Article
Filters - What you need
The digital photographer can benefit from
using filters, the most essential is the
Neutral density
graduated filters
that allow you to hold back the exposure of sky's and bright areas, and the
polarizer.
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Beyond this we have a wide range of other
opportunities using Neutral density
filters
to
allow longer exposures, black cards to allow
double and multiple exposures
and coloured grads.
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Perhaps some
special effect filters
may
also appeal.
We have a range of articles
on filters and associated options including:-
-
Filters - What you need
- this article, looking at what you put on your shopping list.
-
Filters for digital photography
- generalised introduction to filters.
-
Filters
for coastal photography
- introduction, gives some filters that would be useful in a specific case.
-
Protection
filters
- filters on lenses to keep the lenses clean.
-
Filters - Other solutions
- other ways to get similar effects, without using filters, and differences.
-
Polarizer's
- the most commonly used of all special filters beyond the protection
filters.
-
Filter holders
- the sizes, types and arrangements, which one is best for your lenses.
-
Stepping rings
- allowing a holder, adaptor or other filters to be used across a range of
lens sizes.
-
Filters-ND graduated filters
- the most essential filters, looking at hard, soft, reverse, strengths
and how to decide what to use, setting exposure and more.
-
Graduated filters
- coloured graduated filters allowing images to be improved.
-
ND filters
- used to allow longer exposures, having a range of uses.
-
Effect filters
- special effects like stars, soft effects , netting and more.
-
Double
and multiple exposure
- used with filters or with card to give similar effects to using
some filters.
In this article I am looking
at what you actually need to obtain to be able to use this. I am assuming that
you already have a camera, tripod etc but no filters, beyond UV or
protective filters.
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You can cope with different
sized lenses by using either stepping
rings
or adaptors. Adaptors are a part of the Filter holders
kit.
You don't therefore need to have separate sets of filters for each lens.
Round filters, screw directly
on the lens or via stepping rings
and most of us have a polarizer that fits in this way, its quicker and simpler
than getting the filter holder and all, out. If budgets are tight however a
single polarizer that is apart of the filter holder kit is a practical
proposition, and of course less to carry. The polarizer that you need is a
circular not linear polarizer, but it is usually the only one offered in any
event. Some involved in B&W photography still, like to use round filters,
particularly if they previously used film and already had them, but you can
achieve the same with the square or rectangular filers that fit into filter
holders. With the need to use
stepping rings
to go across lenses, its a lot more fiddling about with round filters. Graduated
filters need to be in holders so we can slide them to the desired position,
so it makes more sense usually to have all your filters fit one system and work
better together.
Filter holders and systems, have the
advantage of flexibility and of course can be grown or expanded over time,
and you don't need to go out and get everything at one. If you are going to
teach yourself to use it, this is going top take some tome, and probably
best done an item at a time, later you can combine the effects.
So what do you put on your shopping list
- A
filter holder
(or kit including one) see the article on filter holders.
- Adapter (you need at least one) you
don't get one with the filter holder or kit. This allows the filter holder
to connect to a lens, it needs to be the one that goes with the filter
holder, they are not interchangeable across makes. If you have several
lenses have an adaptor for the largest lens. There are some P kits now
available that also include an adaptor so you need to watch the specific
offering to see what is included, and if the adaptor, if provided, will fit
your lens.
- Additional adaptors or
stepping rings
to allow other lenses to be used.
-
Neutral density
graduated filers.
You could start just with a soft ND2, but you will find that a set of three
is often an economic option. You would then have ND2, ND4 and ND8, this is
1, 2 and 3 stops at its darkest part. A second ND2 would often come in
handy, allowing one from the top and one from the bottom.
-
Polarising filter
either to fit the filter holder or a separate screw on filter.
Optional additional items
ND
filters
- extend the exposure time, allowing some other options, uses and examples
and more in the article on these.
Coloured graduated
filters
- we have an article covering the uses.
Card for double or multiple exposures, can
be a piece of black core mountboard or a piece of black card and use a black marker
to blacken the edge. See the article on
double and multiple exposures
for details.
Special effect filters
star filters, multiple images, soft, netting and others.
You will have noticed that a range of other
articles are linked to this page allowing you to both find out about these
options as well as see how you might use them. If this is not enough then we
also have a further
information page
complete with links to other articles,
filter manufacturers etc.
See also:
Filter
Section
for more articles.
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