What, If Any , Filters Do You Use
Apr 28, 2012 15:54:46 #
donrent
Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl
I'm curious... Do you use a filter ? All the time or only in certain conditions ... What kind ?
Apr 28, 2012 17:09:59 #
Digital and Film:
1. Polarizer when I want to reduce reflections or give a pop to the sky.
2. Neutral Density when I want the longer exposures (I have both solid and graduated).
3. 4-point star for playing around with the wider apertures.
Film:
1. UV for the haze (mainly in the mountains).
2. Color filters for B&W contrasting - yellow, orange, red, and green.
3. FLD for shooting daylight-balanced color film under fluorescents.
I don't use the UV, star or FLD that much.
1. Polarizer when I want to reduce reflections or give a pop to the sky.
2. Neutral Density when I want the longer exposures (I have both solid and graduated).
3. 4-point star for playing around with the wider apertures.
Film:
1. UV for the haze (mainly in the mountains).
2. Color filters for B&W contrasting - yellow, orange, red, and green.
3. FLD for shooting daylight-balanced color film under fluorescents.
I don't use the UV, star or FLD that much.
Apr 28, 2012 18:12:59 #
photocat
Loc: Atlanta, Ga
For digital, a polarizer when the occassion needs a polarizer.
don't shoot color film, so only use filters for contrast control with black and white film.
don't shoot color film, so only use filters for contrast control with black and white film.
Apr 28, 2012 20:06:41 #
About the same as above. The ND and Cp are in the bag all the time now. CP makes the skies look really good. But you have to watch if the angle of the sun is good.
Erv
Erv
Apr 29, 2012 06:13:57 #
hflare
Loc: Florida
UV in order to protect the lens, more than using it for it's purpose which is to cut the haze or glare down "some"...
(Better to replace a scratched filter than a scratched lens)
The Nikon D 80 digital camera I use, has a set of built in filters which I use to control the mood of the shot..various blues and yellows..... warm warm 2 cool 1 cool 2 etc...
ND filters to cut down the shutter speed, while photographing skies with moving clouds, and moving water so as to get that
"smoke" look to the water and clouds... I have a circular one which gives me about fifty different shades of dark....
Diffusion filter to soften the skin on the elderly or ladies of all ages.. smile...
polarizer filter to bring more blue in the sky and to cut out the glare and refection water and glass brings into a photograph..
What I do not use is any filters on my ultra wide angle lens... the blue in the sky will often come out with streaks....
(Better to replace a scratched filter than a scratched lens)
The Nikon D 80 digital camera I use, has a set of built in filters which I use to control the mood of the shot..various blues and yellows..... warm warm 2 cool 1 cool 2 etc...
ND filters to cut down the shutter speed, while photographing skies with moving clouds, and moving water so as to get that
"smoke" look to the water and clouds... I have a circular one which gives me about fifty different shades of dark....
Diffusion filter to soften the skin on the elderly or ladies of all ages.. smile...
polarizer filter to bring more blue in the sky and to cut out the glare and refection water and glass brings into a photograph..
What I do not use is any filters on my ultra wide angle lens... the blue in the sky will often come out with streaks....
Apr 29, 2012 06:35:56 #
lachmap
Loc: Sydney Australia
I only use a polarizer filter. Best filter you can have as there are so many instances of unwanted reflections. Got a UV filter to protect the lens but couldn't be bothered using it now.
Apr 29, 2012 07:05:17 #
Apr 29, 2012 07:46:34 #
Apr 29, 2012 09:17:48 #
docrob
Loc: Durango, Colorado
donrent wrote:
I'm curious... Do you use a filter ? All the time or only in certain conditions ... What kind ?
i have polarizing filter - i seldom use it - turns out i prefer the glare most of the time - reflections off water would be about the best use for it - for me.
Apr 29, 2012 09:35:02 #
donrent wrote:
I'm curious... Do you use a filter ? All the time or only in certain conditions ... What kind ?
Don,
I once used filters all the time until I discovered that without the filters my pictures' clarity, sharpness, and color was always a little bit better without the filters, so I quit using them and instead use hoods for lens protection when I feel it is warranted. I might add that I noticed this discrepancy even with some fairly expensive and highly touted filters. Again, it is all in the eye of the beholder and so I'm sure there are many avid filter users out there that will disagree with me, that's OK, they are not taking my photos, I am, to each his own!
Apr 29, 2012 09:36:37 #
Add an 650 or 750 nm IR filter. 650 is easier to use because it allows you to see the image and is faster than the 750 nm. Low cost on EBay works fine for my converted camera and much much lower cost than "name brand" filters..
Apr 29, 2012 14:32:41 #
mtnredhed
Loc: The part of NorCal that doesn't move
For Digital: Cokin
ND4 and 8
2 grades of black mesh
2 grades of diffusion
I know the mesh and diffusion can be applied in post, but I've not been able to match the effect of the optical filters. I like the black mesh since it doesn't seem to flare like white or add the softness of the diffusion filters. Nice on older faces. The wrinkles are still there, they just lose the edges.
If you want to see heavy handed diffusion watch NCIS when they have a close-up of Mark Harmon.
jim
ND4 and 8
2 grades of black mesh
2 grades of diffusion
I know the mesh and diffusion can be applied in post, but I've not been able to match the effect of the optical filters. I like the black mesh since it doesn't seem to flare like white or add the softness of the diffusion filters. Nice on older faces. The wrinkles are still there, they just lose the edges.
If you want to see heavy handed diffusion watch NCIS when they have a close-up of Mark Harmon.
jim
Apr 29, 2012 16:07:54 #
mtnredhed wrote:
If you want to see heavy handed diffusion watch NCIS when they have a close-up of Mark Harmon.
jim
jim
Or Cybil Shepherd in the "Moonlighting" series.
Apr 29, 2012 16:16:05 #
Mtnredhed... "I like the black mesh "...
Mtnredhed, Is that like a screen wire visual texture? the screen would give you many small lenses and difraction paterns (not perhaps that you can see). http://www.tiffen.com/camera_filters.htm#Diffusion Filters
Diffraction as a result of f-stop
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/diffraction.htm
Mtnredhed, Is that like a screen wire visual texture? the screen would give you many small lenses and difraction paterns (not perhaps that you can see). http://www.tiffen.com/camera_filters.htm#Diffusion Filters
Diffraction as a result of f-stop
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/diffraction.htm
Apr 29, 2012 17:13:48 #
mtnredhed
Loc: The part of NorCal that doesn't move
dpullum wrote:
Mtnredhed... "I like the black mesh "...
Mtnredhed, Is that like a screen wire visual texture? the screen would give you many small lenses and difraction paterns (not perhaps that you can see). http://www.tiffen.com/camera_filters.htm#Diffusion Filters
Diffraction as a result of f-stop
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/diffraction.htm
Mtnredhed, Is that like a screen wire visual texture? the screen would give you many small lenses and difraction paterns (not perhaps that you can see). http://www.tiffen.com/camera_filters.htm#Diffusion Filters
Diffraction as a result of f-stop
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/diffraction.htm
It is a diffraction effect although different than merely stopping down.
I'm not familiar with a "wire" mesh, but the old school cinema and portrait shooters would stretch white or black sheer stockings over the lens. White reduces contrast and makes everything "glow", which I'm not a fan of and gets way overused for "dreamy looks".
Black doesn't really change contrast and doesn't scream diffusion as long as you don't push it too hard.
Mamyia used to make a 180mm portrait lens for their RB line (which I had). You could put in 1 of 3 disks that had a center clear spot and was ringed by a field of clear spots. You could dial in the diffusion level by changing the aperture. The RB was 6x7cm so the 180 was roughly 100mm in 35mm speak. I loved that lens.
Not to push B&H or Lee filters, but this is a good example.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/87342-REG/LEE_Filters_BN1STD_4x4_Black_Net_1.html
One of the first GIMP tricks I learned for people shots, was to free hand select the eyes, hair and teeth, invert the selection and then apply a little blur. (as long as we've drifted on the topic)
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