Muizen Posted February 18, 2011 Share #1 Posted February 18, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) When a scene shows a high contrast level like e.g. a landscape with highlighted sky and dark foreground, I think that I do have two choices using a ND Grad filter or bracketing followed by HDR post processing? Applying a ND Grad filter (0.6 ND) seems to me the most simple way? What is your opinion? What make of E46 filter would you recommend for the M9, Summilux 35mm? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 18, 2011 Posted February 18, 2011 Hi Muizen, Take a look here ND Grad or HDR?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
MitchoIankov Posted February 18, 2011 Share #2 Posted February 18, 2011 ND on rangefinder is not that simple to use as on SLR. HDR is simple on the field but requires lots more work and skills on the PC. HDR gives more flexibility especially when the division between high contrasts and low contras in not near straight line. Both techniques will require a tripod. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted February 18, 2011 Share #3 Posted February 18, 2011 Although the previous post is true, be aware that all pixel-shifting in the computer will incur a quality loss. I am getting more and more to the stage of "get it right in the camera" including the use of yellow and orange filters for shots I intend to be B&W. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muizen Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share #4 Posted February 18, 2011 [quote=MitchoIankov;HDR gives more flexibility especially when the division between high contrasts and low contras in not near straight line. quote] I Indeed feel that only when a rather straight line, like a horizon, exists between the high and low contrast zones, the ND Grad can be used. Otherwise tree tops and mountain sides will partly be lighter or darker. HDR does not pose this problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted February 18, 2011 Share #5 Posted February 18, 2011 I think HDR is by far the simpler solution, and the most flexible. HDR does not automatically mean those ugly images that look like a scene from a science fiction film and it can be very subtle. HDR is a technique born in the days of film, but now any good software will do all the work for you. You are not limited to straight line horizons as with a filter but can use it for more complicated scenes with a wide dynamic range. I would recommend the built in HDR function in CS5, or Photomatix. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted February 18, 2011 Share #6 Posted February 18, 2011 including the use of yellow and orange filters for shots I intend to be B&W. Interesting. I agree with the sentiment of getting things right in the camera but I had always assumed that coloured filters made no sense for digital sensors that work using bayer interpolation. I'm assuming that you are using such filters on an M9? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted February 18, 2011 Share #7 Posted February 18, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) The easiest way to use B&W filters with an M9 is by using Silver Efex Pro. You put in the colour image and can choose any strength and colour of filter in post processing. It doesn't mean you can't pre-visualise the scene in B&W and think of the filter you will eventually use, but it does ensure you get the strength and colour spot on. Otherwise you are stuck with (as in film) filters that are dictated by whatever strength you have in your bag. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanhulsenbeek Posted February 20, 2011 Share #8 Posted February 20, 2011 OT for OP Muizen: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/forum-member-meetings/161230-dutch-meet.html 20 maart a.s.! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
martha Posted February 23, 2011 Share #9 Posted February 23, 2011 Have you tried the graduated filter option in "Develop" in Lightroom? Just a thought.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo_Lorentzen Posted February 27, 2011 Share #10 Posted February 27, 2011 The graduated tool in LightRoom can not bring out details lost to over-exposure. I use Grad-ND frequently on the digital M, the effect is very soft and simply keep the sky/clouds from burning to a crisp while keeping light on the ground in a landscape. The only alternative is taking a second shot and HDR it in post. there is no digital filter which can recreate this effect. (imitate with a tobacco tint sure but not recreate burned details) I find that there are two filters I still carry, polarizer and graduated ND, nothing in photoshop can remove polarized light to cut through glare, and nothing can give me light in the ground like a grad. Mostly I have been using color-filters for BW in LightRoom, BUT I am starting to agree with Jaap on shooting the filter in camera. since even a filtered image probably is still recorded by all the RGB pixel sites, my imagination suggest that shooting a image with a yellow or orange filter must capture more datapoints in the original file, compared to using say only the R channel and then turning that channel B&W in photoshop. Clearly I do not have scientific data to backup by "imaginations flip-flops" but it feels right to me. - BTW.. I have left the SnapShot profile to standard B&W - all I need to do is selecting snapshot to preview a filter effect. (this could also be done by shooting DNG+JPG with BW-jpg) EDIT: Btw. I don't have problems with the grad position, it is easy to see when looking at the filter fro the front, and the effect is soft enough that there is not critical positioning. Don't think there is a ND Grad for 46mm I use a step ring to 52 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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