Straw instead of 85 filters?

[Marco King]

Hi

 

I recently heard a rumour that effects filters such as Coral or Straw can be used effectively as colour balancing filters rather than 85's.

 

What kind of effect does this create when shooting tungsten stock in daylight? Anyone have any examples of where this is used?

[Michael Nash]

Hi

 

I recently heard a rumour that effects filters such as Coral or Straw can be used effectively as colour balancing filters rather than 85's.

 

What kind of effect does this create when shooting tungsten stock in daylight? Anyone have any examples of where this is used?

 

 

It's not a rumor. The filters are still changing the color of the light hitting the film (or sensor), just not to a "perfect" tungsten balance.

 

Remember that color-balancing filters work by virtue of the color of light they block or cancel out. An 85 works by canceling blue-cyan light. Coral filters have a little more red in them and less yellow than 85 series, which means it cancels a little less blue but blocks more cyan. Straw is more yellow and less red, which means it blocks more blue but less cyan. If you pick a filter that's equivalent in density to the appropriate 85, you won't notice much difference in color temperature but you will see a slight shift in hue reproduction, especially when comparing flesh-to-neutral reproduction.