Filters? Any info and Examples?

[SteveEllis]

Hi Guys,

I would like to start buying filters, but I dont know anything about filters. Could you give me some info please? Any example photos would be awesome

Is IR a totally different photography technique or is that just a filter too?

Thanks,
Steve.

 

[ThomThomsk]

Hi Guys,

I would like to start buying filters, but I dont know anything about filters. Could you give me some info please? Any example photos would be awesome

Is IR a totally different photography technique or is that just a filter too?

Thanks,
Steve.

IR film reacts to ultraviolet and visible light, but has greater sensitivity at the red end of the spectrum that extends towards the infrared. Where conventional film can't see much beyond 650 nanometers, IR film works up to almost 800nm.

If you only want to record longer wavelength red light and IR then you use a deep red filter, or to record only IR you use a filter that blocks all UV and visible light. This is opaque as far as the eye is concerned, which makes focussing with an SLR a little tricky, and metering is difficult - bracketing is the order of the day.

Ilford is about to re-introduce its black & white IR film, SFX, which was a casualty of the receivership. Unfortunately this will only be in 35mm, but I'll buy some anyway I think. Kodak and I think Maco also have IR offerings, and Kodak even has a colour IR film.

 

[Fate]

i would start off your filter collection with a Polerizer and UV filter.

PL to saturate skys etc, and the UV filter mainly for protection of your lens

 

[Torus34]

The filters you'll wish to acquire will depend on what medium you use [B&W film, color film, digital.]

If at all possible, purchase filters for your largest diameter lens and use step-down rings for your smaller lenses. That way, you only need one of each type regardless of lens.

 

[SteveEllis]

UV for protection of your lense? Can you explain this a little further please?

I currently have a Canon Eos 300 Rebel, shooting on film. Largest lens diameter is 58mm

I have only shot with colour film so far.

 

[Fate]

Basically, a UV filter is a clear filter that you put on your lens. It filters out UV light reducing haze (espeically at high altitudes) but since it is clear, you dont have to take it off! Its much better scratching a £10 filter than a £200 lens!

 

[Fate]

Theres a 58mm one on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/58mm-UV-Filter_W0QQitemZ7631102336QQcategoryZ30066QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[SteveEllis]

Ah, I see, I thought it protected it from UV for a mo

I've just checked my 58mm lens, I already have a UV(0) filter attached. Also just realised my biggest lens is my new 70-300mm which is 62mm

 

[DestinDave]

One thing I did early on was buy my filters in the largest size I needed (62mm) and then bought several step-down rings so I could use them on smaller lenses. A LOT cheaper than buying 3 or 4 of the same type filter.
If you shoot mainly color I'd suggest a Polarizer, a neutral-density (4x or 8x), and possibly a warming filter.
I started out shooting mainly b&w and in addition to the polarizer I also got a set of filters for b&w photography: red, yellow, blue, and green. I think these are critical for good b&w photos. For example: red and green colors have relatively the same gray scale: i.e. they will appear the same tonally in a b&w image. Using a red filter will lighten reds and deepen greens. Conversely, a green filter will lighten greens and deepen reds. This is useful when shooting a still life of red roses.
Also, consider looking into a Cokin system. A little pricier but a nice system with a lot of specialty filters not available in round screw-mounts.

 

[SteveEllis]

So the colour filters in B&W photography are used to get a better contrast.

What is a neutral density filter?

What is the cokin system?

Polarizing filter reduces glare and gives more vibrant colours?

 

[Keta]

These are really good questions! I need to know the answers as well.

*sits patiently behind Steve*

 

[Unimaxium]

An ND (neutral density) filter is simply a filter that simply lets less light through, and causes no kind of color shift. This can be useful if you want yo get longer exposures during the daytime, or if you want to be able to use a wider aperture for narrower DOF when it is bright out. They also make graduated ND filters in which one half of the filter is ND and the other half is clear. This can be useful in landscape work for balancing a bright sky against a dimmer foreground.

 

[LWW]

Ah, I see, I thought it protected it from UV for a mo

To a very small degree it does. When ever you take a telephoto photograph where the background is well in the distance it will appear smokey even if you use F22 to gain DOF. This is because just as you visually compress the photo (making the distant appear closer) you are compressing the haze as well. As an example if you use a 6:1 then something 6 miles away appears to be 1 mile away...but 6 miles of haze is still there so the haze appears 6 times as thick. A UV filter will help a little with that. It's primary purpose however is to keep the front lens element pristinely clean and safe.

LWW

 

[Tiberius]

Ah, I see, I thought it protected it from UV for a mo

It sort of does. UV filters as filters are very useful on Film Cameras to prevent washing out and other such effects on cloudy days, but most digital sensors are not sensitive to UV light, making the filter unnecessary as a filter. Where the usefulness comes in is in preventing scratches, dust, etc. from reaching the outer element. There is somewhat of a controversy of using protective filters (some purists claim that it can cause a small decrease in image quality), but any difference in quality is imperceptible and I feel a lot better knowing that if I smack my lens into something I'll only be destroying a $15 filter, not a (insert cost here) lens.

 

[DestinDave]

The Cokin system(s) consist of a filter holder which screws onto the end of a lens. The holder has 3 slots which will accept square glass filters in a variety of styles. Cokins come in 2 styles, "A" and "P" which dictate the size of lens they will fit and what size filters they hold. The "A" model is for lenses which take up to a 62mm filter. I'm not sure what the max size is for the "P" series.
Just one example of the Cokin advantage: you're shooting a landscape and the sky is intensely bright. If you expose for the sky you'll lose detail in the ground. If you expose for the ground, you'll blow out the sky. Screw on the Cokin holder, insert a graduated ND which can have a 4X or 8X density at one edge and graduated down to clear glass at the opposite edge. With this system you can slide the filter up or down and position the darkening effect just where you want it. With a split ND (half ND and half clear) you could position the split right on the horizon between sky and ocean and get a good exposure for both areas.
As I said above also, they have a large variety of special effects filters many of which are not available in screw-ons at all. Google Cokin and check out the possibilities.

Dave