What Filters Do You Use?
Here’s what I want to know: Do you use filters and if so, what are your favorites??…
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I was going through my film camera bag last night and mourning my unused filter kit. Most of the filters for my film camera are 49-52mm and don’t fit the front element of my digital lenses (not even close). To prevent this ever happening again, I’ve been buying 77mm filters for my digital, but yikes! the cost! As a result, my current filter package is sad and thin…
I really prefer controlling the image in the camera rather than trying to achieve similar effects in Photoshop. I guess I’m more of a production girl than a post-production girl. That doesn’t mean I don’t like Photoshop, because I do, but I really love filters. I love the tactile feeling of them. I like deciding how I want the shot to look before I take it, then choosing the appropriate filter.
In my film camera bag, I have all kinds of fun random filters: a red enhancer, a center spot (that I’ve used like once), a 4-point star filter, some ND’s, a Soft FX, a set of diopters, an 85, 81A, 80A, a red and yellow filter for black & white shooting, and of course a polarizer. But they’re all too small for my digital camera!!! Aaaaarrrrrrghhh!!!
I bought a set of diopters, an ND .6 grad and a Soft FX filter for my digital, but that’s all I’ve got at the moment.
Now I’m thinking about what filters I absolutely have to have. Hmmm, Christmas is coming up soon…. Top of the list is obviously a circular polarizer. On eBay, the cheapest 77mm pola I found was about $80. Not so cheap, but necessary. I’d also love to get a couple of black promist filters, another ND Grad (maybe .9), and a square filter holder for the front of the lens. Yah, that would be nice.
What filters do you have and use??
Responses and Conversations
Most of my film filters sit unused. I was going to sell them on ebay but they’re not worth much anymore I guess.
I typically use a Nikon UV filter to protect the front elements. I also have a really nice slim 77mm (yes, I do the 77mm w/ step-down rings thing as well) Hoya multi-coated circular polorizer on ebay for $40. I keep my diopters around for the occasional macro. That’s about it for digital.
Comment by John Koontz on September 13th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
On my Nikons, I will use Split-ND grads, Polarizers, somtimes warming filters, and some close-up diopters when I don’t want to carry a separate macro.
I don’t use any UV filters on my lenses to minimize refraction causing degradation.
What I’m really lusting after is the Singh-Ray Variable ND filter, but at around $350, it’d be just my luck that I’d buy one and drop it….
And I ALWAYS wear a clean t-shirt to make sure I can keep my lenses clean.
Comment by JimmyD on September 14th, 2006 at 6:49 am
OOoh, tell us more about a variable ND Filter! What makes it variable? Why would an ND filter cost $350!? What kind of shots do you want to take with it??
Comment by Stephanie Simpson on September 17th, 2006 at 11:11 am
It rotates like a polarizer and gives you from +1 to +9 (I think) density. It’s $350 because nobody else makes it! It’s cool because you can dial in just the amout of ND that you need and you only have to carry on filter.
Comment by JimmyD on September 17th, 2006 at 8:10 pm
That’s “carry ONE filter…”
Comment by JimmyD on September 17th, 2006 at 8:10 pm
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