since I'm still not shure about at wich distance a GOOD WB is don...!!??

What can I say....! This Forum is just too cool..Thanks everybody for you input's..!!

I will buy the origenal Magic Filter as well and give them both a test run with my Fuji f31 and INON 105 a.s.a.p. and wright a post about my exp.

MF's is just perfect for me as I do all my UW-photografy Freediving..and no deeper than app. 30m

Thanks for all your sound advice guy's

Hi again Gills!

First Woops...I ment my first reply for DesertEagle

My Idear is to use the Magic Filter only with my INON 105AD wide angel lense..as it seems that the genneral use of MF is best with the wide angel lenses..acording to several posts and books.

My old sea&sea 50 will only be in use for macro shoots..to allways have the same or simelar conditions..

I have not tried any of my new lenses ore the old flash UW yet..with my new kit..but can't wait to try it out

Any advise or comments is allways greatly appriciated

Thanks for your time and reply's !