Filters... nuts and bolts.

[Jdrake_RN]

So i just got my first dslr (Nikon d5000)
I know little to none about filters but i know i want to get some (to protect my lenses if nothing else)
wondering if someone can give me information about them to me, and remember I'm a new-be and know nothing!
Thanks

 

[Garbz]

In point form:
- UV filters or Protection filters for your lenses, providing you can justify it. I only put protectors on my cheap lenses if I'm going out someplace dirty.
- Don't get cheap filters.
- Make sure any filter you buy is multicoated.
- Cheap filters can turn your images to crap.
- Don't buy from the first place you find. Shop around a bit. A good bargain can be had with Hoya SHMC or Hoya Pro1 series filters off ebay, and they are still excellent quality.

- For fancy effects look into circular polarisers, neutral density, or graduated netural density filters.
- If you like landscapes and plants then you need a circular polariser

 

[emh]

IMO, the only filters that you really need are a circular polarizer and a few neutral density filters. All other worthwhile effects can be replicated in post-processing.

As Garbz said, stick to multi-coated filters.
If you plan to use wide-angle lenses, go with a "thin" form factor for the circular polarizer. Otherwise you'll see vignetting (darkened corners). I've been very happy with the Nikon CPL II filters. Unlike most other thin filters, these can take a regular lens cap.

On protection -- there are two camps. One says you should use UV filters to protect lenses. The other says filters for protection are a bad idea (a UV filter adds no image improvement in a digital camera and can often degrade the image, even with an expensive UV filter). I'm in the latter camp. A lens hood and common sense should protect your lenses quite well unless you are in a very dusty or otherwise particularly lens-unfriendly environment.

 

[benhasajeep52 50]

In point form:
- UV filters or Protection filters for your lenses, providing you can justify it. I only put protectors on my cheap lenses if I'm going out someplace dirty.
- Don't get cheap filters.
- Make sure any filter you buy is multicoated.
- Cheap filters can turn your images to crap.
- Don't buy from the first place you find. Shop around a bit. A good bargain can be had with Hoya SHMC or Hoya Pro1 series filters off ebay, and they are still excellent quality.

- For fancy effects look into circular polarisers, neutral density, or graduated netural density filters.
- If you like landscapes and plants then you need a circular polariser

^^^^What he said^^^^

Stay away from the $5-15 filters or the private branded filters. Multicoated (MC) should be the only filters you buy. I also do not use UV protection filters. For digital they are not needed (UV part).

What I would suggest is a good MC C-Pol (multicoated Circular Polarizer). Great for sky, water, cars, controlling reflective surfaces like glass.

Then I would look at a Neutral Density filter (ND). When in bright light they allow you to slow the shutter down. ND filters comes in different effectivities. Some go by 1x, 2x etc.., while others go by .3, .6, .9 etc.. But they do the same thing. They block a stops worth of light or a multiplier (bigger the number the more light they block).

I shoot mostly outdoors and the C-pol gets the most work. Followed by the .6 ND for 2nd most used. I have B+W and Hoya Pro Digital filters for my normal use. I have purchased no-name / store branded filters in an emergency (forgot filters once). And there is a noticeable difference between the good filters and the rest.

 

[bazooka]

^ what they said.... plus...

I'm of the camp where I don't feel I need lens protection. That's what a cap is for. However, I had a wake-up call during my recent trip to Hawaii. I was hiking the Kalalau trail to the Hanakapi’ai Falls and had my camera on my tripod over my shoulder. I had the 10-22 lens with a B&W slim polarizer (~$150) on the body.

We were about 15 minutes from the falls when I was climbing up a small embankment and slipped about 6 inches. Just enough for the face of the lens to crack against a rock, shattering the glass. The lens received no damage. The problem with the slim filters is you cannot put a lens cap on them. I originally bought slim because I was afraid of vignetting.

Long story short, took it to a camera shop, they had to cut off the filter because it was jammed on (didn't get any good shots of the falls... no wide angle). So I bought a $100 Hoya CPL from them and realized that it did NOT cause vignetting either. It is causing some focus issues when I'm zoomed in which strangely my other filter did not do.

Moral of story... be freakin' careful when you don't have a cap on! And, filters will protect your lens. But I will still not use a UV filter for protection.

Also, you need to keep in mind, that you have to have at least an effective aperture of f/5.6 for auto focus to work. If you're using a slower lens like my 10-22... you may have problems focusing, especially when zoomed in because the filter will cut a stop of light. So if you're shooting at less than f/4 (f/5.6 with the filter), AF will probably not work well, if at all.