Questions about diff filters and where to buy CPL and UV filters?

布小熊

The questions started from here:
http://www.loyaukee.com/forum/re ... =177153&fromuid=190

Hi since I will be taking snow scenery pictures, CP suggested me to get CPL and ND filters for my camera. How about UV filter?

I think I sorta know what the other 2 filters work but what exactly does ND filter do? I read wiki but don't quite get it...

I have 2 kit lenses, should I get 2 CPL or get a step up ring?
Read that: 18-55 has a 52mm thread. the 55-300 has a 58mm thread

so I need to 4 filters in total for 2 lenses??

Planning to buy Hoya CPL filter but should I get multi-coat ones? Are the cheapo one OK too? Since I am only using the kit lenses right now. And what is the right place to get them? Amazon has them for like > $50US... not cheap for me... @ @

Is that much cheaper in HK? Should I ask my friends to get those in HK? (but they don't know photography...so it may be hard...)

Lik

For the most part, I only consider UV filters to be a protective and sacrificial filter. If it gets scratched or dinged, I toss it out and get a new one.

For landscape photographers, ND filters are quite important because it allows you to control the amount of light that gets through to the sensor. That is to say, instead of relying on your ISO, aperture, and shutter speed to control the amount of light, you use the ND filter to do this job instead, and you gain the freedom to pick and choose the desirable ISO, aperture, and shutter speeds to give you the effect you want.

For example, if you're at this super bright scene in the mountain waterfalls, and you want the best IQ while getting this smooth flowing water effect, you are pretty much forced to shoot at ISO 100 and F/8 (b/c they give the best IQ). At F/8, however, your shutter might be 1/250 or something, so you get a freeze motion waterfall instead of a flowing one. Picking the right ND filter will allow you to slow your shutter down to 1/30 to get the water-flowing effect while obtaining proper exposure.

As to CPLs, I wouldn't bother with multi-coats or anything fancy since you are using the kit lense for now. Any benefits from the higher end CPLs would be lost through the kit lense. I'd start with a cheap CPL or a used one on your kit lense first -- you'll likely get more use out of the CPL from a wide angle lense than a telephoto one.

Personally, I mostly only use a CPL when I am shooting landscape (and thus the wide angle). It certainly has other uses as well (such as eliminating window glare and reflections), but I find that for the stuff I shoot, I rarely bother with a CPL for anything other than wide angle shots (esp when I want that deep sapphire blue sky).

-Lik

Lik

One more thing is, given the way ND filters work, it seems to me that it wouldn't be enough to just get 1 ND filter. To allow yourself the enough flexibility, you'll probably need at least a few of them to choose from, depending on the situation and the amount of light available.

Granted, I've never used ND filters myself, so I don't know how many ND filters you'll actually need in practice to get by and achieve the effects you want. Also, bear in mind that a typical CPL will reduce the amount of light available by about 2 stops.

And I won't even talk about graduated ND filters la...

-Lik

siumaibb

I think carrying / switching filter is a hassle for traveling, so if you're not taking serious landscape photos, just use PS or Lightroom to correct your picture afterward lor.

布小熊

Well, I don't have nor use PS... @@
And since I am such a beginner for photography, I will just get 1 CPL filter for my 18-55 lense. And prob get UV filters for both as protective filters. (if I am shopping onlilne, that saves shipping)
ND sounds too complicated to me for this stage.

sheep

as for my limited knoledge, I'll only use a polarized filter because it has the same function of a ND. Polarized filter limit the reflection from entering the lens makes color more satuated.
For UV, I think it is more useful in film photography and as LIk said, a protective filter

khaki

bear, no need ND

布小熊

回復 7# khaki
right right no ND for bear.

khaki

回復 8# 布小熊


    I don't wanna see you end up spending hundreds for useless filters

siumaibb

回復 5# 布小熊

at least get lightroom, it makes a big difference.......