Filters

[swilli1054]

I'm starting to get out a little and mess around with my Canon that i got for Christmas...lets talk about filters..

I understand what the filters do...and the basic 3 main types.

What should I look for in purchasing filters? Good brands...bad brands...best to start with etc..etc..

Thanks

Stephen

[Randy Clark]

pm hitch. would be my advice or dave out of tampa dead eye dick is getting really good. ross but he doesnt use a canon dont know if it matters

[Ross R]

3 filters to have would be a UV protector, Circular polarizer and maybe a ND Graduated filter (which I am looking at now). A lot depends how serious you want to get with them. tiffen, Hoya, B+w are just a couple of brands.

The Polarizer will help you get a little deeper blues in the sky and cut some of the glare. It will also work as a 1.5 stop ND filter. The UV filter is just there to help protect the lens from scratching and dust.

The ND grad filter is for things like sunset shots that have very light areas and dark areas, and this helps even out the exposure.

I had good blue skies this day but I used the Polarizer to help pop the blue sky.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v192/rreeder23/RAR_0446e.jpg

a ND filter would be to help filter some light which will allow you to use a slower shutter speed. With that you can have a smoothing effect on waterfalls and waves.

this is a bad pic but an example of how it works.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v192/rreeder23/DSC_9382.jpg

[DEADEYE DICK]

Listen to Ross cuz I don't know much about filters

[QuackR WhackR]

Stephen:

If I were you, I would buy just three filters.. A Circular Polarizer, a Neutral Density Filter and a Split Neutral Density Filter, preferably a 2 stop Split ND filter. I do not use a Daylight or UV Filter on my lens. All a UV or Daylight filter does is degrade your image by having your image pass through two more glass surfaces..
Now, with todays Photoshop and other image editing software, I rarely use my Circular Polarizer, preferring to darken the skies and reduce the glare in PSE 7. If I am going to take Fall Colors, then I may put on the Cir. Polarizer..
The Split ND filter is the one I use most. If you taking landscapes and have a light sky and a dark landscape, one of them is going to be over-exposed or under-exposed. This is where the 2 stop Split ND filter comes in. You can get the Split ND filter in either a "Hard" or "Soft" filter. That describes the line of contrast between the shaded and clear portion of the filter. Some like "soft" and some like "hard". I have one of each..
As far as brands, I buy either Tiffen or Hoya filters.. I do have several Singh Ray filters that fit in the Cokin Holder, but that is another story..

Hope this helps..

Dave

[Ross R]

I have been eyeballing the 4 x 6 singh ray filters for the cokin holder. What is your opinion on those?

[swilli1054]

Thanks for the replies...I anticipate asking a whole bunch questions. I'm just getting started and trying to figure some things out.

Thanks

Stephen

[QuackR WhackR]

Ross:

I have probably eight or ten Singh Ray Filters, but mine are for the "P" Holder. I think that the 4X6 filters would probably be great filters. As you know Singh Ray are rather expensive, but their quality is unsurpassed.. The thing I like about the Singh Ray's is that you can move the contrast line anywhere you want it, instead of in the middle of the image.. Sometimes, I use my Singh Rays without the holder and just hold them up in front of the lens and adjust what I want..



Dave

[DEADEYE DICK]

The more I learn the dumber I feel.


This should keep you busy for a while,I know I have a lot more to learn!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpPnNR5lbig&feature=related

[Ross R]

Thanks Dave. I may get the 4x6 series with a regular one and the reverse ND for sunsets.

For those types of shots I have just been using the Raw files and exposing the sky as high as I can without blowing it out and then trying to salvage the shadows but that doesn't work very well... It is time for the right filters.

[QuackR WhackR]

Ross:

If you are going to be doing a lot of Sunsets/ Sunrises, I believe that Singh Ray makes what they call a Sunset Filter. I know that Cokin makes one.. They are pretty neat for your sunsets/sunrises..

Dave

[hitch]

What Ross said...get the UV filters first, which can be left on and used as protection for the lens.

Hitch

[DEADEYE DICK]

Cococa Beach Pier
The better picture is f/22 at 2 seconds.The blown out picture is f/22 at 3.5 seconds.
I don't understand how I can keep the shutter open longer to get the waves to look better without the picture blowing out?
I understand having the shutter open longer lets more light in but I have the f/stop down as closed as it goes so what else can I do?
------------------------------------------------------
I am told on other sites that I need a ND filter.
I think this is something I want to look into.
Just trying to help others learn by my mistakes

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/Gonzo126/cocoapiergood.jpg

.http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/Gonzo126/cocoapierbad.jpg

[Ross R]

If you were at iso 100 then you definitely needed a nuetral density filter. Even the split nd filter would be good.

[DEADEYE DICK]

This is all pretty much new to me Ross.

I was at the pier at 0645? trying to get a pic of the sun coming up thru the pier but it was so cloudy and hazy that didnt happen so I started playing around.

Are you saying that I should have had my ISO higher?
Or are you saying wow,that blew out at 100? you really needed a filter if that happened.

[Ross R]

The EXIF data in the Photo says it was at 282. If it was at 100 you would have had a slower shutter speed at that setting. If it was up to 6400 you would have had a much faster shutter speed. If you have a polarizer you can use that and it will block some of the light about 1.5 stops.