Filters for Strobes

Hi I am fairly new to this.

Can someone walk me thru the use of warm color filters for strobes? specifically the Inon ND, 4900K and 4600K filters.

Would like to know what are their applications and how are they used? Maybe a bit of basic theory?

Most of the online resources point to an article bu Alex Mustard but the link seems to be dead already.

Thanks

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You use them with Auto WB and because the light from the strobe is warmer than without the filters the camera shifts the white balance cooler to get the flash illuminated subject correctly white balanced.  The end result is the flash illuminated parts of the image have normal WB but the water which is illuminated by sunlight shifts to a deeper blue.

You use them with Auto WB and because the light from the strobe is warmer than without the filters the camera shifts the white balance cooler to get the flash illuminated subject correctly white balanced.  The end result is the flash illuminated parts of the image have normal WB but the water which is illuminated by sunlight shifts to a deeper blue.

I just use the 4600 version when I'm using it which is mainly in tropical waters - the only reason to use it is to get deeper blues and there's probably not much point in greenish temperate waters.   I've never tested one vs the other - just use the 4600 version.

Warming filters help produce a more pleasing blue. I'm not convinced that 300°K makes  a huge difference, but find that I tend to use the 4600°K ones the most. Overall, with cooler native color temperature strobes, I think they provide a significant improvement. 

Remember that any filter is subtractive, so if the effect of the filters is to warm the colors it is effectively reducing the amount of blue light that is coming out of the strobe. 

When I use them, I prefer to set my camera's while balance to match the strobe/filter's color output.

My experience is that they do not work well in green water. 

Warming filters help produce a more pleasing blue. I'm not convinced that 300°K makes  a huge difference, but find that I tend to use the 4600°K ones the most. Overall, with cooler native color temperature strobes, I think they provide a significant improvement. 
Remember that any filter is subtractive, so if the effect of the filters is to warm the colors it is effectively reducing the amount of blue light that is coming out of the strobe. 

When I use them, I prefer to set my camera's while balance to match the strobe/filter's color output.

My experience is that they do not work well in green water. 

I have use the ND filters quite a lot.

I use them as a creative tool tool for macro allows for very shallow depth of field images. You can achieve a similar effect by pulling the strobes back, but this does sacrifice some control over where the light falls.

Think f/4, ISO 64 and 1/250!

Thanks for that Adam insight. That sounds interesting, should pick me up some filters and experiment soon.

The ND filters look an interesting area to experiment, for me. 

I want to shoot video this season, and the base iso when shooting flog in my X-T3 is 640, which is way too high for some creative macro shooting. 

Do you have any suggestions about good and cheap 67mm ND filters?? 

I dont understand the video question. If your base ISO is already 640, using a ND filter on your light or your lens you will need a higher iso with more noise etc.

3 hours ago, Cerianthus said:

I dont understand the video question. If your base ISO is already 640, using a ND filter on your light or your lens you will need a higher iso with more noise etc.

The overall exposure is too high tnan is difficult to get black background when snooting. If I follow the 180° rule my shutter speed is 1/50, even at f16 this means too much exposure.

I think a ND on my port would help with this. Anyway, I am not an expert on video, nor in photography, just trying to experiment... Any thoughts about this will be welcomed!!! 

(If I shoot with any film simulation, velvia,  Astia, Eterna... , the iso starts at 160, but on fLog it drops to 640) 

OK, then it might work, I am probably assuming too much from diving circumstances over here which is dark and cold...

I am not a video shooter, so cant comment on the flog and the relative high base ISO.

@ElipeThe ND filters being referred to in this post are on the strobes not on the lens.  If you want to explore the issues of having a native ISO of 640 in Flog, perhaps a post in the video forum and some of our video specialists might have some insight.  From a simplistic standpoint it seems like the issues might be a good reason to not use Flog.  My understanding may be flawed but the reason to do so might be increase dynamic range, but I would argue dynamic range underwater is not that high for most situations and Flog is a lot of overhead to deal with for perhaps not much gain?