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**hjoseph7** · 11-09-2014, 06:01 PM

How often do you use the digital filters on your K5 ? I had my K5 II maybe about 6 months now and I have yet to use any of the filters. The filters was one of the reasons why I purchase the camera however. The other day I was standing in front of a really high-contrast scene with my camera one that could have used HDR, but then I realized that I did not know how to use the in-camera HDR and I didn't have the manual with me.

**jatrax** · 11-09-2014, 06:18 PM - **1 Like**

Never.
I did try the in camera HDR when I first got the k-5 but was unimpressed. Better than nothing but 3 bracketed RAW files combined in software gave much better results in my tests. Actually a single RAW processed +1, 0 and -1 in Lightroom and then combined produced better results.

MarkJerling · 11-09-2014, 07:25 PM

Originally posted by hjoseph7

How often do you use the digital filters on your K5 ? I had my K5 II maybe about 6 months now and I have yet to use any of the filters. The filters was one of the reasons why I purchase the camera however. The other day I was standing in front of a really high-contrast scene with my camera one that could have used HDR, but then I realized that I did not know how to use the in-camera HDR and I didn't have the manual with me.

I've tried the filters and the in camera HDR. The HDR is quite nice in that there's quite a few different options to explore. As for the filters, I tried that just to see if it works, but I prefer, mostly, to get my photos as true to life as possible, so I don't see much point in a whole lot of "photoshopping"!

asp1880 · 11-10-2014, 04:19 AM

I sometimes use the high contrast filter on dull scenes that I want to shoot anyway. It can really punch up the colors to Rockwell level.
The starburst filter can work with candlelight scenes. Cheasy, I know.
In-camera HDR is not so much an effect as it is a contrast-handling technique.
You can do the "top gear effect" with the vignette filter and the bleach bypass custom image setting. Fun for dramatic clouds.

I don't like the toy camera and retro filters that much.

Regards,
--Anders.

**Mikesul** · 11-10-2014, 05:41 AM

I do not use the in camera filters since the same effects can be accomplished with better control in post processing.

LensBeginner · 11-10-2014, 05:41 AM

I've never used in-camera filters.
I tried in-camera HDR once, but never used it again.
Three different "strength" presets don't cut it, IMHO... and then you have to judge the outcome from the LCD display.
I'd rather bracket (+-1, because with +-2 I've always had problems, steps are just too coarse...) and tonemap at home, or simply process a single RAW if I deem that I can recover whatever is necessary in the highlights and/or in the shadows.
As far as filtering is concerned, I'd rather build my own effects from the ground up in the rare cases I decide to try it.
Plus, I also physically use all those filters which can't be replicated via software (CPL, variable NDs when I don't bracket, etc...).
So for me a camera is just a raw RAW producing machine, pun intended...

narual · 11-10-2014, 08:02 AM

Originally posted by hjoseph7

How often do you use the digital filters on your K5 ? I had my K5 II maybe about 6 months now and I have yet to use any of the filters. The filters was one of the reasons why I purchase the camera however. The other day I was standing in front of a really high-contrast scene with my camera one that could have used HDR, but then I realized that I did not know how to use the in-camera HDR and I didn't have the manual with me.

When I'm really bored, my phone battery is dead, and theres nothing to photograph (say, I'm traveling with my wife, she's sleeping, I'm not tired yet, and I'm trying not to make any noise and wake her up), sometimes I make copies of shots I took that day and play with some of the digital filters inside it. I don't think I've kept any of them from the K5. (Maybe 1 shot of a cave entrance I'd accidentally shot in jpg anyway, where I did some lighting tweaks in-camera after the fact) I've kept a fair number from the Q, though.

cxdoo · 11-10-2014, 08:08 AM

Originally posted by hjoseph7

How often do you use the digital filters on your K5 ? I had my K5 II maybe about 6 months now and I have yet to use any of the filters. The filters was one of the reasons why I purchase the camera however. The other day I was standing in front of a really high-contrast scene with my camera one that could have used HDR, but then I realized that I did not know how to use the in-camera HDR and I didn't have the manual with me.

Never. I shoot RAW and rarely apply any filters or PP apart from white balance, exposure, highlights, shadows, black/white, presence, contrast and for high ISO shots, noise luminance filter.
Now that I listed it, this pretty much fits with 'what have Romans ever done for us?' theme.

**jrpower10** · 11-10-2014, 08:26 AM

Never used any filters. Tried HDR but I get better results bracketing the shot and using Photoshop to merge.

timb64 · 11-10-2014, 10:11 AM

Add me to the ranks of non-filter users.Any tweaks I want to do pp are achieved with Capture One from RAW files.

zekewhipper · 11-17-2014, 07:16 PM

The built-in HDR does a great job! I never have to post-process for that. I use my Custom Image options quite a bit. Again, no need to post-process hardly.

LensBeginner · 11-18-2014, 08:12 AM

Originally posted by zekewhipper

The built-in HDR does a great job! I never have to post-process for that. I use my Custom Image options quite a bit. Again, no need to post-process hardly.

What settings did you use?
I tried 3 once, and it was too extreme... maybe 1 or 2 would be better, but then you can't really decide how strong you want it based on the situation... I'm not sure I'd let a camera decide that... and worse of all it doesn't save the RAW so if you don't like it you can't change it...
I think I'm sticking to +-1 bracketing when I want HDR...

11-09-2014, 06:01 PM	#1
hjoseph7 Site Supporter Join Date: May 2014 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,051	Digital Fiters How often do you use the digital filters on your K5 ? I had my K5 II maybe about 6 months now and I have yet to use any of the filters. The filters was one of the reasons why I purchase the camera however. The other day I was standing in front of a really high-contrast scene with my camera one that could have used HDR, but then I realized that I did not know how to use the in-camera HDR and I didn't have the manual with me.

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11-09-2014, 06:18 PM - 1 Like	#2
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,992	Never. I did try the in camera HDR when I first got the k-5 but was unimpressed. Better than nothing but 3 bracketed RAW files combined in software gave much better results in my tests. Actually a single RAW processed +1, 0 and -1 in Lightroom and then combined produced better results.

11-09-2014, 07:25 PM	#3
MarkJerling Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: May 2012 Location: Wairarapa, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 20,423	Originally posted by hjoseph7 How often do you use the digital filters on your K5 ? I had my K5 II maybe about 6 months now and I have yet to use any of the filters. The filters was one of the reasons why I purchase the camera however. The other day I was standing in front of a really high-contrast scene with my camera one that could have used HDR, but then I realized that I did not know how to use the in-camera HDR and I didn't have the manual with me. I've tried the filters and the in camera HDR. The HDR is quite nice in that there's quite a few different options to explore. As for the filters, I tried that just to see if it works, but I prefer, mostly, to get my photos as true to life as possible, so I don't see much point in a whole lot of "photoshopping"!

11-10-2014, 04:19 AM	#4
asp1880 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Lyngby, Copenhagen Photos: Albums Posts: 742	I sometimes use the high contrast filter on dull scenes that I want to shoot anyway. It can really punch up the colors to Rockwell level. The starburst filter can work with candlelight scenes. Cheasy, I know. In-camera HDR is not so much an effect as it is a contrast-handling technique. You can do the "top gear effect" with the vignette filter and the bleach bypass custom image setting. Fun for dramatic clouds. I don't like the toy camera and retro filters that much. Regards, --Anders.

11-10-2014, 05:41 AM	#5
Mikesul Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7,594	I do not use the in camera filters since the same effects can be accomplished with better control in post processing.

11-10-2014, 05:41 AM	#6
LensBeginner Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 4,696	I've never used in-camera filters. I tried in-camera HDR once, but never used it again. Three different "strength" presets don't cut it, IMHO... and then you have to judge the outcome from the LCD display. I'd rather bracket (+-1, because with +-2 I've always had problems, steps are just too coarse...) and tonemap at home, or simply process a single RAW if I deem that I can recover whatever is necessary in the highlights and/or in the shadows. As far as filtering is concerned, I'd rather build my own effects from the ground up in the rare cases I decide to try it. Plus, I also physically use all those filters which can't be replicated via software (CPL, variable NDs when I don't bracket, etc...). So for me a camera is just a raw RAW producing machine, pun intended...

11-10-2014, 08:02 AM	#7
narual Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Bend (Notre Dame), Indiana Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,988	Originally posted by hjoseph7 How often do you use the digital filters on your K5 ? I had my K5 II maybe about 6 months now and I have yet to use any of the filters. The filters was one of the reasons why I purchase the camera however. The other day I was standing in front of a really high-contrast scene with my camera one that could have used HDR, but then I realized that I did not know how to use the in-camera HDR and I didn't have the manual with me. When I'm really bored, my phone battery is dead, and theres nothing to photograph (say, I'm traveling with my wife, she's sleeping, I'm not tired yet, and I'm trying not to make any noise and wake her up), sometimes I make copies of shots I took that day and play with some of the digital filters inside it. I don't think I've kept any of them from the K5. (Maybe 1 shot of a cave entrance I'd accidentally shot in jpg anyway, where I did some lighting tweaks in-camera after the fact) I've kept a fair number from the Q, though.

11-10-2014, 08:08 AM	#8
cxdoo Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Limassol, Cyprus Posts: 1,150	Originally posted by hjoseph7 How often do you use the digital filters on your K5 ? I had my K5 II maybe about 6 months now and I have yet to use any of the filters. The filters was one of the reasons why I purchase the camera however. The other day I was standing in front of a really high-contrast scene with my camera one that could have used HDR, but then I realized that I did not know how to use the in-camera HDR and I didn't have the manual with me. Never. I shoot RAW and rarely apply any filters or PP apart from white balance, exposure, highlights, shadows, black/white, presence, contrast and for high ISO shots, noise luminance filter. Now that I listed it, this pretty much fits with 'what have Romans ever done for us?' theme.

11-10-2014, 08:26 AM	#9
jrpower10 Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Richland, Washington, USA Posts: 935	Never used any filters. Tried HDR but I get better results bracketing the shot and using Photoshop to merge.

11-10-2014, 10:11 AM	#10
timb64 Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: /Situation : Doing my best to avoid idiots! Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,514	Add me to the ranks of non-filter users.Any tweaks I want to do pp are achieved with Capture One from RAW files.

11-17-2014, 07:16 PM	#11
zekewhipper Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Photos: Albums Posts: 308	The built-in HDR does a great job! I never have to post-process for that. I use my Custom Image options quite a bit. Again, no need to post-process hardly.

11-18-2014, 08:12 AM	#12
LensBeginner Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Photos: Albums Posts: 4,696	Originally posted by zekewhipper The built-in HDR does a great job! I never have to post-process for that. I use my Custom Image options quite a bit. Again, no need to post-process hardly. What settings did you use? I tried 3 once, and it was too extreme... maybe 1 or 2 would be better, but then you can't really decide how strong you want it based on the situation... I'm not sure I'd let a camera decide that... and worse of all it doesn't save the RAW so if you don't like it you can't change it... I think I'm sticking to +-1 bracketing when I want HDR...

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