Just curious - What would you say your essential filters are?

[Ratpack]

Just curious as to what types of filters most of us deem essential to have in the bag. And by types I don't mean brands, more like UV, CPL and so forth.

 

[Groucho]

I haven't used it enough to be essential, but I did recently pick up a circular polarizer and am looking forward to using it somewhere where there's actually some SUN in the sky! I'm also curious how it'll do with water shots and cutting down on window reflections. Fortunately all my lenses have internal focusing - I believe the kit lens on the Canon and Nikon both rotate the end of the lens as they focus, which makes using a polarizer very difficult. Not sure about the Sony lens.

I also have a starburst filter but that's pretty specialized, certainly not essential. I have a couple UV ones but don't use them on the DSLR.

 

[Master Mason]

I have a UV filter on each of my lens....

I also have a circular polorizer for the sigma 18-125 but haven't had a chance to use it yet.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

A polarizer, a neutral density filter, and a graduated neutral density filter.

I can't think of anything else useful for a dslr. They aren't sensitive to UV. It's easier and more accurate to correct white balance digitally rather than with filters.

 

[rtphokie]

UV on each of the 2 lenses I own and a polarizer on the shorter lens (mostly for use on landscapes at at the aquarium to get rid of reflections on the glass).

 

[handicap18]

Haven't gotten into filters yet. I did have UV filters on each of my lenses, but I recently took them off. My shots were coming out soft. Once I took the UV filter off, the images looked better.

I'd like to get a polarizer and maybe some ND's. But I hoping to change my everyday lens so I don't want to spend $50+ on a filter that I wont be able to use anymore in 6-9 months and I don't have enough opportunities to use one at this point. Though the other weekend I could have used a graduated ND filter when I was taking some pictures of the beach at my parents.

 

[jann1033]

Haven't gotten into filters yet. I did have UV filters on each of my lenses, but I recently took them off. My shots were coming out soft. Once I took the UV filter off, the images looked better.

I'd like to get a polarizer and maybe some ND's. But I hoping to change my everyday lens so I don't want to spend $50+ on a filter that I wont be able to use anymore in 6-9 months and I don't have enough opportunities to use one at this point. Though the other weekend I could have used a graduated ND filter when I was taking some pictures of the beach at my parents.

you could get it for your biggest lens ( largerst of either the new or old i mean) then use a step up ring to adapt it to the other one

I use a uv for protection and am chicken to remove them since my old lenses still look like new.if i do that will be the day i get stuck in a sandstorm or something weird

i also use a cp which i think makes such an improvement with sky it's worth the money ( guess you might be able to do that with software but don't know if the clouds would show up as nicely). i bought one for my biggest lens( 72mm) and use step up rings as needed and already had one for 55 mm so use step up rings for that with my smaller diameter lenses.

and I got a bunch of used filters just to play with ( a few star filters, one of the (forget the name but) it's clear in the middle, foggy around the edges, etc off ebay for cheap. used the star filter a couple times but the others only fit my macro lens which i have barely used period. i think most if not all of those you could do with programs but i think i spent all of $10 for 5 or 6 filters so i figured "why not"

if husband can get my car fixed in time i want to go take some photos today so maybe i'll use them

 

[boBQuincy]

A polarizer, a neutral density filter, and a graduated neutral density filter.

I can't think of anything else useful for a dslr. They aren't sensitive to UV. It's easier and more accurate to correct white balance digitally rather than with filters.

I go along with Mark's ideas here, I carry a polarizer for each of my lenses and the ND filter is good for using a slow shutter speed when the light is bright (good for waterfalls). I don't have a graduated ND so I have to bracket and piece two images together, not always successfully.

I had the pleasure of saying Hi to Mark at MK Yesterday. It's always fun to meet a fellow photographer from DisBoards, except now I want a Canon "1" series.


boB

 

[jann1033]

what would the benefit of the graduated nd be? ok what would the benefit of any nd be except reduce light...or is that it? so i am guessing, if you were taking something darker but sky in the pic you could even it all out so nothing is over exposed??? but we all know how incorrect my assumptions usually are

 

[boBQuincy]

what would the benefit of the graduated nd be? ok what would the benefit of any nd be except reduce light...or is that it? so i am guessing, if you were taking something darker but sky in the pic you could even it all out so nothing is over exposed??? but we all know how incorrect my assumptions usually are

Your assumptions are very correct! A ND filter reduces light, something we usually can't get enough of, but in this case it allows a slower shutter speed so we can get those silky, dreamy waterfall photos on a bright day.

I was taking photos of Yosemite Falls in June and wanted about a 1/8 second shutter speed but the slowest I could get was 1/15 at ISO 100 and f/22. The polarizer was good for maybe 2 stops but f/22 greatly reduces the sharpness of a lens (compared to f/8) and a ND filter would have helped a lot.

The graduated ND filter allows balancing the sky and foreground brightness. I usually take a series of three images, maybe 2 stops apart, and paste them together but it is tricky, requires a tripod, and doesn't work well for moving subjects.

 

[0bli0]

circular polariser and ND - and they're only used in certain situations. occasionally i also use an R72 IR filter.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I had the pleasure of saying Hi to Mark at MK Yesterday. It's always fun to meet a fellow photographer from DisBoards, except now I want a Canon "1" series.

My tired looking arm didn't convince you that it's too heavy to lug around Disney all day? You should have seen the looks I got when I put a 70-200 f/2.8 lens on it.

It was great to see you. I apologize if I wasn't particularly sociable or coherent. My 4 year old had just attempted some acrobatic maneuver that ended up with him landing hard on his backside. This was occurring while my wife was on a frustrating search for strollers. You used to drop your stroller at the entrance to the train and then pick one up at your next stop. Apparently that has changed and when we got off at the Splash Mountain stop, we had a heck of a time finding another stroller.

 

[boBQuincy]

My tired looking arm didn't convince you that it's too heavy to lug around Disney all day? You should have seen the looks I got when I put a 70-200 f/2.8 lens on it.

It was great to see you. I apologize if I wasn't particularly sociable or coherent. My 4 year old had just attempted some acrobatic maneuver that ended up with him landing hard on his backside.

Owwww! I hope he's ok! This was our first trip with a 10 year old and I was holding my breath seeing what he would climb on

The "1" series is still just a dream, and maybe should stay that way. We walk about 7 miles on an average day at WDW, after a full day the 30D and two lenses is about all I care to carry.
That sounds pretty bad after my comment to jann about "suffering for our art".

Hope you had a great trip, ours was very magical!

Oh yes, to stay on topic, I used a polarizer on this trip just about anytime there was sufficient light.

 

[jann1033]

Owwww! I hope he's ok! This was our first trip with a 10 year old and I was holding my breath seeing what he would climb on

The "1" series is still just a dream, and maybe should stay that way. We walk about 7 miles on an average day at WDW, after a full day the 30D and two lenses is about all I care to carry.
That sounds pretty bad after my comment to jann about "suffering for our art".

Hope you had a great trip, ours was very magical!

Oh yes, to stay on topic, I used a polarizer on this trip just about anytime there was sufficient light.

awwwhhhh you poor boys, forced to go to wdw and take pictures, i'm gettting all teary eyed

 

[Gdad]

I wouldn't call it essential but I like my 6x cross screen filter - makes a nice little flare around highlites like so-