Modern NLE systems offer many ways of manipulating the video image but for those of us who started in the days when we loaded rolls of film into our cameras the use of camera filters and a compendium were an essential part of life. It is interesting to see that there is a move back to more control of the image at the shooting stage and the back pages of the video magazines carry ads for compendiums to use filter squares at prices about equivalent to that of a single chip camera! I wanted to get back to my roots but not at those prices so I checked out some possibilities and put together my own compendium and filter kit using these components:

This set up allows for the installation of two filters at the Cokin filter holder and the front of the Lee Hood has a holder 4 ½ inches by 4 inches so that can be used for mattes or masks.

The Cokin range is very wide, I use the P series filters and have the following:

ND4 and ND8 - one of the problems with video cameras is their enormous depth of field and even with the built in ND filter in the bright sunshine of the Southwest the aperture may still be well stopped down and differential focus difficult if not impossible. These NDs with the camera ND give me a degree of aperture control.

Diffuser 1 & 2 - video delivers a very "hard" image and some degree of softening is useful particularly for romantic shots.

Black Net 2 - this is supposed to help give a "film" look, but I have not had much success with it and in wide angle and small apertures the net is in focus.

Fog 2 - does what it says, useful for atmospheric effects.

Warming (81B) does what it says, very slightly warms the image.

FLW and FLD fluorescent correctors - it is difficult to white balance under some fluorescents, these make it possible.

My total investment in filters is about $100 plus the $81 for the holder and hood, so for about a third of what the big names want for a compendium I have a useful system that can be extended as far as my imagination will go.

Some practical suggestions

Obviously using a compendium and filters is best suited to a well controlled style of shooting, it doesn't work in gun and run situations.

Check that the bellows hood does not intrude into the picture area when shooting in wide angle.

When you use color filters, white balance before you attach the filter.

For information on Cokin filters, click here. There are two sizes of filters, the System A for lenses with a filter size between 36 and 62 mm and system P for filter sizes up to 82 mm. For information on using filters with video, click here and read the article titled "The Curse of Digital Video -using filters" by Barry Braverman. I bought my filter system from B & H - look under Filters on their home page. Also look at Tiffen and other suppliers of filters that fit the Cokin P series but be prepared for some price shocks, the difference is that Cokin filters are made of an acrylic plastic and the more expensive filters are made of optical glass.

There is a school of thought that believes the image should not be modified in the camera but that it should be as pure as possible and all the effects applied at the editing stage so that they can be precisely controlled. But for old cameramen (and women) it is fun and creative using filters at the shooting stage and I hope this is of help. I am located in the USA so the prices are in US$.

Review written by Ned Cordery.      Jun 2003

Previously published in Movie Makers the newsletter of the American Motion Picture Society

Page updated on 21 March 2008

Authors' views are not necessarily those of The Institute of Amateur Cinematographers

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