Filters..

dazftw

A funny thing popped into my tonight. I have never used a filter when taking a photo. When I 1st got into photography, I was always like "oh ill do that in photoshop". I never did..

So I've decided to give filters a go. Ive heard they can be expensive so im wondering, is there like a good website all about using filters with examples of what effect you can get with different types of filters?

Particularly looking at graduated filters and something to create nice contrasty black and white skies.

pete4130

Filters are something I've always wanted to get into.....I've use CPL filters inthe past in the early days and they were cheap enough on small lenses.....on 2.8 lenses they get EXPENSIVE!!!! So see who has anything they are willing to lend!

I've got a -4 Grad ND filter that I've used occasionally with ok results. I really want to get a full set of ND filters and use low ISO film/digital ISO during the daytime to get some really good long exposure shots.

I've found if you don't have even horizons it makes it a little more difficult to blend everything together....and if shooting film probably a little more difficult. They do a great job though. I think I haven't used the, enough to really be much help. I'm barely past the stage where you are just thinking about using them.

dazftw

- 4 would mean 4 stops? If it metered F/5.6 you could go down to F/22? I know a guy in work whose a photographer! He does a lot of seascapes Ill ask him tomorrow would he have any lying around.

Guess no one else use's filters on here?

DaireQuinlan

I'd use various coloured filters all the time with B&W, typically a yellow, sometimes red, occasionally blue or green depending on what I'm doing. Colour film I'd occasionally correct, but mostly it'd be polarisers. On digital I guess the only filters you'd have a real use for would be NDs and graduated NDs, and polarisers. And yeah, polarisers in particular tend to increase in price quite dramatically. I have a 77mm thin pola filter from nikon that set me back the guts of €100 and that's far from the most expensive I've seen. All (or at least most) of the nikon pro lenses though have that same (77mm) filter thread, and I've gotten step up rings for all my bronica lenses from 67 to 77 so I can use all the same filters with them as well.

I also have a cokin P holder, mainly for film for using with IR filters, but when I'm shooting my 8x10 I have a big mixed bag of CC filters to shoot colour paper.

dazftw

Im just googling now a yellow filter adds contrast!?

I have a red one I got for infrared on the bronica and the effect id like to achieve would be a black and white street photo with blurring people and sharp buildings etc

A yellow wouldn't be enough i'm guessing!?

I metered it and it had a 3 stop difference but the actual image was fairly flat looking. This was on digital btw.