Beginner's question on filters

[olivia]

I just ordered the 20D. Serious over-kill for me at this point. Please keep your fingers crossed for me that I am up to the challenge. :o The Rebel XT fit my hands better, but it was way too small for my husband. The 20D is fine for my hands, just a little heavy.

Anyway, I was looking over the filters I had on my film Rebel from 5 years ago (same size as the kit lens) and found one that is a Hoya 80A, both sides coated. Does this filter have any place in digital photography? Says it raises colour temperature from 3200K to 5500K, correcting excess reddish cast when using daylight film in artificial light.

Is there someway to use that to advantage in improving white balance?

Please don't trash me if this is the most stupid question you've ever heard.

[robertwgross]

Is there someway to use that to advantage in improving white balance?


When you raise the apparent white temperature, that is called "cooling". I know that sounds backwards.

So, your Hoya is a cooling filter. Your camera will naturally try to exert its auto white balancing magic to buck out that cooling effect. So, you have little to be gained there.

You could do some tricks and use other white balance settings, but I think you would have to go to a custom white balance to really get any good out of it, color-wise. Of course, you can always use it as lens protection.

If you set a custom white balance on a white card that really isn't pure white, you can get some interesting effects in the opposite direction, color-wise.

---Bob Gross---

[olivia]

Hmmmmm, sounds like it needs to return to its bag with my film stuff.

[Jon]

If you left the colour temperature setting for the 20D at "Tungsten", you'd use this just as you would have on your earlier Rebel. But the 20D allows you to set colour temperature corrections directly in the camera (p. 52 of the manual), in addition to having presets for typical conditions, so it's really not necessary.

[Andy_T]

... but maybe it would not hurt, either, if you want to put it on your lens for protection.

Still, if a filter is not multi-coated, it might deteriorate the image ... try it out, problems will be expecially visible at night shots with bright lights.

Best regards,
Andy

[glangston]

Sort of a separate consideration but Photoshop CS (if you have it) has 80. 81, 82, and 85 filters in the software.

[smittymike19]

Sort of a separate consideration but Photoshop CS (if you have it) has 80. 81, 82, and 85 filters in the software.

yeah iwas going to say that. id leave the filters at home as photoshop can add them easily. getting rid of their effect (if used when taking the shot) in ps is not so easy. like my italian barber always say"i canna aways takea more off, i canna no put it back on.." similar concept here. err on the side of simplicity and adjust in post processing. :)

[olivia]

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. I don't have my camera yet, so I don't have the manual to refer to.

I do have PS 7 and Elements 3, so hopefully I can correct some of the many mistakes I'm sure I'll make as I learn.

[robertwgross]

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. I don't have my camera yet, so I don't have the manual to refer to.

You should be able to find the PDF file of the manual on the Canon web site. In fact, it would be a good idea for you to read through that at least once before you get the camera.

---Bob Gross---

[olivia]

Thanks, Bob, for the idea about downloading the manual. The camera should come tomorrow, so I'll start reading!

I'm sitting through jury selection on Friday, so should have plenty of time to read. ;)

On Saturday I'm having a Medicare Birthday party for my husband. What do you think my chances are of getting one good photo?? That's a rhetorical question....please don't answer!:p

[smittymike19]

Thanks, Bob, for the idea about downloading the manual. The camera should come tomorrow, so I'll start reading!

I'm sitting through jury selection on Friday, so should have plenty of time to read. ;)

On Saturday I'm having a Medicare Birthday party for my husband. What do you think my chances are of getting one good photo?? That's a rhetorical question....please don't answer!:p

what is a medicare bday party? does he work for medicare or is medicare paying for it or is it medicares anniversary? :)

[olivia]

LOL It's his 65th birthday! We are having a family party, our three kids and their spouses, 8 grandchildren.

Think I can get Medicare to buy the beer?:cool: