Filters and more filters

VaE39 · Apr 20, 2008

Ok I'm still learning photography and I thought I finally had all of it down with lenses and bodies and all the modes. Then I thought to myself, I have no idea about filters. I went to the local camera store and I asked the lady there, but since I wasn't interested in buying yet, she didn't really pay much attention. So whats the difference between ND, Polarized, UV, and whatever filters there are? Also, are there different sized filters for different size lenses? Thanks everyone

shorty6049 · Apr 21, 2008

ok here goes....

ND (neutral density)- These come in a variety of darkness levels. All they do is make your photos darker. Helpful for long exposures of waterfalls in the middle of the day.

Polarized- This filter blocks incoming light rays hitting the filter at any angle but one. This light is "polarized" and all comes in in parallel rays. Useful for getting rid of reflections in water, shiny floors , and anything else that reflects light (except for metal and mirrors) These filters also can give you more vibrant colors and blu-er skies.

UV- This filter cuts down on atmospheric haze. This effect isnt all that noticable and most people buy these becasue they're usually cheap and a lot of camera store personelle will push this filter as a good way to protect your lens.

Other filters-
Graduated- These usually are square and use the cokin filter system to hold them on the front of the lens. A graduated filter can come in any color and start clear on one end and graduate to a color (or gray) . These are good for coloring a sky or any other portion of a photo.

Special effects- These filters range and usually only have one good use. Some produce a macro effect, magnification on half the frame, starburst patterns in points of light, artificial rainbows, and the list goes on forever.

As for sizes, if you look at the front end of your lens, you'll see a number which reads something like Ø 49mm , or something similar. This number corresponds to the thread diameter. That means when you buy a filter, you need a 49mm filter. Each lens will be different, but one common thread size seems to be 77mm in some pro lenses that i've used, and somewhere around 52-58 is common for kit lenses, but you'll have to check yours to determine the actual size you need.