Star Filters experience/thoughts/advice

[veeco5150]

Hello,

I was contemplating picking up a star filter to play with. I love the look of shooting concerts with one and getting all of those starry highlights at f/16...but shooting inside a dark venue at f/16 is rarely an option.

Anyone have advice/info/experience with using a star filter? Does it degrade image quality or reduce exposure at all?

Any recommendation on a type or brand? Sounded like something fun to play with; but I'm guessing that it might have a detrimental effect somewhat to the rest of the image....especially when I'm often shooting at 3200/6400 5dM3/6D with 16-35 or 24-70 2.8

 

[Michael Garibaldi]

Hello,

I was contemplating picking up a star filter to play with. I love the look of shooting concerts with one and getting all of those starry highlights at f/16...but shooting inside a dark venue at f/16 is rarely an option.

Anyone have advice/info/experience with using a star filter? Does it degrade image quality or reduce exposure at all?

Any recommendation on a type or brand? Sounded like something fun to play with; but I'm guessing that it might have a detrimental effect somewhat to the rest of the image....especially when I'm often shooting at 3200/6400 5dM3/6D with 16-35 or 24-70 2.8

Buy the cheapest one you can find. They are a one trick pony and you will tire of the effect rather quickly. If you use Photoshopping I believe there is a filter that will emulate the effect with far more control.

 

[neil holmes]

Hello,

I was contemplating picking up a star filter to play with. I love the look of shooting concerts with one and getting all of those starry highlights at f/16...but shooting inside a dark venue at f/16 is rarely an option.

Anyone have advice/info/experience with using a star filter? Does it degrade image quality or reduce exposure at all?

Any recommendation on a type or brand? Sounded like something fun to play with; but I'm guessing that it might have a detrimental effect somewhat to the rest of the image....especially when I'm often shooting at 3200/6400 5dM3/6D with 16-35 or 24-70 2.8

I got a Hoya Variocross filter as part of a job lot I got from a camera store a few years ago for sorting some old filters out for them.

I mainly just wanted the Hoya IR filter I got but took this as well as some others I hardly use......

Never really used it other than mucking around at home.

I also shoot concerts .....just got the filter out and it fits my Canon 40 2.8 STM .....maybe I will take it to a concert this week and see how it goes......not sure how it will go.

I doubt I would use it very much but will give it a run if I think about it at the time.

 

[veeco5150]

Let me know how it works out...I think the star adds a cool and definitely unique look to a concert shot since most people are not getting that star. Would be worried it takes away light though and might have an effect on the image; already pushed to the limits with wide open aperture and really high ISO

 

[veeco5150]

agreed, but I think it would make a shot stand out from all the other similar images. I'd be interested in the PS option. I now you can create them easily with some work; but I shoot too much to create in PS...but if there was a filter or something that created them easily in PS that definitely would be a better option.

 

[neil holmes]

Let me know how it works out...I think the star adds a cool and definitely unique look to a concert shot since most people are not getting that star. Would be worried it takes away light though and might have an effect on the image; already pushed to the limits with wide open aperture and really high ISO

I think it will be overkill especially at the better lit gigs.

I am not worried about ISO (I will use it with an A7s and have ISO 102400 set as my maximum with auto ISO).......might take my GX7 too though and see how it goes on that if I have the time.....wont be until Friday or Saturday night (and maybe not till next week either).

 

[veeco5150]

you shoot that high with acceptable results? I shoot 5dm3 and 6d and usually shoot at 3200 at the most...6400 I don't like too much but do use it often...It always looks great on the mobile size; but I really don't like the full res versions at the higher ISO's.

 

[Bobo Hodls]

Best diffracted lighting 'stars' I've gotten w/o accessories is from adapted Voigtlander lenses on m4/3 and Sony FF, w/o having to stop down in the extreme.

--
...Bob, NYC
.
"Well, sometimes the magic works. . . Sometimes, it doesn't." - Chief Dan George, Little Big Man
.

Bobo Hodls

Explore Bobo Hodls’s 5,812 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

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.

 

[hotdog321]

Star filters have the unfortunate side effect of creating soft images, but you do get nice stars from point sources of light. Might be especially fun with a video camera, but remember once you have a soft image there is very little you can do to fix it.

--
photojournalist
http://craighartley.zenfolio.com/

 

[veeco5150]

That pretty much seals the deal...I'll be working it in PS then or shooting f/16 haha...that's kind of what I figured. Not really worth ruining an image for a gimmick look...thx

 

[veeco5150]

beautiful shot! Thanks for sharing!

 

[neil holmes]

you shoot that high with acceptable results? I shoot 5dm3 and 6d and usually shoot at 3200 at the most...6400 I don't like too much but do use it often...It always looks great on the mobile size; but I really don't like the full res versions at the higher ISO's.

I have auto ISO set that high knowing that it mostly ...even at gigs without good lighting (as long as there is SOME stage lighting) will go to less than that.

For stills I have no problem a bit over ISO 51200 and for video I find up to 102400 is ok.

I just deleted most of my gallery (had lots of high ISO band shots there).

I shoot Jpeg mostly and mostly use the shots as taken.....I give them to the bands and they are very happy for the most part.

I have been shooting live music for many years (since film) and the A7s is the camera I have always wanted.....far from perfect and all but I love it for low light/high ISO.

I get full band shots using wide angle manual focus Canon TS-E lenses mostly and use the Sony Zeiss 55 1.8 and Canon 135 f2 L for individuals.....others as well from time to time.