Need advice on filters

[James_EG]

Hi, I'm going on holiday to the lake district and possibly Cornwall this year, and the opportunity to some great landscape/seascape shots is very likely, I have a great tripod which I will be taking, and I've decided I will try and buy the new version II Tokina 11-16mm lens to go on my 60D, from what reviews I've read it's great and not too expensive for me.

However, I'm still stuck as to what filters I should buy, I mainly need help deciding on graduated NDs. I definitely want to buy a 10 stop filter, as I love long exposure shots especially of waterfalls (so perfect in the lake district), up to now I've had almost no chance to have a go at it and no chance using my tripod. Along with this I think I'll try and by a Light Craft Workshop adjustable ND, then maybe a slightly cheaper circular polariser although I'm not sure how useful it would be. Lastly I would love some graduated NDs, but I can't decided on whether to buy a set of 3 (0.3, 0.6 and 0.9) in soft or hard edge, or to buy a couple separately in 0.6 with one hard and one soft edge for different situations. I hope you can offer me your expert opinions!

Thanks, James

 

[Goldcoin79]

I can't give much advice on using filters as I am new to using them as well but thought you may find these links useful. I recently bought at Hoya polarising filter from amazon which didn't cost to much, has great reviews and although I have not had chance to use it much it seems to do what it should. I got the 52mm for my Nikon 5100 kit lens but here is the link for differant sizes.

Amazon.co.uk: polarized filter

Also I have found a shop in Watford that when I spoke to them about ND filters they done a variable ND filter between 1-10 stops also made by Hoya for £30. The link to them is

Contact Us - SRS Microsystems

Hope this is of some use

 

[hirejn]

The minimum ND I would get for water is six stops. The only time you'll need an ND for moving water is in bright light, so less than six stops might not be enough. If it's overcast, which is the easiest light in which to shoot waterfalls, and you go low ISO at f/16 or f/22, chances are you'll get a good blur without a filter, or just a CPL. I couldn't tell you what grads to get because I don't use grads anymore. I go HDR or use NDs in post. I think typically you'll find that for darkening skies two to three stops is the norm. Anything less and post is a good option. If three stops isn't enough, it's easy to go down more in post if the detail is already there. This is just my experience and your filter decisions are personal. As for brand, I would go with any name brand and not need to spend much.

 

[James_EG]

Thanks for the help, those links are very useful.

Thanks hirejn, but unfortunately I don't have the option of doing anything with my photos on the computer, I have no editing software and I'm only going to buy Lightroom when I get a new laptop (which could be next year). So I still really have the same question, with a 10 stop ND, a variable ND and a CPL, should I go for a set of grads? Or individual ones with different edges?

James

 

[bratkinson]

Part of me says you have a case of 'equipment-itis disease' and part of me says you really want to broaden your photography skills but operating under a tight budget. Your comment regarding no post processing capabilities leads me to believe it's the beginnings of equipment-itis.

My concern is that you seem overly anxious to get 'the whole 9 yards' of ND filters and, oh yea, a CPL. Although I, too, have had equipment-itis in the past, I'm learning the hard way ($$$) from my mistakes.

One of the things I and thousands of others have learned the hard way is not to 'go cheap' on filters. Cheap filters will seriously degrade the quality of your images. Nothing tops the filter 'test' by Lens Rentals: LensRentals.com - Good Times with Bad Filters While most will say that the B+W line of Kaesseman filters is the best, I've had good luck with the Hoya HD line of filters. For a CPL, think $100 (US) and up, depending on size. What is that?...65 Pounds (UK) or thereabouts?

At present, I have just one CPL, a Hoya HD, that will fit 3 of my lenses. I have a pair of 'step up' rings to mount the CPL on 2 smaller filter-sized lenses, and I'm just out of luck for my 82mm filter-size lens. Filter sizes should be a concern for you as well. Unless you have lots of money, having a set of filters for each lens filter size gets expensive quickly. Storage and transport for those filters is also a consideration. Back in my 35mm film photography days, either I had the wrong-size filter(s) or wrong filter, right size(s) with me. Back then, one needed to match lighting types with film types, and use filters to correct when you had, for example, daylight film and shooting indoors under incandescent...or florescent... you get the idea.

With most of my photography being indoors, I haven't found a need for ND filters just yet. But when I get to that point, my general plan is to buy 3 screw-in (round) NDs that I can stack to get more stops effect. I may discover I need more ND along the way, that's when I'll get an 8-stop or something in that ballpark. With screw in filters, stacking more than 2 will not only cause increased IQ degradation, but corner vignetting as well. However, with the crop sensor on your 60D, it probably won't show up until you get 4 filters or more, depending on how 'thick' each one is. Another alternative is a screw-in variable ND filter by Singh-Ray at $390 (US) for 77mm. That's well beyond my financial limits. Before I make the jump, I'd certainly broaden my knowledge by searching on the "neutral density" threads in this forum and make an informed decision of what to get.

As for a graduated ND filter, from what I've read on this forum, the only way to go is square. That requires an adapter for each filter-size needed for each lens (I'm thinking step-up rings again). The Cokin line square NDs are probably 'good enough' for amateur photographers like us, and then there's Singh-Ray again. I can buy used L glass for what those go for. However, instead of square filters, I'm also considering various ways of combining multiple shots at different exposures to get each exposure 'area' the way I want it. But then, that's all post processing.

So, rather than going out and buying 'a whole bunch of filters' right out of the chute, instead, start at one place, learn that filter(s), and then make the next step. Hopefully, you can get back to the 'lakes area' several times as you learn not only different photographic opportunities, but also improve your skills and equipment.

 

[James_EG]

Thanks bratkinson, I see what you mean about the 'equipment-itis', I suppose it does seem like that! I guess it's just me being impatient, wanting to try these things now rather than waiting, but the only reason I haven't got any software is because I'm going to buy it with my new laptop which I might try and get at the end of this year, if I wasn't going to get a new laptop I would have bought something like lightroom already. There's a lot of information there and it's very useful! With all that in mind, should I just try to get an ND filter for now? Although I need the lens for it to go onto first, I liked the look of the Light Craft systems variable ND which is more in my price range of about £100, the variable feature I think gives me more of a range to use with just the price of one good filter.

I think I just want to give myself a chance to use a few different techniques to achieve the kind of photos I want to take (for example long exposure, hence me wanting to buy grads and a 10 stop filter) and I like the idea of using filters to achieve it. I was going to try and buy Lee filters, they seem like one of the best and aren't too expensive.

Thanks, James