Digital Video - June 2008 - (Page 22)

IN REVIEW CENTURY ESSENTIAL 5-FILTER KIT BUDGET IMAGE CONTROL THE CENTURY ESSENTIAL-5 FILTER KIT IS A SOLID STARTER SET. otherwise expanded line of filters. For instance, the Neutral Density filter comes packaged only in a .6 variety in this kit (two stops or 1⁄4), whereas a standard ND set is a .3 (one stop or 1⁄2), .6, .9 (three stops or 1⁄8) and a 1.2 (four stops or 1⁄16). If we were to assume that these filters would get equal usage during their lifetime in various shooting scenarios, then just purchasing one filter would only cover about 25 percent of the instances where you’d need an ND filter. The same applies to the ND graduated filter, but it’s taken a step further here because a 4" graduated filter is not as useful as, say, a 6" graduated filter. That is because when you’re dealing with a graduation (in this case a soft transition between clear glass and .6ND), you need to be able to creatively control where that transition line falls in your shot. You need to adjust the filter’s position in front of the lens horizontally, vertically and rotationally. If you’re using the filter to darken an overly bright sky, but your composition is such that the bright sky is only the top 1⁄4 of the frame, the filter effect is going to be too much if the transition starts halfway in the frame. You need to adjust the filter’s position so that the transition falls only on the portion of the frame you want to effect. Unfortunately with a small 4" filter, although it’s convenient to carry around (and cheaper to get a mattebox for), you don’t have much room to adjust this filter up or down before the edge of the filter creeps into your frame! The problem of arbitrary selection is accentuated by the Black Soft Frost. The Black Soft Frost comes in 1⁄8, 1⁄4, 1⁄2, 1 and 2 strengths (the higher the number the stronger the effect). Although a 1⁄2 is right in the middle of the line, it severely limits your filtration choices. What if you need more diffusion? What if you need less? Even more commonly, what if you’re changing focal length and you www.dv.com BY JAY HOLBEN F ilters can be a mystifying subject for many digital videographers (see “DV101” in October, 2007 for more on filtration in general). What do I need? What exactly do filters do? Or the more common reaction: They cost how much?! Quality filters are produced from photographic glass, which has much higher quality and clarity than standard glass, and that makes them considerably more expensive. So where do you start? Schneider Optics has a starting point for you with their Century Essential-5 col- SCORE CENTURY’S ESSENTIAL-5 FILTER KIT PROS: Kit offers fair variety at an amazing price. CONS: ND grad is a bit too small to be really useful; missing many filters in each line; square polarizer requires more expensive rotating filter stage mattebox. BOTTOM LINE: High-quality filters at an incredible price. MSRP: $499 CONTACT: www.schneideroptics.com lection of 4"x4" glass filters. This particular kit, sold as “5 Essential Filters for Digital Video Production” includes two neutral density filters (a .6ND solid and a .6ND soft-edge grad), two beauty filters (the Skintone Enhancer, and Black Soft Frost 1⁄2) and a linear Polarizer. These are all high-quality filters specifically collected for small-chip HDV camera users, but are appropriate for really any camera as long as the 4" square covers the full lens and you have a 4"x4" mattebox (with a rotating stage). The quality and effectiveness of these filters isn’t a question at all. They’re excellent products and certainly “essential” filters to have. My main problem with this kit is one of semantics, really. It is a relatively arbitrary collection of filters. I believe calling it “essential” gives the impression that these five filters are exactly what you need, when the reality is that they’re just the tip of the filtration iceberg. With the exception of the Skintone Enhancer and Polarizer, the remaining three filters are all a single strength in an 22 dv june 2008 http://www.schneideroptics.com http://www.dv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - June 2008

Digital Video - June 2008 Contents DV Update My Studio Runners World Brevis Flip 35MM Lens Adapter 4160 Soom Tripod System Century Essential-5 Filter Kit Little Big Disk Quadra Instant Expert DXA-2S Adapter Technology Treasures Making What You See Sound Great Click to Play DV 101 Production Diary

Digital Video - June 2008

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