underwater mode vs magic filter?

Hello,

I been lurking for a bit and have seen recomendations for the magic filters. How does the filter compare with the underwater mode in some cameras? With the camera mode I assume the camera does some initial processing to remove some blue/green, does anyone have any comparison pictures? Which is better?

thanks in advance,

-lance

I'll jump in here, Lance.

First let me declare an interest - as I designed the Magic Filter. But I will try and give you an honest answer. I get asked this question a lot and it does not have a straight answer.

The difference between not using a filter (underwater mode or manual white balance without a filter) and using a filter is that the filter will alter the balance of light before it reaches the sensor. Underwater mode is just an in camera adjustment to the look of the image. So in theory a filter should always be better as the colour is corrected both before it is collected by the sensor and then also by the in camera processing.

However, photography is not just about technical perfection. It is about images and in many cases underwater mode or MWB without filter can work really well. It will get you exactly the shot you wanted.

Part of the problem in answering this question is that not all "underwater modes" are equally good. Some that I have used are excellent - others are not. My advice to people is usually to do a few dives using the underwater mode. If you are happy with the results then you don't need to buy a filter. If they are not coming out as you had hoped then you should try the filter.

I have also found that the underwater mode can work well with the filter. Particularly deeper - extending the range of available light photography.

I hope that this helps,

Alex

Hi Alex. With your filters, should you also MWB for each shot?

Yes. Except when using the Auto-Magic filter - which is designed to be used on Auto White Balance (and works well with UW mode deeper). And also when not changing depth significantly between shots.

Sorry, my comments above were about the Auto-Magic - rather than the original Magic filter.

Alex

I've used the underwater mode on my Canon A520, and been very disappointed. I think what it ended up doing, looking at EXIF data, is opening the aperture a bit wider (to get in more light, but resultingly losing out some on depth of field and sharpness) and setting the exposure time a bit briefer than the 'above water' settings will since underwater shots will tend to be overall dimmer than most abovewater shots. But everything came out completely aqua, and white balance wouldn't save it after the fact since the shots were already JPEGs. (I think it also defaults to a 'cloudy day' white balance.)

IMO as a fairly inexperienced photographer, you can do better with manual (or if you're not comfortable with that, even aperture or automatic mode) with performing a manual white balance, than you can get with the UW mode...and that's even without using filters. With using filters I have no experience in, so won't comment.

I've used the underwater mode on my Canon A520, and been very disappointed. I think what it ended up doing, looking at EXIF data, is opening the aperture a bit wider (to get in more light, but resultingly losing out some on depth of field and sharpness) and setting the exposure time a bit briefer than the 'above water' settings will since underwater shots will tend to be overall dimmer than most abovewater shots. But everything came out completely aqua, and white balance wouldn't save it after the fact since the shots were already JPEGs. (I think it also defaults to a 'cloudy day' white balance.)

 

IMO as a fairly inexperienced photographer, you can do better with manual (or if you're not comfortable with that, even aperture or automatic mode) with performing a manual white balance, than you can get with the UW mode...and that's even without using filters. With using filters I have no experience in, so won't comment.

I have a Canon G9 and I played with both Magic Filters (regular, not auto) and U/W mode on the camera on my last trip in January. In my brief experience, the Canon U/W mode produced excellent results in water under 20 feet deep - as good as the magic filter IMHO. From 20-50 feet, the Magic Filter was the clear winner.

I would follow Dr Mustard's advice and manual WB together with the filter.... instead of using any kind of UW mode. It needs to become a habit I suppose. I am seriously thinking of wearing a white slate bungeed to the back of my left hand or even taping something white/gray to my fins.....My XT Biofins are already gray but I think a bit too dark.

I would follow Dr Mustard's advice and manual WB together with the filter.... instead of using any kind of UW mode. It needs to become a habit I suppose. I am seriously thinking of wearing a white slate bungeed to the back of my left hand or even taping something white/gray to my fins.....My XT Biofins are already gray but I think a bit too dark.

I brought a grey slate with me on my last trip - and didn't use it once for three reasons:

>>> White balance is distance sensitive underwater and I couldn't place it far enough away to be effective most of the time

>>> I found that a diverse coral landscape gave a great manual white balance - as did a sandy bottom

>>> I was shooting RAW and was using the "as shot" as a starting point - so even if I was a mile off I could correct 100% after the fact

I love the magic filters ... especially when shooting video with the G9.

Here's a link to a little video I cut with a mixture of stills and video - most shot with the Magic Filter.

Antigua Underwater Video/Stills