What is your favorite effect lens filter? (Page 4): I lead a photography tour. They are looking for advice from me. I tell them why they should take it off and that usually does the...

CamB Loc: Juneau, Alaska

johngault007 wrote:

And do you get a positive response to this? I mean I see other people taking photos and leave them to their own decisions.

I lead a photography tour. They are looking for advice from me. I tell them why they should take it off and that usually does the trick. At the same time, not all my incredible and life changing advice is taken. I tell almost all my groups to throw away their front lens cap but no one ever does.
…Cam

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

CamB wrote:

I lead a photography tour. They are looking for advice from me. I tell them why they should take it off and that usually does the trick. At the same time, not all my incredible and life changing advice is taken. I tell almost all my groups to throw away their front lens cap but no one ever does.
…Cam

I can see that. I just figured you have at least one or two in the bunch that snears at you and then regrets it later.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

CamB wrote:

I lead a photography tour. They are looking for advice from me. I tell them why they should take it off and that usually does the trick. At the same time, not all my incredible and life changing advice is taken. I tell almost all my groups to throw away their front lens cap but no one ever does.
…Cam

I’m with you on the filter but not on the lens cap.

CamB Loc: Juneau, Alaska

johngault007 wrote:

I was asking because I'm interested in how many show up with little or no knowledge of photography as opposed to those with a solid understanding of their equipment and photography. I could imagine the responses would vary greatly.

My tour guests run the full gamut from knowing very little to knowing a lot to thinking they know a lot. Some are hungry for information and ideas and some aren’t. Most interesting are those that want me to know they know a lot. I love to find the gaps in their photo knowledge and give them something new to think about. They have booked an expensive tour with a “real” photographer so the bar is fairly high.
…Cam

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

The K2 filter darkens blue skies slightly, accentuating clouds just a bit. It also helps reduce the effects of atmospheric haze. As such, and since a lot of my work is landscapes, subjects at intermediate distances are brought out a bit better. It also produces a photograph more in line with the relative brightnesses observed by the human eye.

The X1 filter will slightly lighten blue skies. Clouds and skies will have similar tones. Leaves and trees will also be lighter. Reds and oranges will be darker.

The 25A filter will dramatically darken skies and green foliage. This filter will create a dramatic separation between blue skies, trees, clouds.

Here's an example of choosing filters. The rock walls were predominantly a reddish brown color. The foliage, obviously green. If I'd have used a 25A filter, I'd have lightened the rock walls, but darkened the foliage. Since the sky was relatively a cloudy overcast, I chose the X1 filter to darken the canyon walls but lighten the trees just a bit. This would provide detail within the leaves.

If there had been distinct clouds, real large storm clouds, I'd have probably opted to use a 25A filter to bring them out a lot more.
--Bob

Dan' de Bourgogne wrote:

Please, can you explain what effect /result each of those filters does bring in your pictures? Always interesting to learn new stuff.

X1 Filter

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Alphabravo2020

Kevin.M wrote:

Hi,

Besides water falls are there any other uses for a neutral density filter?

You will discover the need for an ND filter the first time you shoot portraiture at the beach or in the snow with a fast lens. Without it you will quickly hit the minimum sensor sensitivity and max shutter speed and then have to stop down the fast lens that you paid so dearly for. Do you really want the sterile effect of shooting an f1.2 lens at f8 or f11, in addition to the loss of background and foreground separation? Actually, don't answer that. I know many of you do, so this is obviously a personal preference. Peace.

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Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley

CamB wrote:

I don’t know why you would do that. It’s a specific tool for a specific situation. On my tours one of the first things I tell my guests is to take that filter off if I see they are using one.
…Cam

A tool can be used any way you see fit to use it.
I have been doing digital photography since the mid 90s and have done much experimenting with what works and what doesn't.
The way I use CPL filters works for me. I am not one to be bound by ridgid rules.

Will

Tomfl101 Loc: Mount Airy, MD

I’ve used a 3 stop ND with outdoor flash in order to open the aperture to 2.8 or wider for shallow DOF. Without it you are forced to shoot 1/200 at ISO 50 with Canon 5D cameras leaving you in the f-8 to f11 range in full sun. The ND isn’t necessary without flash since you have up to 1/8000 shutter speed.

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

"...sterile effect of shooting an f1.2 lens at f8 or f11..." Alphabravo2020 it's sad to hear inferences that the kit is the major player in imagery excellence... An epic composition often can trump kit... and your inference that the image you posted was captured with an f1.2 lens may well be true but I've been in the game too long... Bright sunlight on the beach can be easily captured at 1/4000 at ISO 64 typically at f/2.8 which in your image would have provided ample isolation. Your EXIF data indicates a focal length of 105mm; 1/5,000 sec, f/1.8, ISO 64 which could be accomplished with at most a 1 Stop ND filter. Since you are shooting a Nikon D850 I seriously doubt if you are using the Noct which is the only widely used Nikkor of f/1.2 (and is manual focus btw).

Also the ultra fast ($8K) NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct doesn't mount on your Nikon D850 to the best of my knowledge (I could be wrong, please enlighten others here if it does)
https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/mirrorless-lenses/nikkor-z-58mm-f%252f0.95-s-noct.html

Bottom Line: Both Noct's are Manual Focus... If you've mastered Manual Focus with a one stop ND filter I'm humbled Alphabravo2020. As such I'm certainly not in your league, you are a far better lens person than I ever hope be.

My experience is that anything more than a 1 stop ND filter can be a total bear to critically focus manually. Sorry I'm not a major fan of f/1.2 glass for portraiture either... in the intriguing image you posted it indeed made a difference in subject isolation albeit we are not on the same page here... I believe that the ocean is actually a significant part of the the narrative and I for one would have preferred a little more DOF... However I totally accept you visual statement...

Your work is epic...
All the best on your journey Alphabravo2020

Correction! I just noticed you did find an f/1.2 Nikkor! Good Show!
"...I ended up finding a 50/1.2 from an Ebay/Japan seller..."
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-717519-1.html So happy for you Alphabravo2020
Looking forward to more of your breathtaking image artistry!

Cheers! Thomas

Alphabravo2020

Thomas902 wrote:

Your EXIF data indicates a focal length of 105mm; 1/5,000 sec, f/1.8, ISO 64 which could be accomplished with at most a 1 Stop ND filter.

I don't know how you calculated that but it was exactly a 1 stop filter, or whatever the Nikon CPL was working at. Some of the newer CPLs from Breakthrough supposedly don't reduce light transmission. As you pointed out, focus is a challenge with manual focus + ND and that might not improve much without a ML camera.

A wide aperture here did unfortunately sacrifice sharpness in the background scene as you pointed out. To OPs question, there are some lens characteristics that begin to go away as you stop down. There is a certain luminance and chromatic glow in the highlights that an ND filter allows you to reach even in bright sunlight. Thank you for the kindness in your critique.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Alphabravo2020 wrote:

You will discover the need for an ND filter the fi... (show quote)

Gorgeous ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

rmalarz wrote:

The K2 filter darkens blue skies slightly, accentu... (show quote)

A stupendous composition 🖤🔥🏆🔥🖤

kb6kgx Loc: Simi Valley, CA

Polarizer and 4-pt star. That’s it.

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

Thomas902 wrote:

My experience is that anything more than a 1 stop ND filter can be a total bear to critically focus manually.

Cheers! Thomas

I'm not certain I fully understand what you are saying here, but I routinely focus landscapes with my 10-stop on the lens. I just max out the ISO, compose and focus in live view, then set the ISO back to 100. Don't have to take the filter off and on. Don't know if this works for portraiture but don't see why it wouldn't.

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

"... I routinely focus landscapes with my 10-stop on the lens. I just max out the ISO, compose and focus in live view, then set the ISO back to 100..." I totally get that Jack, albeit we work in to vastly different paradigms. I shoot Fashion Editorials with a full team... Time is money and agency models have an attitude that needs to be accommodated in a very timely manner.

To clarify my inferences see below, k?
In the first image there was a wardrobe stylist seriously wanting the session to move forward asap. There was also a lighting assistant holding a massive 4x6 foot reflector... The team simply isn't going to keep the karma high if they have to wait around... Workflow must move extremely fast. Here I'm shoot an AF 300mm f/2.8 that weighs 2600 plus grams on a 1400 gram pro body... LiveView on a monopod? Surely you jest? Not happen... We had more locations to get to...

In the second and third images I'm actually in water terrified I'm going to slip and go under with my kit... LiveView? Funny joke... Got to work fast, very fast shooting fashion editorials...

"...Don't know if this works for portraiture but don't see why it wouldn't..." Hope my explanation and images provide some clarity to your very thoughtful and sincere suggestion Jack.

All the best on your journey.... And yes I fully realize that landscape can bring many, many challenge to the table... Just that I don't have any clients requesting the aforementioned at this juncture, maybe someday...
Cheers! Thomas

An AF 300mm f/2.8 on a Nikon D3X (Yes it has a Nikon NC Filter on it) We are talking filter here :)

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Same agency model... Same shoot... Same team...

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Once again... Same agency model... Same shoot... Same team...

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