Filters - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Billy Ocean · 12-06-2008, 12:52 PM

Looking into trying out some filters... I have protective filters now for my lense but never really played around with uv or colored filters. How do you guys feel about these, and feedback on brands or prices ect. would be appreciated.

genuinegirly · 12-06-2008, 04:47 PM

My husband loves playing with filters. I'll ask him what he recommends and get back to you.

Manic_Skafe · 12-06-2008, 06:55 PM

There's tons of filters out there but the most important thing is to make sure you skip those dirt cheap filters as they don't do much other than degrade the quality of your images. I used UV filters as accidental drop protection (and I really liked being able to wipe the it clean with my sleeve) but I found they caused too many flares.

UV filters supposedly protect your sensor from harmful ultra-violet rays. A UV filter will have no visible effect on your images.

Polarizing filters work the same way that polarized shades do - they cut down on glare, haze and reflections. They darken skies by cutting through atmospheric haze and they'll allow you to shoot bodies of water and glass buildings as they appear to your eyes.

Neutral density filters reduce the light by a specific number of stops. They're darkly colored and can be stacked on top of each other to allow you to shoot long exposures under brightly lit conditions. These are helpful in any situation in which the sky is dramatically brighter than the lower half of your frame or if you'd like to mute the light a bit to allow some motion in your shot (like a blurred field of wheat from moving in the wind on a bright day.)

There are plenty of filters out there - read up on the different types here and tailor your purchase to suit the look you're going for.

And if I may be corrected anywhere - forgive me, I'm watching a Pink Floyd concert while typing.

WillyPete · 12-07-2008, 05:31 AM

Circular polarizers and Neutral Density gradient filters will be the most useful.
Modern digital cameras already have UV and IR filters in front of the sensor.

If you have a high value lens, you may actually be degrading image quality by using a protective filter that's cheap.
The B+W and Hoya HD filters are considered good.
Singh-Ray make some pro level filters but are pricey.

If you have an ultra-wide lens (focal length < 24mm) then you should be careful with filter thickness. They make specialty thin in filters to reduce possible vignetting (corner shadow) from the filter ring intruding into the field of view.

A polarizer with a wide angle will often make a portion of the sky darker.

12-06-2008, 12:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Billy Ocean Crazy Location: City London UK	Filters Looking into trying out some filters... I have protective filters now for my lense but never really played around with uv or colored filters. How do you guys feel about these, and feedback on brands or prices ect. would be appreciated. __________________ "To live outside the law you must be honest." - Bob Dylan

12-06-2008, 04:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
genuinegirly Eat your vegetables Super Moderator Location: Arabidopsis-ville	My husband loves playing with filters. I'll ask him what he recommends and get back to you. __________________ "Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq "violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

12-06-2008, 06:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
Manic_Skafe More Than You Expect Location: Queens	There's tons of filters out there but the most important thing is to make sure you skip those dirt cheap filters as they don't do much other than degrade the quality of your images. I used UV filters as accidental drop protection (and I really liked being able to wipe the it clean with my sleeve) but I found they caused too many flares. UV filters supposedly protect your sensor from harmful ultra-violet rays. A UV filter will have no visible effect on your images. Polarizing filters work the same way that polarized shades do - they cut down on glare, haze and reflections. They darken skies by cutting through atmospheric haze and they'll allow you to shoot bodies of water and glass buildings as they appear to your eyes. Neutral density filters reduce the light by a specific number of stops. They're darkly colored and can be stacked on top of each other to allow you to shoot long exposures under brightly lit conditions. These are helpful in any situation in which the sky is dramatically brighter than the lower half of your frame or if you'd like to mute the light a bit to allow some motion in your shot (like a blurred field of wheat from moving in the wind on a bright day.) There are plenty of filters out there - read up on the different types here and tailor your purchase to suit the look you're going for. And if I may be corrected anywhere - forgive me, I'm watching a Pink Floyd concert while typing. __________________ "Porn is a zoo of exotic animals that becomes boring upon ownership." -Nersesian

12-07-2008, 05:31 AM	#4 (permalink)
WillyPete Addict	Circular polarizers and Neutral Density gradient filters will be the most useful. Modern digital cameras already have UV and IR filters in front of the sensor. If you have a high value lens, you may actually be degrading image quality by using a protective filter that's cheap. The B+W and Hoya HD filters are considered good. Singh-Ray make some pro level filters but are pricey. If you have an ultra-wide lens (focal length < 24mm) then you should be careful with filter thickness. They make specialty thin in filters to reduce possible vignetting (corner shadow) from the filter ring intruding into the field of view. A polarizer with a wide angle will often make a portion of the sky darker.