Lens filter recommendations

[c230k]

Interesting to know who uses lens filters.

Reason:

Type:

When:

Lens to use on:

 

Thanks

Tom :cool:

[pierces]

Reason: Enhancement not easy or even possible to mimic in post-production

Type: Polarizer

When: Water, Sky, wet foliage

Lens to use on: Any - situational

 

 

Reason: Too bright for long exposure

Type: ND

When: see: Reason

Lens to use on: Any - situational

 

 

 

Dave

[nevin-deb]

Reason: Protect the front element

Type: Uv filter

When: always unless I have another filter on

 

 

 

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[peety3]

Reason: Protect the front element

Type: Uv filter

When: always unless I have another filter on

Use a hood instead. Hoods don't impact image quality, help reduce stray light from polluting your images, and act as a better sacrificial element than a filter (your filter threads are less at risk with a smashed hood than they are with a dented UV filter). The lens makers have worked very hard to determine the perfect curvatures for every element of glass in the lens; don't put a piece of flat glass in front of it to "filter" light that your camera inherently doesn't "see".

 

Take a look at this blog post (https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/06/good-times-with-bad-filters/) and scroll down to the three images of the "crye-leike.com" bumper sticker. One is shot with no filter. One is shot with five excellent UV filters. One is shot with five cheap UV filters. It shouldn't take much to realize that a shot with just one excellent UV filter will still be 10-20% of the difference between none and five excellent filters.

 

A long time ago, that same site did a study on the cost to repair every smashed front element vs. putting a UV filter on every lens. Turns out it'd cost less to do the repairs than it would to slap a filter on every lens. It hurts the wallet if it happens to one individual, but in the long run costs less.

 

And Pierces hit it on the head: those are the same two kinds of filters that I frequently carry and occasionally use. The ND also works well when I want to get maximum flash power, want to avoid high-speed sync (it's a power suck when it comes to flash), and/or want to shoot with a wide-open aperture outdoors in sunlight but want to use flash.

[flatlander321]

I currently carry four 52mm filters: an ND 1000 (10 stop) for long exposure shots of moving water, a circular polarizer, a 3-stop gradient gray to balance bright skies with darker foregrounds, and a recently added ND 8 (3 stop) to allow a shallow depth of field in brighter light conditions. I have step-up rings to adapt each lens to use any of the 52mm filters.

 

I only use a protection UV filter on my FZ-300 since a damaged lens effectively means replacing the camera. I always use a lens hood on everything except the sony 16-50pz lens. I have an adapted lens hood for it but it typically wears an auto-opening lens cover.

Edited November 19, 2016 by flatlander321

[framer]

As others have said, ND, polarizer, gradient ND. Never a UV or Clear filter for protection, I live on the wild side...

 

I do believe in lens hoods, it can up your contrast and keep stray light out. I have seen a lens hood take the shock and save a lens.

 

framer

[xlxo]

My most frequently used filter is the Nikon NC filter. Unlike UV filters, it does not filter UV while offering lens protection. Yes I use a hood too.

 

My second most frequent filter is a circular polarizer. This minimizes glare and reflections.

 

Other novelty filters I've messed with....

• Sigma's WR filter. Repels water in wet conditions. But I found I lose sharpness with this brand.
  
• ND filters at waterfalls.
  
• Gold and Blue polarizer. Changes reflections to more vibrant colors. Great on overcast days. http://www.singh-ray.com/shop/gold-n-blue-polarizer/
  
• Close up filter. The Canon 250D/500D is great when you don't have a macro lens handy.
  
  

Oh.... look for multi-coated filters when possible.

Edited November 19, 2016 by xlxo

[GUT2407]

A UV on every lens I own, but not a cheap one.

 

A polarising filter for glare.

 

A set of ND filters for when I want to shoot slow and or wide open in bright light. (Or sometimes with flash)

 

A graduated ND for impact.

 

Still carry some colour ones for various effects.

 

Set of close up if I'm not carrying a macro.

[TruckerDave]

Polarizer....but you must be careful with them as they can produce unwanted effects on a wide angle lens. Plus the sun has to be in the right place for them to be really effective.

 

Neutral Density filters...a 10 stopper is fun to play with as you can make people disappear :D but you need tripod. Other ND's for the blurring effect of water of getting shallow depth of field in very bight light.

 

I used to carry a graduated ND filter, but, with bracketing and photoshop/lightroom I don't ever bother any more.

 

UV or "protection"filters...No. I have better things to spend my money on.