Red filters and white balance

Using the Sony RX100V and the Sony MPK-URX100A that I have just purchased.

I have been watching videos about red filters and white balance. I am going to add a red filter to the housing. Which one would you recommend for 10m dives? Do I need to manually adjust the white balance or can I use the auto white balance?

Barmaglot_07 wrote:

I wouldn't bother with red filters. If you're shooting stills, just shoot RAW and adjust white balance in post. If you're doing video, the underwater white balance setting does a good job at shallow depth. Red filters would just steal light - they can be useful when you have no other option (i.e. cameras that don't support RAW), but RX100V provides you with a large toolbox of software-based solutions that do a much better job.

I am going to shoot video. I watched this video and it showed, visually, quite compelling reasons to shoot with red filters on both the lights and camera housing. The one they use is made by Keldan and costs $139. I am sure there is a cheaper alternative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6kQJ4RowXA

this is camera specific.   My GH4, as an example, has a hard time white balancing for video, but Backscatter found it does much better with the use of a red filter.   The GH5 apparently removed that need.

kelpdiver wrote:

this is camera specific. My GH4, as an example, has a hard time white balancing for video, but Backscatter found it does much better with the use of a red filter. The GH5 apparently removed that need.

Thanks for the tip. I had a look at backscatter and they were quite scathing about the RX100V's ability in that area:

Backscatter.

This design fault is pretty surprising considering the RX series has always been at the front for 4k and high frame rates.

I did find when fixing my stills (again the GH4) for my Tiger Beach trip in 20' of water, the eyedropper method kept leading me to about 22K.

kelpdiver wrote:

This design fault is pretty surprising considering the RX series has always been at the front for 4k and high frame rates.

I did find when fixing my stills (again the GH4) for my Tiger Beach trip in 20' of water, the eyedropper method kept leading me to about 22K.

Can you enlighten me on a decent red filter that won't require me to defer my mortgage for a month. At a guess I need about 10-15k if I dial in 9k on the WB

Barmaglot_07 wrote:

AFAIK, Sony MWB cannot be set above 9900K manually (i.e. by entering the number), but if you do a spot manual white balance, it will give you an error but actually set the white balance to a proper value. In newer cameras (A7 III, RX100 VI, RX100 VA), they changed it so that it shows '>9900K' instead of an error, but the idea is the same.

I don't shoot video, but here's a test sample I made in Eilat with my A6300, no red filters involved, camera in underwater white balance mode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQfYNH3b2Wc

How do I do a spot manual?

Barmaglot_07 wrote:

On the downside, it's more than a little clunky - half a dozen or so key presses where Canons make do with one.

On the A6300 at least, you can custom configure a button to go directly to the white balance menu.  Saves one key press.

I have done over 200 dives doing video with red filter on Sony.   I use SRP go pro filter taped to the front of the lense.   You have to constantly adjust custom white balance, but there isn’t really any other good way.

i have the Archon big video lights...  but they produce a harsh unnatural look.  A couple months ago I spent a week diving with a guy with fancy Keldan lights.   Once in a while I set my white balance to his lights..  they are awesome.

Barmaglot_07 wrote:

On the downside, it's more than a little clunky - half a dozen or so key presses where Canons make do with one.

some Canons.  Not all (not mine).  For that reason, I never bothered for stills, since I have RAW.  But as I shoot more video, it's become a problem I need to get better at.

Thrawn777 wrote:

Barmaglot_07 wrote:

On the downside, it's more than a little clunky - half a dozen or so key presses where Canons make do with one.

On the A6300 at least, you can custom configure a button to go directly to the white balance menu. Saves one key press.

I have done over 200 dives doing video with red filter on Sony. I use SRP go pro filter taped to the front of the lense. You have to constantly adjust custom white balance, but there isn’t really any other good way.

i have the Archon big video lights... but they produce a harsh unnatural look. A couple months ago I spent a week diving with a guy with fancy Keldan lights. Once in a while I set my white balance to his lights.. they are awesome.

Why do you have to constantly adjust the white balance? Is it because of the depth changes?

May I please get some links to your videos?

Depth changes yes..

I rarely upload stuff I shot... But this are two videos I uploaded previously, unedited and straight out camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUHPX-V4uu4&t=43s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWeRIi7yuCI

Roadrunner123 wrote:

Why do you have to constantly adjust the white balance? Is it because of the depth changes?

Rolling clouds overhead will also markedly change the natural lighting.

Thrawn777 wrote:

Depth changes yes..

I rarely upload stuff I shot... But this are two videos I uploaded previously, unedited and straight out camera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUHPX-V4uu4&t=43s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWeRIi7yuCI

Thank you.

Was the first video shot with lights?

The water seemed quite murky.

No lights on either video.

Vis on 1st one is 25m at least.... probably the best vis conditions I've ever seen in Australia.  Shot with Sigma 19mm which is quite sensitive to flares when pointed towards light.

Upgraded to the salted Seafrogs with Sigma 16mm f/1.4 now, much better.