Compact cameras are becoming pretty serious photography tools when it comes to sensor sizes and lens qualities, but one thing they generally lack is an easy-to-use filter system. Interchangeable-lens photographers can usually just find a filter of the correct diameter and use it with their lens, but things get more complicated when you’re dealing with fixed-lens cameras. Although using filters is possible with some models, the systems aren’t very friendly: they’re usually proprietary, expensive, or based on unwieldy adapters.
That all changes with the new MagFilter by CarrySpeed, an easy-to-use filter system for compact cameras based on magnets rather than threads. Read more…
If you’re a fan of Instagram, then you’ll probably appreciate this neat DIY project by Elsie and Emma of A Beautiful Mess. Their Homemade Photo Filter DIY involves drawing colorful patterns on squares cut from transparency sheets:
To use your filter, simply hold it over your lens when shooting. (with auto focus enabled) Move the filter around over your lens as you frame your shot. You’ll be able to choose which part of your photo is in focus and which part is blurry and colorful!
You can achieve different looks based on things like color, pattern, and how you hold the sheet. The resulting effect makes it look like you spent some time tweaking the toning and contrast sliders in post. Head on over to their blog for the full lowdown and more sample photos.
DOGHOUSEDIARIES created this humorous glimpse into what the Fortune 500 company list will look like 18 years from now, in the year 2030. We see that “Undo Instagram Filters Inc.” leads the pack with $2.88 trillion in annual revenue.
It’s obviously satirical, but it does cause you to think… What is the world going to do with the unfathomably large pile of filtered photos if/when the fake retro look goes out of style? Read more…
Want to add some custom tints to your photos without resorting to digital trickery? dainy over at Lomography has a tutorial on how you can create a simple color filter using some cardboard and colored transparency sheets. Combining thin strips of various colors can lead to pretty artsy effects.
Here’s a quick tip from photographer Jeffrey Guyer that’ll help to keep you from warping a stuck filter when trying to take it off your lens. Instead of grabbing it with your fingers or using a jar opener, you can just use rubbery drawer liner. Simply place the liner on a flat surface, press your lens (filter down of course) onto it, and turn. This allows you to get the filter unstuck while applying even pressure — no broken/warped filters, no sad photographers.
Hovering somewhere between “novel idea” and “pointlessly stupid,” InstaCRT is a new iOS app that bills itself as “the world’s first real camera filter.” Photographs processed through the app are given a CRT monitor look that doesn’t involve any digital fakery. Instead, your photo is actually sent to the creators’ machine located in Stockholm, Sweden, where it’s displayed on a tiny CRT monitor and then photographed by a DSLR. The new photo is then beamed back to your phone in less than a minute. Read more…
Lee Filters is a world-class producer of high-quality filters for both photography and cinematography, and now we have a chance to see what goes into making these high-end accessories. Keep in mind that these filters aren’t made by some machine on an assembly line; each Lee Filter is made by hand, and in this video Mike Browne shows you what that process entails from liquid start to solid finish.
Using a filter is a great way to protect your lens from damage, but if you accidentally drop your camera and smash the filter, there’s a good chance you won’t be able to remove the filter from your lens’ threads. Here’s a quick video that shows how you can remove a stuck filter — all you need is a strong pair of pliers.
Tired of having to screw lens filters on and off? The Xume Quick Release Adapter is a new filter mounting system that turns your screw-on filters into snap-on ones. It uses powerful rare earth magnets, and consists of an adapter for your lens and a holder for each of your filters. People who use a single UV filter for protection might not benefit much from this system, but if you constantly find yourself switching between different filters then this adapter could take a lot of pain out of the process. They’ve only released a 77mm adapter so far, with the adapter priced at $33 and the holder priced at $12.
Instagram’s popular filters have spent the last year permeating into every corner of the photographic world, but for every one that was included in the app, thousands are left on the cutting room floor. Blake Williams over at Keepsy was given a behind-the-scenes peek into some of the filters that didn’t make the cut. The one above was named “Dirty Bird”. Read more…
