filter advice for a n00b

[BimmerJake]

any suggestions for filtering outdoor daylight shots, probably mostly landscape type of stuff?

i have a Nikon FM10 w/ nikkor 50mm f/2

currently i have a tiffen sky 1-a which i gather is mostly for lens protection, a tiffen 812, and a quantaray r2 red filter (for b&w? higher contrast?). are any of these any good for my scenario?

i also got kodak gold iso 200.

if any part of this set up is no good let me know...

thanks much

 

[KmH]

any suggestions for filtering outdoor daylight shots, probably mostly landscape type of stuff?

i have a Nikon FM10 w/ nikkor 50mm f/2

currently i have a tiffen sky 1-a which i gather is mostly for lens protection, a tiffen 812, and a quantaray r2 red filter (for b&w? higher contrast?). are any of these any good for my scenario?

i also got kodak gold iso 200.

if any part of this set up is no good let me know...

thanks much

Jake that's going to depend on the landscape, the time of day and the time of year. It's just not a one size fits all deal, sorry.

You seem to understand the basic uses of the filters you currently have. A set of good graduated neutral density filters and a good polarizer also come in handy for landscape photography.

Go ahead and use up the Kodak Gold.

 

[BimmerJake]

use up the kodak meaning don't buy it again?

can you recommend a specific type of graduated filters, i'm probably more lost than i sound. i understand different times of day for different filters etc. i'm really looking to have several filters to try on different exposures.

is the iso 200 good for summer bright daylight or could i even go to an iso 100?

and i truly know i can't unlock the mysteries of art in a few questions, just looking for a couple tips to get started.:mrgreen:

 

[KmH]

use up the kodak meaning don't buy it again?

can you recommend a specific type of graduated filters, i'm probably more lost than i sound. i understand different times of day for different filters etc. i'm really looking to have several filters to try on different exposures.

is the iso 200 good for summer bright daylight or could i even go to an iso 100?

and i truly know i can't unlock the mysteries of art in a few questions, just looking for a couple tips to get started.:mrgreen:

No, I mean use it before it's expiration date. How do you store your film?

Your best understanding of filters would come from using different filters on the same scene. Your sky 1-a will take a bit of blue cast out of images. The red 2 is used pretty much just like you expected.

How close do you want your images to be to what your eye see's?

 

[BimmerJake]

sorry, i misunderstood about the film. it's got plenty of shelf life left and i plan on shooting a couple of rolls tomorrow if the weather holds.

i plan just as you've said, to shoot the same shot with different filters and exposure times etc. i certainly know not every shot will be a winner.

my general feeling of landscape and scenery shots, with a point and shoot, is that the colors are washed and under saturated. i guess i'm looking for a more striking result. would you call that vivid? blues are bluer and greens are greener. maybe vibrant is the word.

if the sky 1-a will wash the blues i probably don't want to use it, not that i won't give it a try.

 

[Dwig]

...
if the sky 1-a will wash the blues i probably don't want to use it, not that i won't give it a try.

The Skylight 1a will have no detectable affect on modern color film, print or slide. The Tiffen 812 is a very slight warming filter. While it will have a small affect on print film, the lab will automatically adjust for its presence without even noticing that they did resulting in no change in the print. The R2 is, of course, for B&W only unless you want red only pictures.

It boils down to the fact and none of these filters are useful when shooting color print film. I you shoot slides, the 812 is very useful on grey overcast days for removing some of the cool almost bluish cast that sometimes results.

While the 1a can serve to protect the lens in harsh conditions (e.g. blowing sand, ...), you are otherwise better off not using it.

 

[BimmerJake]

thanks guys for your help...

i'm going to go out today and see what happens.

i have a roll of b&w i might shoot too, we'll see.

it looks like a polarizer might be something for me to look into, so thanks for that suggestion.

 

[benhasajeep]

Definately look into a polarizer. It's usefull for more than just darkening blue skies. Usefull for water shots, glass shots, off shiny metal. Basically where you want to control reflections to have or not have them.

 

[BimmerJake]

polarizer is definitely next on the list. is tiffen just a wast of money? or is it ok for a amateur like me? they just seem so much cheaper than some other stuff.