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filters
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what are the advantages of Filters ? Im only a newbie so im not sure if im ment to be useing them or not for certain shots like sunrises etc ??
Polarising filters are great for very bright light and especially for reflections of light on water. Think of it as sunglasses for your camera.
An ND grad filter is great to darken the sky while keeping the ground bright. Very useful.
A UV filter is fairly useless, aside from end lens protection.
Those would be the most commonly used filters.
I can only endorse Pauls advice.
A CPL (circular polarizer) is a MUST. It also enhances the ‘blue’ in the sky, and makes for richer colours.
An ND4 (neutral density) to get the ‘milky effect’ on flowing water. They come in 2,4,6,8 and possibly other combinations..but a ND4 is just perfect for me.All other filters can be added with photoshop – but these two can’t
my thoughts only of course!
bren
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brencullen/Yeah exactly as listed above: Feel free to correct me!
Neutral density filters are available in various strengths and limit the amount of light getting to your camera in order to increase shutter time, so running water looks all silky and smooth. These are available in different darknesses expressed in stops. They don’t affect the colour of your picture, hence neutral density. Some people use these up to 10-stop and report that the advantage of such a long exposure means that people disappear from the scene as they are there for such a small part of the total exposure: Busy places can be made to look quire empty.
Graduated density filters are only darkened over one half of the filter and have either a definite line between the two halves or a soft blend from one to the other. These are very useful for darkening the sky to give it more detail and colour and avoid blowing it to a featureless white, but keeping the darker landscape properly exposed.
Polarising filters reduce glare from reflective surfaces – glass, water, snow etc. They also make the sky a much more vibrant blue. They have to be ‘tuned’ by turning the front of the filter until the desired effect is reached.
Infra-Red filters remove all visible light before it gets to the sensor but allow IR light through, so you can produce IR images. You can make some pretty cool pictures but exposures will probably take minutes.
Coloured filters are good for black and white: I find red especially is good for skin tones and making skies more dramatic.
UV filters are supposed to reduce haze but have very little effect: They are brilliant for protecting your expensive lens from damage so you should always use one. Skylight filters are like UV but have a tiny warm tint to them.
There are loads of special types that produc special effects such as blur and flare, like 8-pointed star filters, and stuff like that… Mostly extinct since software became so effective.
You may like to try the P-system from Cokin It’s very flexible and you can use the same filters on lenses of different diameters, just by buying different adaptor rings. It’s a good cheaper option to start out. Also good for altering the position of ND-grad filters. I’d deffo have a UV filter on the front of any expensive lenses, as it can save you from trashing them!
Where’s the best place to pick up filters mentioned above for a canon? do they fit all lenses or do they need adaptors?
You need an adapter ring for the diameter for your lens, a filter holder that locks on to this, then some filters that slot into the filter holder. You may need more than one adapter ring if you want to use them for multiple lenses. A polariser just screws into the front of your lens. Check the sponsors list for this forum, or look in the back of a photo mag or on http://WWW...
Yes, Willem, I have almost every filter ( except a polariser , I’m a Idiot ! ) that I have bought on the cheap over the years on ebay, even a fabulous little leather filter case . Now I have to get a 55mm adaptor ring for that Bargain of the Recession that I bought last week, the Sony Alpha 230 , for 323.99 Euro down in Argos .
Use of on-camera filters save a lot of time sitting at the computer in photoshop . So thanks Willem, Paul and Bren for reminding me to start using the filters again ! Cheers, Michael .
whats the filter for getting rid of reflection on water? and are they expensive
like this amazing picture http://www.flickr.com/photos/brencullen/4384995104/in/photostream/” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;Hi Fixed,
You need a circular polariser filter – (CPL)
Check the lens ‘thread’ width for the lens you want it for. 67,mm 77mm etc
DO NOT but a cheap eBay third party one. Get at least a Hoya, Kenko, Tiffen or Hood.
Even these manufacturers make different priced models – with varying degrees of ‘coating’
my advice is a Hoya Pro 1
expect to pay €30-50 depending on the thread size – no point putting cheap glass in front of a nice lens, spending hours on location – and getting a crap shot.
B+W and Heliopan are the pro range.
Bren
ps – i cringe when i see that shot again (and most others on my flickr stream) – way over processed HDR – i hope i’ve learned from my mistakes.
Hi I found that the Hitech System better than the Cokin which with the Grads gave a colour cast. The good thing about a system is that you can buy an adaptor ring to suit the lens rather than individual screw in’s for each one.
I would recommend a set of ND Soft Grads 0.3,0.6 & 0.9 and polariser to start with.
try these guys Teamworkphotos
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/4142foleystreetlondonw1w” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;
email Ty he is very approachable and will do you a great deal if you are buying a system
Cheers Steve
Filter in Cameras are transparent optical elements that alter all the properties of the light. Filter can become a key part of the look, if considered in planning stages. There are various types of filters that work individually which are available in a range of grades. The UV filter has a great advantage of the protection in the image quality.
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