Use filters?

[Guest Foot01]

Hello! -

 

I have just completed my first ever short shooting with a DVX100a - I used worklights (from Home Depot) which uses halogen and are TUNGSTEN balanced.

 

The light made my actors alittle orange. I tried to color correct this with the DVX. It worked alittle bit but still looked alittle orange.

 

I went to a local photo store and told them the problem and he suggested to change my bulbs to photofloods OR to use a blue filter over the lens.

 

I don't want to buy all new lighting right now, so changing bulbs is out. So my question is: Would a blue filter work - or is there something else I should be considering on the DVX camera that might be able to filter out the orange color?

 

The settings on the camera that I used was the COLOR TEMP, CHROMA TEMP. It seemed to do alright but not 100% correct.

 

I am a beginner so please forgive me if I'm not stating this correctly.

 

Thanks in advance. :D

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

You are not using the white balance controls correctly. Normally there's a manual white balance setting, where you point the camera at something white or grey (a sheet of typing paper or something) and hit a button. Even auto white balance (which is generally to be avoided) will generally make a vaguely reasonable job of it in most normal circumstances.

 

Phil

[Alvin Pingol]

Indeed - With my camera and manual WB, I can white balance the 2800K tungstens in my bathroom with no problem. Those worklights are qartz halogen and are pretty hot (probably around 3400K), so you should have no trouble balancing them.

 

That's one of the good things about video. You can easily rid of WB problems electronically.

 

I believe the higher-end cameras have, much like internal ND filters, internal CT filters, so that you don't have to fool with buttons.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

> I believe the higher-end cameras have, much like internal ND filters, internal CT

> filters, so that you don't have to fool with buttons.

 

Well, they do, but of course it's only relative to your preexisting balance. If you balance to tungsten then flip in a 5600K filter, then all you know is that your balance is now as much bluer than whatever you had before as notional daylight is bluer than notional tungsten. Personally I tend to leave it alone - too many places to change things, especially when you're running around news style. On the other hand, yes, it is nice to flip it in when going from indoors to out and know you're at least in the ballpark without having to take ten-plus seconds out to balance on the ceiling.

 

Phil

[Guest Foot01]

Thanks for the replies !!!!

 

But I think I did do the white balance manually...I would get a piece of white foam core and point the camera at it. I would then hold to the white balance button. The camera would then change itself until I released the button.

 

That's how you manually balance it right?

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

Normally, yes. Make sure you're exposing the card correctly, and that the card is under the same light that your actors will be under.

 

Phil