Filters: Hardware vs. Software (put your ducs up)

CO
Posted By
Cooly_O
Jul 29, 2004
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1083
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6
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Closed
OK,

How well does PhotoShop Filters/plugins compare to actual filters (hardware) on a camera?

Let’s start simple: Can PhotoShop add a Polarizer filter which basically nullifies the use of a hardware filter. In other words, can people just basically not buy a Polarizer lens, knowing that PhotoShop can perform just as good or better (with the added benefit that you can take your time and tweak within PS; but hardwarewise you must choose the the adequate rotation of the Polarizer)?
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L
LenHewitt
Jul 29, 2004
How well does PhotoShop Filters/plugins compare to actual filters
(hardware) on a camera?<<

They don’t "compare" at all.

Photoshop filters are generally effect filters that have no optical equivalent. Those that do have a vaguely optical equivalent (blur for example) tend to be far more flexible, and of course allow you retain a version with no filtering applied.

And No, you can’t apply a polarizing filter in Photoshop
CK
Christine_Krof_Shock
Jul 29, 2004
At least not yet. I have stopped using some of my "colored" filters prefering to use things like photo filter and colored masks, but they are still in my bag and I reach for them occasionally!

Polarizing would be a great layer adjustment! Along with making shadow/highlight a layer adjustment!
ND
Nick_Decker
Jul 29, 2004
I remember Jeff Schewe (in another forum) saying that he could devise a Photoshop filter for just about any conventional photo filter, except for a true polarizing filter. I can see how that would be a tough one.
JJ
John_Joslin
Jul 29, 2004
A monitor does not emit polarised light. That means a camera’s polarise filter has no equivalent in an image processing software. Check out "polarisation" on a photographic site for more insight.

Cheers – John
BL
Bill_Lamp
Jul 30, 2004
I don’t see how you can duplicate the two major things a Polarizing filter does in a computer on a single file.

The remove bright "speckles" that are blown highlights might could be managed (on a motionless subject) with two different exposures. If the subject is moving (water ripples), it would be quite difficult.

The other effect, removing reflections from glass letting you look through the glass and, as an example, photographing the people inside a car might be possible with a lot of time by someone who is a LOT better with Photoshop than I am. They would probably also have to be a heck of a lot better than I am at drawing and painting.

The "darken the blue sky and bring out the clouds" effect I have done with Photoshop, but it is a lot easier with the physical filter on the lens.

One BIG advantage of having the actual filters in the camera bag is the ability to preview the effect in the field. The closer your file is to the desired end result (right after you press the shutter), the easier it is to get just what you want.

Bill
CC
Chris_Cox
Aug 1, 2004
Polarizing can’t be done as a post process – the light polarization information is lost when the camera samples the scene (on film or digital sensor).

Color filters, grad filters – those are easy and already available in Photoshop (and I made them even easier and more accurate in CS with the "Photo Filter" adjustment).

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