Filters
- This topic has 38 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated Jan 26, 2011 at 1:52 pm by
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While up at our cabin in NW WI. in late September grouse hunting I caught the trees in their spectacular Fall colors. Using my Canon Rebel XTi with just a UV filter I tried to capture the vibrant color changes that were just so amazing to see. Although the photos turned out okay, I felt like a special type filter would have done even a better job. Is there a filter you would recommend for outdoor shots like these? Any other tips or suggestions are welcome too, I am still a novice. 🙂
Fall-forest-road by Wiflyfisher, on Flickr
road-fall-colors2 by Wiflyfisher, on Flickr
Dakota by Wiflyfisher, on Flickr
IMG_0379 by Wiflyfisher, on Flickr
heavy-woods-colorful by Wiflyfisher, on Flickr
end-of-driveway by Wiflyfisher, on Flickr
IMG_8316 by Wiflyfisher, on FlickrThis one was taken with my new Canon 200mm IS lens…
IMG_8357 by Wiflyfisher, on FlickrJohn,
Take a look at the below link:
http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/I believe Adam is an IA member. Go to his blog, look on the left side of the page, and you will be able to sort through filters he uses and why. He uses a lot of Singh Ray filters, which can get pricey, but they do the job very well from what I have seen. He also has a DVD out on the subject. I have it and would recommend it.
hth,
D.John,
Take a look at the below link:
http://www.adambarkerphotography.com/I believe Adam is an IA member. Go to his blog, look on the left side of the page, and you will be able to sort through filters he uses and why. He uses a lot of Singh Ray filters, which can get pricey, but they do the job very well from what I have seen. He also has a DVD out on the subject. I have it and would recommend it.
hth,
D.Thanks, I will take a look.
I have been thinking I need a polarizer filter to saturate the colors better and eliminate the bright sunlight reflecting off the leaves. So I did some searching and found this Singh-Ray article: http://singhray.blogspot.com/2010/10/ej-peiker-provides-helpful-insight-into.html . After reading it, I guess you can adjust the polarizer some how while attached to the lens. Does the polarizer filter turn?
John filters are indespensible imo. Id would go so far as to say that in terms of various accessorries they are by far, my most important and most often used, surpassing both my flash and tripod even.
There are some things you can do in post to replicate or mimic the effect of utilising and employing filters at capture but not all. Polarizers are one, in post its really just damping down highlights..not actually cutting glare.
Best way to visualise that is.
Without a CP you just cant knock back the glare and increase visibility into water..Best you can do in post is tone down the highlights..But your still not left with an image that shows the substrate or the impression of clear water….to begin withFilters are like lenses.
In so much as the better Q ones cost. I started using and relying on them about 2 years ago. At the time I think only Adam Barker used them alot in FFing photogrpahy or understod their importance. It was largely Adams work that gave me to confidence to shell out for a kit of SR filters. Since then, Im noticing alot more people starting to using them. The Blue Gold is to die for at times…Suffice to say I use SR and wouldnt want to use anything else.3 filters to get this
3 to get this
2 to get this
2 to get this
2 for this
2 for this
I would say start with a CP ( SR, and LEE are very popular) B/W amd Hoya are also good makers. Then depending on your desires and taste move to specialised CPs and NDs
I am starting to understand why filters are indespensible. I am realizing there is so much more than just a lens and camera body to capture what the eye really sees in outdoor landscape photography.
What does CP, SR, & LEE stand for?
John,
CP = Circular Polarizer
SR = Singh Ray (a popular filter maker) http://www.singh-ray.com/
LEE = another filter manufacturer http://www.leefiltersusa.com/camera/Hope that helps.
Blue & Gold
Gray 2 Stop ND Grad
Amber or Pink is nice to play with. Get out and experiment and have fun!
Thanks for the awesome photo examples from both JayMorr & John Bennett!! Now I have something to shoot for.
Not sure Michelle.
As stated earlier it was about 2 years ago I had decided to start acquiring an assortment of filters. Researching them really boiled down to….
Are the SRs really worth the extra price….
At the time I only knew one person who actually used SR, and no-one here on IA or other sites I frequented did either. I was interested in the NDs and the G/B in particular. I ended up buying a couple of their filters to start then around the time I wanted to buy the G/B I started looking again for actual people who used them ( not shills or reviewers)
Then while reading stuff on the SR site, in particualr how to use the G/B I came across some of Adams blog entries there. I dont think he ever did one on the BG but his other entries, and the fact he shot FFing and similiar stuff to what I shoot convinced me to spend the extra for SR and I bought a few more to mostly complete what I want.
If you dig through some old post here about 1.5 to 2 years old or so, you’ll find a thread or two where I posted some early results/fooling around images. By last fall I was doing alot of shots with the B/G posting here and on FB and others started getting it as well..I know AO picked one up and loves it now to as did a couple others.Its an awesome CP to own.
Some of my early shots.
In reading about other makers filters including the B/G I read alot of comments about colour cast, colors being less rich, etc, etc.
If they are currently out of stock, and you want one Id wait.
Ive used hoya, BW filters in the past and still use one their best CPs on my 85mm f1.2 (72mm thread) but they dont compare (imo) to my SR CPs (I have 3, of which the B/G is one). At the least with the SR LB CP its brighter..or worded another way, its not cutting as much light as a traditional 2 stop loss as with BW, HY etc.
/edit add.
Want to clarify, Im not saying other manufactorers dont make good product but if Im going to be dropping good money on anything (its all relative) I want to know I can trust (have confidence) that Im going to be happy with the purchase. No second guessing etc.With SR I know Im getting what Im paying for and thats worth the little extra. Ive spent 200 on a BW CP that had build quality issues.
So it boils down to with others “I dont know”…with SR ” I know “I think the Hoya HD CP’s are less then 2 stops as well but like everything camera related a little bit of difference costs alot…
I am going to get a hard and soft SR GND set as soon as I win one on ebay.
What about Cokin drop in stuff? I think I remember reading someones post on here in the past about using that system.
Cokin is one of the makers that Ive read can produce color cast ( might be filter specific, cant quite recall) . Not the end of the world and fairly easy to correct in post but it still means your correcting, improving on stuff in post.
One reason for getting filters is to get it right at capture and reduce time/effort in post.
heres a good write up on alot of various filters.
http://www.naturephotographers.net/dw0502-1.htmldelves a wee bit into the differences between different types of filters, etc
I finally got to try out my el cheapo GND filter. It’s a $13 filter so I wasn’t expecting much. After seeing the results I’ve decided that the P series filters are worth keeping and a must have. I’m going to start collecting some hard and soft SR filters after this.
Not all were taken with the filter.
Panorama
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