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Having recently bought my D70, I experienced a bit of buyer's remorse,
having found the camera's rendering of skin tones was frequently
spoiled by a blue color cast. I did quite a bit of online research on
this problem, and found an old-fashioned (partial) solution to this
white-balance problem: the Skylight 1A filter.

This filter not only serves as a full-time protector for the camera's
front glass, but also goes a long way toward cancelling the blue tint
which shows up in so many of the D70's white balance results.

I found the Skylight filter especially helpful with shots using the
built-in speedlight; left to it's own devices, the speedlight lends an
ugly blue-purple cast to skin tones.

Without the Skylight filter, I was finding I had no latitiude
available to me in the white-balance fine-tuning adjustments
in-camera; in order to achieve realistic-looking skin tones. I had to
dial the wb all the way to -3, no matter what the camera's wb logic
would choose for the shots in question. The camera's custom hue
adustment also needed to be boosted by one red value, from 0 to +3, at
least, in order to cancel the blue color cast.

With the Skylight filter, however, I find lattitude is restored, in
that I can leave the wb fine-tuning and custom hue adjustment set at
0, and have good skin tones, even with the speedlight.

Hope this post helps others!

Mert

"mert" <> wrote in message
news: om...
> Having recently bought my D70, I experienced a bit of buyer's remorse,
> having found the camera's rendering of skin tones was frequently
> spoiled by a blue color cast. I did quite a bit of online research on
> this problem, and found an old-fashioned (partial) solution to this
> white-balance problem: the Skylight 1A filter.
>
> This filter not only serves as a full-time protector for the camera's
> front glass, but also goes a long way toward cancelling the blue tint
> which shows up in so many of the D70's white balance results.
>
> I found the Skylight filter especially helpful with shots using the
> built-in speedlight; left to it's own devices, the speedlight lends an
> ugly blue-purple cast to skin tones.
>
> Without the Skylight filter, I was finding I had no latitiude
> available to me in the white-balance fine-tuning adjustments
> in-camera; in order to achieve realistic-looking skin tones. I had to
> dial the wb all the way to -3, no matter what the camera's wb logic
> would choose for the shots in question. The camera's custom hue
> adustment also needed to be boosted by one red value, from 0 to +3, at
> least, in order to cancel the blue color cast.
>
> With the Skylight filter, however, I find lattitude is restored, in
> that I can leave the wb fine-tuning and custom hue adjustment set at
> 0, and have good skin tones, even with the speedlight.
>
> Hope this post helps others!
>
> Mert
---------------
A simpler solution which works for me is to set WB A(uto),(-)2. This
setting has solved the blue cast problem for just about all of my shots.
Don F

On 3 Oct 2004 10:36:50 -0700, (mert) wrote:


A lot easier is to shoot in RAW and set the WB to what you want in
post...

I'd say 9/10 shots have the correct WB to begin with.


"I'm the luckiest man in the world. I have a cigarette
lighter and a wife...and they both work!"

"mert" <> wrote in message
news: om...
> Having recently bought my D70, I experienced a bit of buyer's remorse,
> having found the camera's rendering of skin tones was frequently
> spoiled by a blue color cast. I did quite a bit of online research on
> this problem, and found an old-fashioned (partial) solution to this
> white-balance problem: the Skylight 1A filter.
I haven't seen any blue cast.. But, of course, I always use a skylight
filter. If using it reduces a blue cast, the cast must be very light indeed
because the 1A filter only eliminates a very small portion of the visible
light. It does wipe out nearly all of the ultra-violet, but I thought that
only film responded to those frequencies.
Jim

"Don F" <> wrote in message
news:heY7d.289260$4o.95410@fed1read01...
> >
> > With the Skylight filter, however, I find lattitude is restored, in
> > that I can leave the wb fine-tuning and custom hue adjustment set at
> > 0, and have good skin tones, even with the speedlight.
> >
> > Hope this post helps others!
> >
> > Mert
> ---------------
> A simpler solution which works for me is to set WB A(uto),(-)2. This
> setting has solved the blue cast problem for just about all of my shots.
> Don F

Agreed - this is exactly how I have mine set.

The Nikon default WB seems slightly "cold" to me, and this warms it up
nicely

I was about to add that I dont get the cast either, then I thought I'd
better have a look at the "UV" filters the shop through in for me and look
at that, they gave me skylights instead, might have to test it without the
filters now.

Mick Brown
www.photo.net/photos/mlbrown


"Jim" <> wrote in message
news:CK%7d.2137$q% m...
>
> "mert" <> wrote in message
> news: om...
> > Having recently bought my D70, I experienced a bit of buyer's remorse,
> > having found the camera's rendering of skin tones was frequently
> > spoiled by a blue color cast. I did quite a bit of online research on
> > this problem, and found an old-fashioned (partial) solution to this
> > white-balance problem: the Skylight 1A filter.
> I haven't seen any blue cast.. But, of course, I always use a skylight
> filter. If using it reduces a blue cast, the cast must be very light
indeed
> because the 1A filter only eliminates a very small portion of the visible
> light. It does wipe out nearly all of the ultra-violet, but I thought
that
> only film responded to those frequencies.
> Jim
>
>

"Mick Brown" <> wrote in message
news:vwa8d.13959$...
> I was about to add that I dont get the cast either, then I thought I'd
> better have a look at the "UV" filters the shop through in for me and look
> at that, they gave me skylights instead, might have to test it without the
> filters now.
>
Skylight filters are UV filters.
Here is a description of the 1A filter from the Kodak Photographic Filters
Handbook, page 95:

"1A Pale Pink. Absorbs ultraviolet radiation. Reduces excess bluishness of
outdoor scenes photographed in open shade under a clear blue sky."

The excessive bluishness is caused by the film being sensitive to
ultraviolet light.

The chart and table on that page shows that the cutoff wavelength of the 1A
filter is about 405 nm.

On page 143 of that handbook, you will see the CIE diagram which shows that
the longest wavelength that the eye can see is 400 nm.

Evidently, the sensor in the D70 is sensitive to ultraviolet light (as is
all film ever made). So, it would be a good idea to use a skylight filter
at all times.
Jim

I have seen posts now where people say either new film has no UV sensitivity
or AWB on D70 takes care of this.

I am with Jim, film and digital cameras ARE sensitive to UV! That is my
experience.

I use skylight on my film cameras and UV filter on my digital cameras. I do
have some skylights on some of my D70 lenses.

USE some sort of filter!

"Fred B." <> wrote in message
newsDl8d.28470$.. .
> I have seen posts now where people say either new film has no UV
sensitivity
> or AWB on D70 takes care of this.
>
> I am with Jim, film and digital cameras ARE sensitive to UV! That is my
> experience.
>
> I use skylight on my film cameras and UV filter on my digital cameras. I
do
> have some skylights on some of my D70 lenses.
>
> USE some sort of filter!
>
>
I wonder if this is the same with the D100. All my lenses have Haze filters
from their film days. My experience is that these gave the best skin tones,
at least with Fuji film...IMHO. They seem to work wonderfully on my D100.

Scott Chapin

"Jim" <> wrote in message
news:1Tf8d.1132$ ...
>
> "Mick Brown" <> wrote in message
> news:vwa8d.13959$...
<snip>
> Evidently, the sensor in the D70 is sensitive to ultraviolet light (as is
> all film ever made). So, it would be a good idea to use a skylight filter
> at all times.
> Jim
>
--------------
I prefer the UV filter to the Skylight filter on my D70.
I have read (review sources) that Nikon's D70 auto white balance does a
good job when compared with other cameras and for a majority of shots the WB
is acceptable or well within tweaking boundaries in post processing.
I can see no reason to add a color balance offset (however subtle) with a
skylight filter *before* the camera's internal white balance adjustment
where user preferences can be selected.
Maybe someone has a different take on this.
Don F