Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> > Here is my problem. After reading Tina, Ted and the gang on the light > bending and brightness- diminishing effects of expensive, high-quality > optical glass I wonder what insidious effect I create by hanging that square > of cheap plastic in front of my Hassy lenses. > > Anybody have an opinion? > > Thanks. All this talk about the degradation of image quality due to the usage of filters has finally prompted me to write this. As a cinematographer, 20 years shooting documentaries, commercials, non theatrical and theatrical films, I can truly say that only on a very few occasions did I fail to have a filter of some sort in the optical system path. 16 mm film image area is considerable smaller than 35mm still image area as is 35 mm film area and the projected image (in most cases second or third generation) must be made from the best quality original negative, I've never heard this argument among cinematographers. In twenty years of reading the Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers or American Cinematographer or meetings of IATSE cameramen, I do not recall any such warning telling people not to use filters. The people who create filter, Tiffen, Hoya, Lee, B+W, Harrison and others never address anything about degradation of image other than the damage to the image caused by non optical quality material. As a still photographer, doing color travel stock, I use filters on almost all the images that I create and again the ASMP or other professional groups never seem to be concerned about this "issue". Filters are just another tool. If your handheld meter shows a measurable difference with or without the filter, I wonder what effect would be measured by transmission measuring device. Please consider the effect a variation in time, temperature or agitation will have on you exposure index as well as improperly taken handheld meter readings of a scene. Happy snaps, Steven Alexander