filters on camera lense

Joined: 21 Nov 2005 Posts: 28 Location: Apopka, Fl

Hey all. I plan to carry my camera around as much as possible loaded with B&W film. Shooting a lot will help me get back to the basics (I've been out of it for a while). My question is about filters. I was thinking about screwing a yellow filter on it. This seems to be a good compromise. What do you all think? Or should I just stick with a haze filter to protect the lense. Other suggestions?

Joined: 21 Nov 2005 Posts: 28 Location: Apopka, Fl

I found the article by Lars Bergquist on filters but I'd still like some of your opinions.

Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 9:27 pm

Only put the filter on as the situation requires it. If you have a pale blue sky and some clouds and you want the clouds to show up, then use a yellow filter.

If you want the sky a bit darker and the clouds to show up a good bit more, then use an orange filter.

If you want a stormy look, with nearly black sky and white clouds, then use a red filter.

Choose the filter as the situation requires it for the effect you are trying for. Don't leave a filter on just to leave it on. Learn what each filter does; use the filter regularly until you can predict the results that you will get from using it. After you have "learned" the filter, then add a second filter. After you have "learned" the second, add a third, etc.

Joined: 21 Nov 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Trenton, ON, Canada

It's nice to have a supply of filters available for creativity. But I wouldn't leave just one filter on my lens. That would only stymie your creativity. Use the appropriate filter for the given situation. Or just experiment and have fun. B&W film and do-it-yourself processing is still relatively cheap.

I've often heard suggestions of putting haze filters or UV filters on permanently to protect expensive lenses. Unfortunately many people are putting $20 UV filters on $1,000 lenses. I use a lens cap to protect my lense and use filters for enhancement and creativity.

Tony

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 4:35 pm

packard wrote:

After you have "learned" the filter, then add a second filter. After you have "learned" the second, add a third, etc.

...and pretty soon you will need to buy Delta 3200 to take photos through the yellow and orange and red and green filters! Would that be 7 or 8 stop compensation Packard?

Joking of course ;)

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:02 pm

areinders wrote:

packard wrote:

After you have "learned" the filter, then add a second filter. After you have "learned" the second, add a third, etc.

...and pretty soon you will need to buy Delta 3200 to take photos through the yellow and orange and red and green filters! Would that be 7 or 8 stop compensation Packard?

Joking of course ;)

I wouldn't know. Generally when I want a filter I find that I left it at home.

Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 27 Location: New York City

After reading all of the replies, I decided to stop by B&H to purchase a filter.
Actually, I went there for a lens cleaning kit.
After looking at the results of a few filters, I went with a 4 point star filter.
I'm planning to use it in Central Park since I saw many great examples in a book.

Does anyone have any tips so I can avoid bad photos?

Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 69 Location: Sheffield, England

I'm pretty new to this forum, and have only read other peoples posts to date. This is probably a bit late as you have just purchased your filter, but here goes...

I recommend purchasing the square filters. These are generally more expensive, and require an additional attachment part for each size lens. However, as well as meaning that one filter can be used on most lenses, another advantage of this is that you can take full advantage of 'gradient' filters (the lens is clear at one end and gradually becomes a deeper colour at the other). You can get round 'screw in' gradient filters, but you are then stuck with the crossover point between colour and clear being in the middle of the picture, which is rarely desired when using a gradient filter. a Square filter allows you to slide the position of the gradient around the image. The advantage of a gradient filter is that you can filter just one section of the image, or/and have a second colour for another section. For example, using a red filter near the top of the image will give strong contrast between the white clouds and the darker blue sky. A second yellow gradient filter to the bottom of the image will give contrast between the light and dark areas of grass/foliage.
If you do go for the square filter, I recommend going for the larger of the two types as these are usable on a wider range of lens sizes.

I hope this is of some use.