Canon EOS 60D Filters

[johnformby]

Hi,

I am quite new to DSLR photography and have just got the point where I can get some reasonable images with my Canon EOS 60D. The problem is that they look a little flat and drained of colour. I live in Seychelles so really want to take some beautiful images of my home Country. A friend of mine has suggested is use filters, but I have no idea what I should look for? My photography is mainly landscape like beaches and the lush green mountains as well as some nature shots of birds and lizards. Please can someone make a suggestion for what I need to buy to get nice vivid shots.

Thanks,

John

 

[deeky]

A circular polarizer will help with some color and with the water that will probably be in a lot of your shots. Also, a graduated neutral density that can help even out the brightness of a scene that includes sky and darker mountains/forests. This will keep one from washing out the other as the camera tries to set the correct exposure.

 

[tirediron]

Just a note on the circular polarizer (CPOL). It can indeed do all of the things mentioned above, BUT... like many things, it's effect is condition dependant. The effects of a CPOL are strongest when the sun is low in the sky and at 90 degrees to the lens axis (on one of your shoulders). When you're shooting toward the sun, and/or when it's high in the sky (mid-day) the effects can be pretty close to zero. That said, at maximum, it can do some amazing things to your shots, BUT don't run out and buy a cheap piece of junk from eBay or somewhere like that. A good polarizer in 77mm should run well north of USD 100. Tiffen and Hoya (in their multi-coated lines) are decent; Heliopan and B+W are very good, and Singh-Ray and Lee are the best; prices go up accordingly.

 

[KmH]

Another aspect you can control is the camera's white balance setting, and if you have the camera set to make JPEG type image files you can also adjust saturation and contrast using camera settings menu's.
Other than the CPL filter already mentioned, other filters would likely hurt rather than help. Note that the quality of light changes throughout the day and the mid-day hours are not a good time to shoot.
A lot of landscape photographers get set up just before sunrise, and often do so several times at the same location to get just the right weather conditions and light.

To those ends, consult your Canon 60D user's manual, or go to canonusa.com and download the 60D user's manual.

 

[TCampbell]

You should post an example image. There are MANY things that can cause an image to look flat.

The only filters that tend to be recommended anymore are circular polarizers (which cut reflections and, as a consequence, appear to increase color saturation), neutral density filters (which wont help in this case), and gradient neutral density filters.

However... if an image has a lot of midtones and lacks darks and lights then it'll look flat simply because it lacks contrast. Simply boosting the contrast (or better yet... using a "levels" adjustment or "curves" adjustment tool) can really improve an image dramatically.

You could drive up the color saturation (and/or "vibrance" if your software has a setting for that... "vibrance" is like "saturation" except that it tries to protect skin tones.)

If you start messing with colors and your monitor isn't calibrated, then by the time it looks "good" on your screen it might not look good on anybody else's screen when you share it.

I'd start by posting an example of an image that you feel is flat and get some feedback on what, specifically, can be done to improve that image.

 

[FitzTML]

Filters can do a good job when use properly and a terrible job when not use properly so learn. I would also highly recommend getting a lens hood to help reduce flairs.

A good first filter would be the circular polarizer, this will especially help with they sky or reflections from sunlight.

If you are taking landscape shots you may also benefit from graduated neutral density filter, this will help balance a bright sky in a landscape shot.

 

[enzodm]

These are samples made with 60D, kit lens, no filters. You should be able to reach something similar following above suggestions by KmH and TCampbell (remember that images are always processed even if you do not know it - it is better to take control of the process than let the camera do it for you). Post some of yours and let's diagnose the reason .