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Using digital cameras for video production is quickly becoming a popular and affordable option for amateur and even professional filmmakers. In photography, there are a number of tricks that can be applied in Photoshop or other photofinishing software to achieve the look you need. There are similar effects that can be used in video production, but correctly using filters on your digital SLR camera for video production can help cut down on post-production time and cost. In short, digital SLR filters manipulate the light entering your camera’s lens to suit your filmmaking or photography needs.
Neutral Density Filters are shaded filters: think of them as little camera sunglasses. They can be used by themselves or on top of one another to create a darker effect, and are helpful when shooting something extremely bright. There are also graduated natural density (ND) filters that are half shaded and half clear, which can be useful for filming things like sunrises: allowing the light in at the bottom to capture the horizon, but keeping the light restricted when the sun comes up.
Colour Filters can produce a wide-range of tones and feelings throughout a film. Certain movies and television shows use color to convey these tones. For example, in the movie The Matrix, scenes outside of the Matrix are blue while scenes inside of the Matrix have a distinctive green tint. The show CSI: Miami uses a yellow filter, while CSI: NY uses a blue and greyish tint. Colour filters can be used on a camera for video production to save having to do it in post-production.
UV filters are the most commonly used filter on SLR cameras. When you eventually drop your camera, you’ll be relieved to find you only smashed your 20$ filter and not your $200+ lens. They can also protect your lens from scratches and smudges. This isn’t their only purpose though, and these UV filters are sometimes called sky or skylight filters. They are colourless and help cut through haze.
Circular Polarizing Filters can make colours more vibrant while cutting out reflections and glare that aren’t desired in a scene, such as when filming near water or glass-faced buildings.
Many of the features of these digital SLR camera filters can be achieved in post-production, but using filters in advance can save time in post-production or give you an original image closer to what you’re looking for to work from during a video production.