Filters, filters, did I mention filters?

[Majeed Badizadegan]

So, if you hadn't guessed, filters are on the radar.

I'd like to tap into the hive-mind of TPF for some recommendations.

I'm looking for filters mostly for landscape work. A Circular Polarizer, 2 stop/3 stop ND, and a soft/hard ND Grad. I'd like to be able to stack them as to not cause vignetting, so I'd rather not get screw-in filters. I'm looking for good quality glass that will degrade image quality as little as possible.

I've looked at the Lee system. I can't seem to find a local retailer that carries them. Any other recommendations for systems? Also, any recommendations for places to buy these used?

Thanks in advance!

 

[fjrabon]

I hate grad ND filters. To me, they're such a crude tool. If you really want that effect, just use the good old dodge and burn brushes in post. It's a pretty rare shot where you have a clear, crisp horizon line. And even when you do, a fast stroke of a burn brush is just as easy as slipping a grad ND on and off.

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

I hate grad ND filters. To me, they're such a crude tool. If you really want that effect, just use the good old dodge and burn brushes in post. It's a pretty rare shot where you have a clear, crisp horizon line. And even when you do, a fast stroke of a burn brush is just as easy as slipping a grad ND on and off.

Thanks Fj. I'm about 45 minutes from the Pacific coast, so I'd be using the ND grads a lot at the coast around sunset, which often has perfect horizon lines. You're right though, they are lower on my list because of the practicality of using them in normal shooting situations.

Any recommendations on filter systems or polarizers/ND's?

 

[fjrabon]

I hate grad ND filters. To me, they're such a crude tool. If you really want that effect, just use the good old dodge and burn brushes in post. It's a pretty rare shot where you have a clear, crisp horizon line. And even when you do, a fast stroke of a burn brush is just as easy as slipping a grad ND on and off.

Thanks Fj. I'm about 45 minutes from the Pacific coast, so I'd be using the ND grads a lot at the coast around sunset, which often has perfect horizon lines. You're right though, they are lower on my list because of the practicality of using them in normal shooting situations.

Any recommendations on filter systems or polarizers/ND's?

Wish I could be of more help, but I just use really big screw on ones, with step up rings, and stack when I need. I find that if you use 77mm ones and step up rings, you rarely get vignetting. I also fairly rarely use filters of any sort. Most of the time if I'm shooting landscape, it's wide angle, and polarizers don't really work on wide angle. About the only time I consistently use them is when doing day time street, I'll use a polarizer.

If there is any way I can avoid having filter grade glass on the end of my lens, I'm going to do it. Even the best filters, the glass is a grade below what is in your high quality lens glass. Why pay all that money for great quality glass, and then stick a filter on the end, if it can be avoided.

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

Yep.

I should mention all lenses I would be using are 77mm.

 

[fjrabon]

Yep.

I should mention all lenses I would be using are 77mm.

even on 77mm glass, I rarely find vignetting, personally. But I also rarely stack more than 2. Occasionally Ill stack 3, but I hate doing it, and not because of vignetting. That's a lot of mediocre glass going on the end of a lot of really fine glass.

 

[leeroix]

i have the lee system .9 hard and .6 soft. and a circ polarizer. it works great, i have room for another in the slot too... from what i heard lee is having hard financial times, so their stuff is hard to find.

 

[tirediron]

Lee and Singh-Ray are the two best names in this sort of filter. They are however very pricey. For much less cost, but only a slight drop in quality you can invest in the Cokin system. With the Cokin filters, when shooting near/toward the sun you can get some magenta colour casting, however 99.9% of that can be eliminated by being careful. I have a large piece of matte-black craft foam (Wal-mart $0.99) that I use as a "customizable" lens hood for just such occasions.

 

[Parker219]

Can some one posts some pics of pictures with NO filters on, then post the same picture WITH a filter on, and the type of filter they used, so we can see some examples!?!?

 

[HughGuessWho101 16]

I hate grad ND filters. To me, they're such a crude tool. If you really want that effect, just use the good old dodge and burn brushes in post. It's a pretty rare shot where you have a clear, crisp horizon line. And even when you do, a fast stroke of a burn brush is just as easy as slipping a grad ND on and off.

If the sky gets blown out how is a burn brush going to bring back detail. If you can save some detail with a grad nd, you can correct any resulting color cast or exposure in post. But once it's blown... it's gone.

 

[fjrabon]

If the sky gets blown out how is a burn brush going to bring back detail. If you can save some detail with a grad nd, you can correct any resulting color cast or exposure in post. But once it's blow... it's gone.

Either don't blow it out to begin with or bracket and exposure blend.

 

[tirediron]

If the sky gets blown out how is a burn brush going to bring back detail. If you can save some detail with a grad nd, you can correct any resulting color cast or exposure in post. But once it's blow... it's gone.

Either don't blow it out to begin with or bracket and exposure blend.

I think you're totally missing the point of a G-ND.

 

[Derrel]

Here is a filter-oriented book excerpt that's probably worth reading. Written by one of the foremost recognized experts in nature and field photography, John Shaw. This on-line excerpt has a few filter comments that some people might find illuminating.

John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide - John Shaw - Google Books

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

If the sky gets blown out how is a burn brush going to bring back detail. If you can save some detail with a grad nd, you can correct any resulting color cast or exposure in post. But once it's blow... it's gone.

Either don't blow it out to begin with or bracket and exposure blend.

There was an enormous DR difference between the shadows of Thor's Well and the bright highlights of the setting sun. I would be tempted to say 9 stops.

Here's the best I could do with 3 stop HDR bracket (-2, 0, +2). You can see that I wasn't able to fully reel in the sky, all processing techniques exhausted. In a situation like this, it would be ideal to have a good ND grad filter. A dark one, too.

Lots of seascapes, especially shot at sunset here on the west coast, have a very large DR difference between the sky and foreground rocks.


Point of No Return by Majeed Badizadegan (Rotanimod), on Flickr

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

Here is a filter-oriented book excerpt that's probably worth reading. Written by one of the foremost recognized experts in nature and field photography, John Shaw. This on-line excerpt has a few filter comments that some people might find illuminating.

John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide - John Shaw - Google Books

thanks, I liked your other free site too about filters and their applications.