DIY Fluro?

Hi all,

Can someone recommend some reasonable DIY Fluro solutions for:

1. an M67 thread filter for the outside of a camera housing and

2. blue gels that can be used on strobes?

I've listened to the wetpixel talk and whilst I think I can manage to find an M67 yellow fluro filter, I'm none the wiser as to what the best DIY blue gel filter for the strobes would be. If anyone has suggestions, or even pictures taken with such a setup, that would be fantastic!

Thanks!

This i what i use on both strobes (z240s Type 4):
https://firedivegear.com/product/inon-flip-filter/

They also have smaller version if the flip functionality is not required:
https://firedivegear.com/product/inon-sandwich-excitation-filter/

I can recommend these 100% - tested Dyron and H2O filters and these were utter crap (and also massively overpriced in case of H2O).  FireDiveGear are absolutely amazing. They also do custom ones if you use unusual strobes etc. They also make custom fitting yellow filter for your mask, so it fits perfectly.
 

From my recent-ish conversation with them they also now offer filters than can accommodate snoot. So you have white or blue, or any of these with a snoot. Have not ordered these yet though as recently not having many chances to play with camera at all. Pics attached.

Filters - using 67mm Big Blue (rebrand of Tiffen #12 i think) and 58mm B+W (022 Medium Yellow Filter). The former results in more greenish picture, the latter in more reddish.

Setup wise i put both strobes on single 6inch arms, so instead of /\ camera /\, I have - camera -, with strobes upside down and set on max power (to avoid having to regulate power in pitch black) and just playing with f stop and shutter speed. As a spotting/focus light i am using Sola Nightsea (about the only Sola that still works....)

Lenses - 45 macro (port with 67mm thread, filter on flip diopter holder), 12-35 (dome port, filter inside on the lens). Also have attachment for 7-14 to mount filter at the back (between lens and camera as that lens has no top thread, Kodak 12/Wratten filter) but have not tested that yet.

Also check out this - great source of all kind of info on fluo, images/videos, workshops (often in Egypt) and scientific analysis to a degree.
https://www.uni-due.de/fluodives/HomeFinalE.html

Thanks @makar0n that's a really useful and detailed post! Good to see it all set up together in theory as well.

I think the filter absolutely must be purchased, it would be too much of a hassle to DIY an M67 threaded filter, and I doubt it would be worth the pain even if one could.

However I've been using cut out gels now for my strobes and I'm getting some degree of success in general (sometimes they need layering as they don't add enough colour). I've attached a few examples of what I've got so far, but I wouldn't use this setup for fluro as the diffuser would get in the way of creating as much blue light as possible - but it shows that it's pretty easy to use gels/filters in strobes without a huge cost.

The most reasonable option I can see is from glowdive in Spain? Their Excitation filters are 48eur per piece, and use velcro. Ok it's not the most elegant solution but it'll do provided it stays put. --> https://www.glowdive.com/fluorescencia/filtros.htm

I guess perhaps my question is: is there a way to DIY excitation filters?

I'm sure I can come up with a pretty good velcro solution, but I am at a loss as to what exact material should be used, to create the excitation filters.

Thank you for your time so far, it's been very useful!

51 minutes ago, makar0n said:

I can recommend these 100% - tested Dyron and H2O filters and these were utter crap (and also massively overpriced in case of H2O).  FireDiveGear are absolutely amazing. They also do custom ones if you use unusual strobes etc. They also make custom fitting yellow filter for your mask, so it fits perfectly.
 

Hmm quoted by Alex Mustard...this somehow seems very ominous...i am worried now...very worried
The man responsible for my gf favorite world mentioned at least once a day on every trip since 2016, "backscatter". Side effect of reading masterclass I suppose xD (kidding aside, its a great book, very well written!)

As to go back to the fluo topic:
I strongly recommend looking over that uni website there is a ton of info there, including pics/videos and comparisons. Website might not be arranged well visually but its definitely worth looking around to have a better idea about the whole fluorescence in general.

Also, link to a multiple filters comparison, which might prove pretty useful:
https://www.uni-due.de/fluodives/Seiten/FluoEnglLastPdf.pdf

Do have a look especially at the lovely wavelengths, as this is where the whole trickery happens - you need just the right shade of blue (so to speak) and the right filter to cut out that blue and leave only fluorescence behind. If the blue wavelength is not correct, it won't excite fluorescence. If filter is not matched then picture will also end up blue since it won't be cut out at the right wavelength.
Based on the above i went with Tiffen 12 (well Big Blue at the end which seems to be about the same). Before getting that also got the B+W 022, as Tiffens were nightmare to get in Europe then, not sure now. Got it from Hilton Photo (UK), they carry lots of filter and were able to provide wavelength charts for them (attached, 3rd row, last pic for 022, see how it lets a tad more blue than Tiffen 012). Though when i ordered that filter was about half of what it is now xD

So with Big Blue /Tiffen 12 i get awesome greens and oranges, no blue whatsoever. B+W in turn has a bit worse greens and lets in tiny bit of blue but thanks to that one gets really nice reds/purpleish (stonefishies)

Gel filters might work, certainly sounds like a good idea, but how to make sure that the blue wavelength is correct that I have no clue (well other than trial and error via photos). Though do read the part from the link above about dichroic filters vs gel filters.  Maybe poke some real scientist around here (bvanant?), i believe there are some that will have way better idea about this than me rambling.

As for Glodive filters I cannot say. These seem to be a single piece of blue plastic, but never had a chance to test those so dunno what they are really made of/what wavelength they let through and how they will work with Retras. Best would be to speak to them and ask for some info or, if returns are fine, order, dry test it and see if it works for you.

Another option is if you are somehow passing via Brussels, then happy to do a testing meetup and bring the junk i have

FilterTransmissionCurves.pdf