: I bought my VX2000 last summer, I am not a professional, I am an artist and art teacher - and it was very important for me to get an accurate color match to real life. I posted information on this last August or September? But it came down to changing the color of the image with a Tiffen 81B filter. The Hoya 81B was second best for me, it was just a slight bit more colorful. The reason I felt a filter was needed was because first I only use the sony AWB and the color of the sony image could only be adjusted between blue and red, while I wanted to move it to a warmer - meaning adding a bit of sunlight color - I did not like the overly rosy color of the Cannon GL1, but I did want just a touch of it compared to the just off unnatural color of the sony. I felt that he sony's weakness in color showed up when I was shooting green foliage, which could only look too red or blue.
I find a UV useful to protect the lens from catastrophic
damage (I've had the camera grabbed, with damage to the
UV filter) and cumulative damage (from incorrect multiple
cleanings, often under emergency conditions). In still
photography I have tested image sharpness under the
most difficult conditions with and without filters: using
a fast, long tele. Results: no image degradation under
critical conditions when using good-quality filters. With
video, one can get away with far worse optics without
seeing differences... As for color-balance shifts with
AWB, it is VERY unlikely you would see a difference with
any but extreme filters. I do find it useful with some
camcorders that have a blue bias to use a weak 81A or
strong skylight (with DWB) for outdoor shooting. BTW,
with my two VX-2000s locked in DWB (with UV) and +1 or 2
notches of warming used (in the custom controls, along
with -2 in AE-bias), green-rendering is natural-looking,
and quite rich (the VX-2000 has better foliage-green
rendering than most other Sony cameras, including the
TRV-900 [see the frame-grabs in my camcorder reviews, at:
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder-comparison.htm - and
don't miss the VX-2000 link, with more...]).
: Wrong or not right, i use the auto white balance for most of my shots
Try DWB for all exteriors - you may prefer the warmer color
balance... I also prefer the TWB preset for tungsten interiors,
though the VX-2000 does an excellent job of AWB with
flourescents.
: The 81B filter is also good for better looking interior shots at night. The filter also produces a bit more contrasts in image.
Again, with AWB, you are unlikely to see differences once
the AWB has had time to compensate for the filter. Better:
use the custom controls with AWB; or use the WB presets with
or without the custom controls and front filters; or use manual
white balance. Also, it is very unlikely a moderate color
filter can change image contrast unless something is VERY
unusual...
: If you say it produces a slight distortion beacuse there is another piece of glass on the lens - so be it for the sake of color. - i take that ove the off colors - yes, I guess colors can be adjusted within FCP - but that's another story or program to purchase - the Tiffen filter is about a 15 dollar fix. Thanks Nick
I would avoid Tiffen filters if at all possible - they
mysteriously "self fog", regardless of storage conditions.
Also, I gather most are uncoated - and the rims are
unusually thick, often causing vignetting with wide-angle
lenses. Try metal-rimmed single-coated Hoya filters (excellent
quality [equal to Nikkors], and generally cheap). BTW, before
attempting to evaluate camcorder color, it is a good idea
to (at least roughly) try to calibrate your TV and computer
monitors - both tend to be quite blue in general...