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02/20/2003 06:29:19 PM · #1 |
Hi everyone,
I use a Coolpix 995 and are considering purchasing some filters. One particular reason is I will be attending a wedding in a fortinght and I'm thinking a polarising filter may be worth taking. What's everyone's opinion on their usefulness? Also, do you have any tips on using a circular filter - what should I look for?
What are the other must have filters? I've considered neutral density filters, but don't see where I would use them that often. I've also heard of, but never seen, "close up" filters. Does anyone have experience using these?
Thanks in advance,
Mark.
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02/20/2003 06:32:33 PM · #2 |
There's also another reason for using a filter:
It protects your lens.
I always have a filter of some sort on my 707. I don't want to chance scratching that lens. |
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02/20/2003 06:38:28 PM · #3 |
polarising filters are great for cutting reflections (e.g., shooting through water/ windows), saturating colours and making skies more blue.
The effect can be too much if you aren't careful and can look odd on wider angle shots - the polarising effect is strongest at a 90 degree angle to the light source (e.g., for biggest impact on the sky - point at the sun with your index finger and with your thumb 'up' at 90 degrees, you can rotate your hand and see where the potentially most polarisation will be.
A polariser will also block about 1 to 3 stops more light than without the polariser, meaning you'll have to use wider apertures/ slower shutter speeds with the filter on, than if you didn't have it on - this can be a problem shooting people particularly.
Neutral density filters darken the overal shot, again letting you shoot at a slower shutter speed / wider aperture setting than you might have possibly been able to, due to bright light. A graduated ND filter blocks more light at one end than at the other and has a gradient between these - good for shooting sunsets where the sky is a lot brighter than the ground for example.
Closeup filters are like glasses for your camera, or a magnifying lens. These are about the cheapest (and consequently lowest quality) way to magnify things |
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02/20/2003 06:40:18 PM · #4 |
I agree with everything Gordon said... plus....
If your wedding is indoors and you will be using a flash, you should consider a warming filter as well...
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02/20/2003 06:42:59 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by sparky_mark:
Hi everyone,
I use a Coolpix 995 and are considering purchasing some filters. One particular reason is I will be attending a wedding in a fortinght and I'm thinking a polarising filter may be worth taking. What's everyone's opinion on their usefulness? Also, do you have any tips on using a circular filter - what should I look for?
What are the other must have filters? I've considered neutral density filters, but don't see where I would use them that often. I've also heard of, but never seen, "close up" filters. Does anyone have experience using these?
Thanks in advance,
Mark. |
Not sure how a polarizer would help you for portraits, but a warming filter would be a nice addition. Also if you shoot in Black and white, a green filter will even out skin tones, also helps enhance foliage.
You might want to consider a soft filter too (not too soft) a lot of people, esp older woman can appreciate the effect of that one :). |
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02/20/2003 09:18:58 PM · #6 |
Sparky, Nikon sells a set of filters for your camera.(28mm) includes......
a UV which absorbs Ultra-violet rays which helps prevent haziness and foggy effects in distant landscape. I use this as a lens protector.
a Circular Polarizing which reduces reflections and darkens blue sky and helps penetrate haze.
two Neutral Density filters--ND4 which transmits 25% of the light and
ND8 which transmits 12.5% light. These are fun to play with at sunrise and sunset with tripod and longer shutter.
I highly recomend you get a remote flash and mount it 6-8 inches above your camera on a bracket that holds both camera and flash.Otherwise you will be removing a lot of red eye. Nikon sells such a bracket but I don't like it as well as some of the other available ones. If you don't get the Nikon you will need the AS-E900 hotshoe/cable adapter. Nikon recomends you use only one of their brand Speedlights. I like the SB-28DX. It gets you about 60 feet indoors. The popup flash on the 995 is only good for about 10 feet.
Nikon also sells two Tele Converter lenses for the cool-pix. A 2x and a 3x. They are a little pricey but the glass is good and your camera has internal settings that automatically compensate for them. Tripod highly recomended.
Hope this helps
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02/20/2003 10:41:43 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by David Ey:
Sparky, Nikon sells a set of filters for your camera.(28mm)
I highly recomend you get a remote flash and mount it 6-8 inches above your camera on a bracket that holds both camera and flash.
Nikon also sells two Tele Converter lenses for the cool-pix. A 2x and a 3x. They are a little pricey but the glass is good and your camera has internal settings that automatically compensate for them. Tripod highly recomended.
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Thanks David (and everyone else who replied). I have heard of the four-filter set. Unfortunately it's not available in Australia... Silly I know, but reality (at least a few months ago it was). I have seen a 28mm circ pol available cheaply, and I think the 28mm UV is readily available... They sound like two filters I would use outdoors a fair bit.
Perhaps someone should write a tutorial on this site about filters since there are probably a lot of people like myself who don't understand the options available. Unfortunately I wouldn't be a good choice to write it - Gordon obviously has his head well around the concepts.
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02/21/2003 01:20:06 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by jmsetzler:
I agree with everything Gordon said... plus....
If your wedding is indoors and you will be using a flash, you should consider a warming filter as well... |
A cheap unreliable :) alternative is to set a manual whitebalance for the flash and then cover the flash with a light yellow/orange transparent foil.
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