Filter Question

I will be in South Africa in December-January and because my wife wants animal shots I got an Olympus 40-150 plus tele-converter. On my dslr I only use polarizing filters, but I am not sure what (if any) filter(s) might be useful in that part of the world at that time of year. My preference is no filter, but I admit my knowledge and experience in this area is limited.

Any advice appreciated.

I don't think it matters which side of the equater one is located in relation to camera filters. The only difference I have seen in each hemisphere is the direction of rotation of water down the drain and the reversal of the seasons.

Definitley take a polarizing filter if you have one and whatever other filters you use in the summer months.

Here's a link to filters I found interesting: https://backcountrygallery.com/all-about-uv-filters/

Thanks for responding.

My concern was not on which side of the equator but more about the climatic conditions and lighting in what I imagine will be more desert like than my home territory, which is a marine climate. Not sure if dust is a big problem. Not too concerned about lighting unless there was something area specific that is recommended.

Hoping to take as little gear as possible, so will go with no filters unless I find a compelling reason to do so.

Lived in Australia years ago and really never noticed if the water drained the opposite way :)

I only use UV filters if the environment will be particularly harsh (sea spray, blowing dust), or I know that there will be the "perfect" amount of rain that won't scare away the wildlife AND will be enough to justify using only the weather-sealed camera(s). Any more than that, and everything's in a bag. Less than that, the lens will be fine longer than the camera.

I take polarizers if I expect to have time to adjust them, and will have a place to stash my lens hood (since that usually interferes with spinning the polarizer). I take 3-stop and 6-stop ND filters for either of two reasons: the classic (overdone?) dreamy waterfall shot, or shots lit with flash that call for normal sync and thin DoF (HSS eats too much power, so I'd rather ND it and stay at sync speed).

I always keep a UV filter on all of my lenses more to protect the front elements just in case. I was proven right on our last cruise when I took my 70-200 out for the first time and found the filter broken in a few places. Better a $30 filter than a $1,000 front element......Beyond that my favorite is a graduated ND filter for landscapes and sunset/sunrises.

I always keep a UV filter on all of my lenses more to protect the front elements just in case. I was proven right on our last cruise when I took my 70-200 out for the first time and found the filter broken in a few places. Better a $30 filter than a $1,000 front element......Beyond that my favorite is a graduated ND filter for landscapes and sunset/sunrises.

There is a video on the link (https://backcountrygallery.com/all-about-uv-filters/) in which filters, lenses, and filter/leens combos are subjected to "smash tests." Your very example is discussed. Food for thought.

I always keep a UV filter on all of my lenses more to protect the front elements just in case. I was proven right on our last cruise when I took my 70-200 out for the first time and found the filter broken in a few places. Better a $30 filter than a $1,000 front element......Beyond that my favorite is a graduated ND filter for landscapes and sunset/sunrises.

To each their own, but my opinion is based on that of LensRentals.com. They did an analysis of how many broken elements they had and the resulting repair cost vs. the cost of outfitting all of their lenses with UV filters. At least on a macro scale, it was about double the cost to outfit their lenses with UV filters than it was to repair front elements. They've also published (https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/06/good-times-with-bad-filters/) a great expose on how bad your images look with 5 bad UV filters, and how bad they look with even 5 good UV filters.

In your specific case, I'd like to think the reason it cracked was because the filter is only protected by a relatively thin brass ring, whereas the lens' front element is protected by a better-built barrel.

To each their own, but my opinion is based on that of LensRentals.com. They did an analysis of how many broken elements they had and the resulting repair cost vs. the cost of outfitting all of their lenses with UV filters. At least on a macro scale, it was about double the cost to outfit their lenses with UV filters than it was to repair front elements. They've also published (https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/06/good-times-with-bad-filters/) a great expose on how bad your images look with 5 bad UV filters, and how bad they look with even 5 good UV filters.

 

In your specific case, I'd like to think the reason it cracked was because the filter is only protected by a relatively thin brass ring, whereas the lens' front element is protected by a better-built barrel.

Again, the video here (https://backcountrygallery.com/all-about-uv-filters/) discusses all the above too.

For those that use circular polarizes here’s a trick I learned for turning your ring to maximum and minimum quickly with out spending time looking through the view finder and turning the adjusting ring back and forth to find maximum and minimum. Screw your filter on snug. Since filters are fine thread your filter will always screw on to the lens in the same spot nearly every time. Use some white nail polish and with a very fine brush or paper clip make a dot on the stationary ring of the filter and a dot in line with that one on the edge of the lens barrel. This marks were to screw your filter onto your lens each time so the maximum and minimum will be in the same place each time. Now holding your camera in normal horizontal look through the cameras view finder and turn the adjusting ring to find maximum polarization. Using a different nail color make a dot on the adjuster ring and a dot right next to that one on the stationary ring. Now do this for minimum polarization with another different nail color. Remember these two colors for max and min for horizontal camera view. Now with another 2 different colors do the same for when you hold your camera vertical or sideways. Always hold your camera the same for vertical shooting. Most everyone holds DSLRs turned counter clockwise. Hand grip on top. Now when you want max or min polarization just match up the correct colors quickly and shoot. No waisting time looking through your view finder finding max or min and miss the shot. Now for anything in between max and min you just have to look through the view finder and adjust it how you want it. But hopefully this help you find max and min polarization that much quicker so you don’t miss that shot