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05/09/2006 10:19:33 AM · #1 |
So upon arriving in Chicago last weekend I quickly realized that I was the lightweight of the bunch. Among many things that I didn't have were filters.
Can anybody out there give me the low-down on certain have-to-have filters. I have the Rebel 300, if it makes a difference. |
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05/09/2006 10:24:30 AM · #2 |
Depending on the type of photography you do really depends an your needs for filters. Always have a circular polarizer, and you may want to pick up a grad ND filter for landscapes. The CP is a must though.
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05/09/2006 10:28:12 AM · #3 |
1. Circular Polarizer
1.5 Some people will say UV filter to protect the lens. I don't use them.
Lesser importance:
2. Neutral Density filter (3 stop) to get motion blur (great for waterfalls)
3. IR filter if you want to experiment with infrared
4. Graduated ND filter to help in high contrast situations (dark ground and bright sky).
Digital cameras have reduced the need for lots of filters.
In any case, don't by cheap (non-coated) filters. |
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05/09/2006 10:35:00 AM · #4 |
Polarizer, polarizer, polarizer. Great for landscape to bring out the blue skies and eliminating haze to a certain amount, but also great for taking harsh reflections of of buildings, water, etc.
If you have different size lenses and only want to buy one since they are pricey, choose one for your biggest lens and a step-down ring to mount it on smaller lenses. If you have an ultra-wide lens check into the "slim" filters but know that there's no threads at the end to put your lenscap on with these. B+W make nice filters, check them out here, scroll down for your size. Multi-coated are nice, but a bit more expensive. Hoya filters are a little cheaper but still nice.
Edit: I see your widest lens is 18mm. You should be alright with a "normal" (not thin) filter unless you plan on getting an ultra-wide lens in the near future.
Message edited by author 2006-05-09 10:39:21. |
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05/09/2006 10:37:04 AM · #5 |
Are the cokin square filters worth it?
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05/09/2006 10:39:55 AM · #6 |
On that neutral density filter (3-stop), are these the ones that they say you can stack, and should I buy 2 or 3 of them to capture say a....waterfall in very bright light?
BTW, I will probably be shooting Fast Action sports indoor/outdoor, and landscapes most. But occasional Portraits. |
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05/09/2006 10:41:23 AM · #7 |
Talmy & Cryan (or anyone else, really)--
Are there any brand name filters that are better than others? Thanks in advance... |
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05/09/2006 10:42:11 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by Ampao64:
Are the cokin square filters worth it? |
I used to use these back in the film days, and they are convenient and cheap(er), but I like to use hoods on all my lenses and the two don't mix. |
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05/09/2006 10:44:38 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by Ampao64:
Are the cokin square filters worth it? |
Assuming you are talking about their graduated ND here.
Some people report they give an undesired colorcast, but I haven't seen that (I've seen it with Tiffen CP filters, though). They do seem to be more prone to glare problems. Considering the vast difference in price between the Cokin and the high quality glass Singh-Ray, I'd certainly give them a go to judge for yourself.
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05/09/2006 10:52:33 AM · #10 |
Originally posted by phatphoto:
Talmy & Cryan (or anyone else, really)--
Are there any brand name filters that are better than others? Thanks in advance... |
I've tried them all and like B+W best. They are mechanically better, easier to clean, and I've never seen distortion or coloration.
BTW, the B+W 77mm slim CP filter I bought came with a slip-on lens cap, so at least they have thought of that problem and provide a solution.
Also about stacking ND filters, you can, but always want to minimize the number of layers of glass to keep the quality high. Note that you can stack the ND8 with a CP and get nearly 5 stops of light reduction. If you have LOTS of light on a waterfall, you are shooting at the wrong time of the day! |
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05/09/2006 10:56:34 AM · #11 |
| Thanks Talmy, and thanks for the link to that site. I think I will come away with buying at least one, I didn't realize that they were that expensive. |
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05/09/2006 10:57:43 AM · #12 |
Originally posted by talmy:
BTW, the B+W 77mm slim CP filter I bought came with a slip-on lens cap, so at least they have thought of that problem and provide a solution.
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I have the same one, and I can't get that cheap cap to stay on for the life of me. |
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05/09/2006 11:14:11 AM · #13 |
Cokin is a great brand, some others are Hoya, B&W, Tiffen. These filters can get costly but they are worth the extra $$$. I use Cokin and Hoya filters.
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05/09/2006 10:13:17 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by Ampao64:
Are the cokin square filters worth it? |
I started off in film, so I found Cokin filters to be VERY worth it. Because I have lenses with different diameters (55mm, 62mm, 72mm) the Cokin system lets me buy a filter once rather than one for each size. This was particularly good for getting contrast filters for B&W photography. They're also very good for sharing filters with friends, even friends with very different lens diameters.
But as someone else mentioned, with digial photography there is less need for filters because so much can be done in post-processing. Still, circular polarisers and ND/grad ND filters do things that are difficult or impossible in PP so they are definitely still useful. Cokin graduated filters have an advantage over other brands because you don't have to put the graduated part right in the middle of frame, so you've got better options for composition.
If you prefer to shoot with a lens hood much or all of the time, then you should lean towards round filters. If you're only planning to get one or two filters and only have one or two lens diameters, then round filters are probably a better proposition. At a guess, two filters and two lens diameters is probably the balance point - if you want to go for more than that then you should lean towards Cokin.
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