Filter Stacking - Which order?

[Bluenoser]

Does it matter which order you stack filters in?

In my case I'm talking ND & CP. Does it make a difference which one you put on the lens first, or does it not really matter?

For example, I enjoy doing waterfalls and getting the long exposure for the silky water effect. I use an ND8 and a CP to cut down on reflections.

TIA for any and all advice/tips.

Cheers

[dcclark]

It doesn't *really* matter much, but here are some things that I would think about:

1. If one of your filters is multicoated and another isn't, I'd put the multicoated one on the outside -- that way it will deal with direct reflections from ambient light better, and perhaps improve image quality. (This is probably negligable, though.)

One last hint... if you can get to the waterfalls on an overcast day, you may only need the CP (since most of them absorb 1 or 2 stops of light anyhow). That will also help, since the more filters you stack, the more likely something is to go wrong, or to mess with your image quality.

2. If one needs to rotate (like the CP), then I'd put it on the outside, so that it's easier to rotate.

Otherwise, that's about it. Be aware that, on a wider lense, stacking filters will lead to vignetting!

[Bluenoser]

Originally Posted by dcclark

It doesn't *really* matter much, but here are some things that I would think about:

1. If one of your filters is multicoated and another isn't, I'd put the multicoated one on the outside -- that way it will deal with direct reflections from ambient light better, and perhaps improve image quality. (This is probably negligable, though.)

One last hint... if you can get to the waterfalls on an overcast day, you may only need the CP (since most of them absorb 1 or 2 stops of light anyhow). That will also help, since the more filters you stack, the more likely something is to go wrong, or to mess with your image quality.

2. If one needs to rotate (like the CP), then I'd put it on the outside, so that it's easier to rotate.

Otherwise, that's about it. Be aware that, on a wider lense, stacking filters will lead to vignetting!

Thanks for the advise, much appreciated.

Just to mention, both filters are Hoya multi-coated.

I agree, and most often will try to schedule my waterfall shoots for overcast days. However there are many times when I'm just out driving or hiking on a nice day and when I find waterfalls, resistence is futile. I just have to get the shots.

Tks again.

[Photologyst]

I find that even one filter will cause a shadow if the camera is tilted say toward a food plate and particularly if the flash is used.

Any ideas as to how to correct that?

[dcclark]

I'm not sure what you mean by tilted... the lens points the same direction as the filters, no matter which way you point.

Flashes might cause shadows if you're using the on-camera flash, and if the lens is large. I doubt that the filters make the lens that much larger.

Could you post an example?

[Photologyst]

Originally Posted by dcclark

I'm not sure what you mean by tilted... the lens points the same direction as the filters, no matter which way you point.

True, but when I hold the camera down to shoot a plate of food or whatever, I often get a small shadow at the bottom of the photo from the lens.

Flashes might cause shadows if you're using the on-camera flash, and if the lens is large. I doubt that the filters make the lens that much larger.

Could you post an example?

LOL, I’ll have to take one, since I tend to eliminate those with shadows right away. Yes, the lens is large, but it has also happened with other lenses and if I put on 2 filters—forget it!