Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#164527 - 03/29/12 12:43 PM Haze
wandering_daisy Offline
member

Registered: 01/11/06
Posts: 2865
Loc: California
My camera does not have the capability to add filters or additional lenses. Compared to a UV filter, how good is post-processing? So far I have been able to get sharper photos with post-processing (Adobe Elemens 10), but the color ends up looking a bit artificial. Do I simply not know enough about the post-processing or it is impossible to duplicate what a real camera filter does?

Top
#164547 - 03/29/12 05:27 PM Re: Haze [Re: wandering_daisy]
BZH Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/11
Posts: 1189
Loc: Madison, AL
Digital post processing can help a lot, but if the information is not recorded by your sensor, you can not recover it in post processing. In that regards using the correct filters and lens will always give you better results (theoretically).

You mention haze in your title... what is it you are having problems capturing. You can also affect what the sensor captors by adjusting sensitivities while you take the picture.

Top
#164552 - 03/29/12 06:34 PM Re: Haze [Re: BZH]
wandering_daisy Offline
member

Registered: 01/11/06
Posts: 2865
Loc: California
Most ofen the haze is lingering smoke from forest fires. Some locations on the west side of the Sierra also get some air pollution creeping up. And then there is the shooting toward the sun (such as trying to get north facing cliffs). I think some of my high altitude photo wash-outs are a UV issue.

Examples:
Unprocessed:

Processed: (colors look strange to me)


Smoke in air: (processed as best I could get it)


Shooting to the south into sun


Top
#164555 - 03/29/12 06:49 PM Re: Haze [Re: wandering_daisy]
Heather-ak Offline
member

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 597
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
What camera are you using?

I know my camera does not have the ability to have filter either, but someone "invented" a hooky-do and now I can have a UV filter on it.

Top
#164557 - 03/29/12 07:50 PM Re: Haze [Re: wandering_daisy]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
I can often do a decent job in postprocessing using the levels sliders to cut out some of the light scatter. Not always, but a decent percentage of the time.

Always make sure to shade your lens, because sometimes haze is actually lens flare. This is tough sometimes if you have a particularly wide angle lens.

In the field, you could try handholding a polarizer in front of the camera lens. They're the best way to cut atmospheric haze, as well as knock down surface reflections off water, leaves, etc.

Happy experimenting!
_________________________
--Rick

Top
#164583 - 03/31/12 03:57 AM Re: Haze [Re: Heather-ak]
kevonionia Offline
member

Registered: 04/17/06
Posts: 1322
Loc: Dallas, TX
Heather: Can you please tell me what is, or provide me an image of, this item that you call a "hooky-do?" I am having difficulty locating this apparatus on any of the various photo websites that I have purchased from. My calls to B&H Photo were of no avail; they disconnected my call after I repeatedly told the operator I was in search of this elusive 'hooky-do.'
_________________________
- kevon

(avatar: raptor, Lake Dillon)


Top
#164586 - 03/31/12 01:01 PM Re: Haze [Re: kevonionia]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
Just remember, B&H will neither sell you a hooky-do, nor a who'za-what'sit between sundown on Friday and sundown on Saturday.

That could be your problem, right there. grin

Cheers,
_________________________
--Rick

Top
#164587 - 03/31/12 03:49 PM Re: Haze [Re: kevonionia]
Heather-ak Offline
member

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 597
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
laugh , This adapter is made specifically for my Canon Powershot SX10 and hooks on the sun hood ... thingy. I'm not a professional photographer, so I don't know the special lingo. wink
Lens Adapter

I figure if they made such an adapter for my camera, maybe they made adapters for others.

Top
#164619 - 04/02/12 02:10 PM Re: Haze [Re: kevonionia]
BZH Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/11
Posts: 1189
Loc: Madison, AL
Originally Posted By kevonionia
Heather: Can you please tell me what is, or provide me an image of, this item that you call a "hooky-do?" I am having difficulty locating this apparatus on any of the various photo websites that I have purchased from. My calls to B&H Photo were of no avail; they disconnected my call after I repeatedly told the operator I was in search of this elusive 'hooky-do.'


I've purchased one of these off ebay before. It threaded into the p&s camera at the base of the lens and extended out the distance of the lens at its farthest point and allowed you to attach various lenses and filters. I think many of the modern lightweight p&s cameras don't have the ability to add these.

I don't mind the coloration of your altered photo. You may have similar complaints if you were to use an actual UV filter. The washed out photo could be helped by shielding the camera from the sun.

I will say this... lighting is the most challenging aspect of photography. Pro's carry heavy equipment and have invested a lot of time to get it right. Don't expect to always be able to get the photo you want with a p&s camera.

I have seen many photos of the grand canyon over the years, not one has come close to doing it justice.

I would try to shield the sun a bit (with your hat)... and maybe try a UV filter. Also, (if I can rant for a bit) the biggest mistake I see novices do when buying a digital camera is they want a long focal length and high megapixel count. Both those things tend to make pictures worse. A long focal length means every pic you take will be thru a lot of glass. A high megapixel count increases the "noise" in black areas of your photograph. Pic out a camera with a moderate focal range and try (its not easy to do) to get a camera with the largest CCD.

Top
#175647 - 03/07/13 12:55 PM Re: Haze [Re: wandering_daisy]
Dryfly Offline
newbie

Registered: 03/06/13
Posts: 9
Correcting this problem at the camera will always yield better results than post-capture processing. If your camera will not accept a threaded filter and there is not an adaptor to rig a filter to the camera (ask a good retailer like B&H or Adorama); then you can always simply buy a filter, say 52mm, and manually hold it against your existing lens. Please note that this will ONLY work well if the outer lens element is recessed. In other words, the glass of the filter should not touch the lens glass. It can be awkward to shoot like this, but with a little practice it is very manageable. A UV haze filter will help with your issues, but what you really want is a polarizing filter. To use a polarizing filter you have to rotate it, so that will add another layer of complexity; but since you are taking landscapes there is usually plenty of time to fiddle with gear and still collect the image you want. You will also lose about half a stop with a polarizing filter. Good luck!


Edited by Dryfly (03/07/13 01:00 PM)

Top

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 160 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum