Comments on: Do You Use Filters on your Camera?

By: Fazz

Fazz — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:16:26 +0000

I have a Hoya UV on each of my lenses. Mostly for protection, but they do serve a purpose. I’m Australian, and camera gear here is frighteningly expensive, hence my 10-24, 18-55 and 55-250 are worth around $2000. I own separate Hoya CP filters for my 58 and 77mm lenses which I use a lot, always with the UV off of course. I also have an ND4 which I haven’t had much chance to use yet and a Grad ND, which I’ve toyed with, but it tends to leave a strange purplish cast to everything, and the results I get from Grads in Photoshop CS4 are much more pleasing most of the time.

By: Moses

Moses — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:58:41 +0000

I always have a UV or Skylight on all my lenses as protectors. I often use a Circular Polariser. I use warming filters for some sunrise and sunsets and also use a graduated ND, often in conjunction with the filter. Cokin system, while a little more cumbersome to carry about, is considerably more flexible to employ.

As I hardly ever play on the B&W side of the fence, I don’t own the typical B&W filter sets.

By: Gary (surfdog)

Gary (surfdog) — Wed, 06 May 2009 21:40:17 +0000

Oh…and to answer your question as to why “People must have a reason for spending hundreds more on a faster lenses just to stop them down again with a polarising filter!”

Think of it this way…even though I lose a bit with my B+W CP on my lenses they’re still faster than most lenses without it…especially at the longer focal lengths…

By: Gary (surfdog)

Gary (surfdog) — Wed, 06 May 2009 21:30:12 +0000

davidn, just for the record…a CP filter won’t do much (if anything) with the sun over your shoulder or more or less directly in front of you (just out of the shot). Because of the nature of light and the polarizing effects of the same…those filters work best at around 90-degrees from the light source. (Especially if it’s the sun & sky we’re trying to enhance.) A quick and simple way to check is to make a “gun” with your hand…finger pointing out and thumb straight up. Point at the light source (sun) and rotate your hand so that your thumb goes from horizon to horizon. The direction that your thumb points will show the strongest effects of a CP filter.

As for all those elements being detrimental to an image…you are somewhat correct. This is why I NEVER suggest that people use cheap filters OR use them when they have nothing to offer the scene. Photography is always about tradeoffs…whether it’s DOF or shutter speeds, field of view, compression, etc. The best we can hope for is to STRIVE for perfection. We can come close when the above elements are used to meet our wishes, but that doesn’t mean that a similar image shot completely differently would have any less impact.

Hope it helps…don’t give up on that CP filter just yet.

By: Vilmis

Vilmis — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:33:35 +0000

David, I hope you’ll get opportunity to see what difference makes CPL. First time I used it in Monument Valey in Arizona. It was sunny day, couple hours before sunset and first impression was – WOW. The rocks (color) looked so different. It didn’t made such effect during midday when sun was above me.

By: DavidN

DavidN — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:44:20 +0000

Thanks for nudging me to look at this again, Vilmis. It’s a Hoya PL-CIR. I’ve tried several times, but recall viewing cloudy skies, with sun over my shoulder behind, or in front but out of shot… and twiddling the dial of course. I’ll do some more reading and give it another go. People must have a reason for spending hundreds more on a faster lenses just to stop them down again with a polarising filter!

By: Vilmis

Vilmis — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:40:31 +0000

davidn, what polariser do you have ? May be your glass just doesn’t work or may be you used it in situation where polariser doesn’t make much (visible) difference ?

By: DavidN

DavidN — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:32:53 +0000

I own a polariser, but I have NEVER found it to be beneficial. Whenever I try to use it – and I have done so determinedly several times – I spend more energy fiddling to try to get it to make a difference that in actually taking the shot.
Still don’t understand why the extra four surfaces of glass aren’t considered detrimental. It isn’t as though they’re cemented together like the elements in the lens groups ;)

By: Ron

Ron — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 05:07:31 +0000

I all ways have a UV Filter and have a polarizer filter at hand if needed.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:05:06 +0000

Oops … repost with the right URL for my pics (http://flickr.com/photos/digitalformula/). GND filters = http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalformula/2889189103/in/set-72157607510085698/, tobacco = http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalformula/2889175721/in/set-72157607510085698/