Filters for my mamiya camera HELP!

[chantalegoble]

Hey guys,

I hate to sound like an idiot but just take me an enthusiastic learner I have a mamiya 645 pro TL with standard 80mm lens. I feel really comfortable using this camera now and want to start using some filters but I've never done this before?

Are there any 'must have' filter(s) I should buy?
What size filters do I need?

Thanks for all your help ☺

 

[compur]

Depends. Are you shooting color or B&W?

 

[chantalegoble]

B&w mostly

 

[michaeljamesphoto]

B&w contrast filters are good for darkening the sky and reproducing skin tones and such. For landscapes, the standard yellow, orange, or red filters give nice effects, getting stronger respectively. I think blue is supposed to be nice for portraits, but I just use a light yellow

 

[terri]

To the OP: I moved this from the Alternative section so you can get more views. Filters are an inexpensive way to add tonal dimension to images, especially using B&W film. I've read of folks using the light yellow filter routinely when shooting B&W, almost treating it like a skylight filter. I was taught to keep a simple skylight (UV) filter on every lens in use just to protect the lens elements.