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UltravioletPhotography

[Filter Test] CopperU: An Unusual UV-Pass Filter


Andrea B.

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I had a chance to shoot a bit this afternoon. The Rudbeckias have just bloomed in the last week so I had plenty of willing subjects who could provide a nice UV-dark bullseye for test shots. The light was quite variable, so we really should not make any judgements based on exposure times.

 

I haven't yet done any (semi-)formal tests with the CopperU for IR or Visible leakage, but it doesn't look to me like there could be anything worth worrying about. These photos clearly show that the UV-signature has been captured with just the CopperU. To be extra cautious, you can shoot with the additional CopperPlus stacked on.

 

Typically I shoot UV with an in-camera white balance preset which was made with a BaaderU and then pushed as far as I could push it to remove some of the red. Because the Nikons won't fully white balance under a UV-pass filter and I know I will always have to finish the job in the converter/editor, I don't worry too much about trying to create new presets for each new UV-pass filter. If you have a Lumix or NEX converted camera, your in-camera white-balanced shots will look more like my finshed shots under the CopperU.

 

Here is the cheerful Rudbeckia hirta in its Visible disguise.

You can just see the underlying central pigment here that becomes UV-dark.

rudbeckiaHirta_visSun_20152206wf_34213pn01.jpg

 

 

CopperU in Sunlight

Left to right: (1) Straight out of camera, Raw Composite (2) Photo Ninja proof, Capture NX2 proof.

rudbeckiaHirta_copperUsun_20152206mtNJ_34264.jpgrudbeckiaHirta_copperUsun_20152206mtNJ_34264_nef.jpg

rudbeckiaHirta_copperUsun_20152206mtNJ_34264pn.jpgrudbeckiaHirta_copperUsun_20152206mtNJ_34264pf.jpg

 

 

Variations: For the preceding proof, I turned the colour wheel in 30° intervals. These two were the prettiest.

This is false colour, so there is no particular reason to always present the "white balanced" version.

rudbeckiaHirta_copperUsun_20152206mtNJ_34264pfColor-30.jpgrudbeckiaHirta_copperUsun_20152206mtNJ_34264pfColor-180.jpg

 

 

CopperU in Sunlight Boosted with SB-14mod

Left to right: (1) Straight out of camera, Raw Composite (2) Photo Ninja proof, Capture NX2 proof.

rudbeckiaHirta_copperUsb14_20152206mtNJ_34276.jpgrudbeckiaHirta_copperUsb14_20152206mtNJ_34276_nef.jpg

rudbeckiaHirta_copperUsb14_20152206mtNJ_34276pn.jpgrudbeckiaHirta_copperUsb14_20152206mtNJ_34276pf.jpg

 

 

CopperUPlus in Sunlight Boosted with Sb-14mod

Left to right: (1) Straight out of camera, Raw Composite (2) Photo Ninja proof, Capture NX2 proof.

rudbeckiaHirta_copperUplusSb14_20152206mtNJ_34286.jpgrudbeckiaHirta_copperUplusSb14_20152206mtNJ_34286_nef.jpg

rudbeckiaHirta_copperUplusSb14_20152206mtNJ_34286pn.jpgrudbeckiaHirta_copperUplusSb14_20152206mtNJ_34286pf.jpg

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Here are the histograms for the CopperU.

Lots of Red and Green - hence the oranges & yellows in the raws and white-balanced versions.

 

CopperU in Sunlight

rudbeckiaHirta_copperUsun_20152206mtNJ_34264-Sel-1839-739-2769x2409scaled.jpg

 

 

CopperU in Sunlight Boosted with SB-14mod

rudbeckiaHirta_copperUsb14_20152206mtNJ_34276-Sel-1879-749-2729x2419.jpg

 

 

CopperUPlus in Sunlight Boosted with Sb-14mod

rudbeckiaHirta_copperUplusSb14_20152206mtNJ_34286-Sel-1929-729-2699x2419.jpg

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Hi Andrea

Lots of testing here & lots to digest...

With the last few shots with the 'CopperUPlus', is that the combined CopperU & the Copper Plus filters, stacked ?

These last few the exposure time has come down ?

Col

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Yes, the CopperUPlus is the stack of two.

 

As I noted, the light was quite variable while I was out this afternoon, so we cannot make any judgements about exposure times. Also I was boosting light with my SB14-mod but making no attempt to ensure equal distance of flash-from-flower over the various shots. That is to say, I was aiming for a good exposure, not a good experimental protocol. And so labeled my topic as "Playing with" the CopperU rather than "Testing with". :D ;)

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