Could Somebody Explain Filters To Me?

[Earthdog]

Basically I know nothing.

What are they for?

[Luke W]

Filters change the properties of the light coming into the lens.

Some common filters:

UV filter/Skylight filter - removes a very minimal amount of glare/haze.

These lenses are almost clear and have very little effect on the light entering the lens. Many photographers use these to protect the lens. Replacing a scratch UV filter is usually cheaper than replacing a lens.

Neutral Density Filters. They come in 2 flavours. Neutral Density and Graduated Neutral Density filters. These filters restrict the amount of light getting into the lens, without affecting color. Standard ND filters restrict the light across the whole frame. GND filters, only part of the frame (for exmaple to make the sky darker, without affecting the ground). These filters can be emulated in photoshop.

Polarising filters. These filters reduce glare and reflections and increase saturation (especially in blue skies).

http://www.fotoart.gr/photography/techniqu...ters/index.html

http://www.tutorial9.net/photography/filte...nd-photography/

Edited April 28, 2010 by Luke W

[macka]

It's actually very hard to scratch the end of a lens. Why people pay a small fortune for lenses and then stick a cheap UV filter on the end of it is beyond me. IMO, don't do it!

Neutral density and polarisers are fun though.

[Ashanali]

It's actually very hard to scratch the end of a lens.

Hmmm... I wish I knew that about 12 years ago when I worked for a camera wholesaler and people would bring in their scratched lenses. I could have told them all they were making it up and sent them on their way.

I don't know who told you that. Obviously it takes a bit of a whack or some sort of pressure to scratch them but it's not as uncommon as you seem to think.

(but personally, I don't use filters either.)

[macka]

It's actually very hard to scratch the end of a lens.

Hmmm... I wish I knew that about 12 years ago when I worked for a camera wholesaler and people would bring in their scratched lenses. I could have told them all they were making it up and sent them on their way.

I don't know who told you that. Obviously it takes a bit of a whack or some sort of pressure to scratch them but it's not as uncommon as you seem to think.

(but personally, I don't use filters either.)

I'm not saying it's not possible, but it takes a fair whack as you said and some carelessness or accident such as dropping it, which will often cause bigger problems than a filter can prevent anyway.

I just think when you are weighing up the risk of scratching your lens against the horrid artifacts etc caused by crappy filters, I'd rather take the risk of scratching and just make sure I am careful with my lenses.

[Ripley]

I don't use a filter on my most expensive lens as I think it ever so slightly reduces sharpness. Others won't agree but I can see it and I have put a Hoya on it before

I often use a ND grad filter so I can maintain detail in both the land and sky. You can do this in PS by blending two raw files or shooting 2 different photos and I've tried this too but prefer the effect a real filter gives, providing you line it up correctly over the horizon.

What macka said about hard to scratch the lens, I was very careless once and got my 300mm sprayed with salt water on a boat. I got out my lens cloth and went to clean it and then realised with horror I'd just cleaned off a bit of salt water spray - which scratches. I rinsed it carefully and cleaned it at home, examined it and not a scratch. Phew. The guy at the store I bought it off told me it's a great piece of glass and can withstand some rough treatment (he examined it for me), but I can't believe how careless I sometimes am. As my husband says, I'm a little rough with equipment and don't deserve nice things which is why I now have it all insured for portables under our home contents.

Edited April 29, 2010 by Ripley

[altheau]

It's actually very hard to scratch the end of a lens.

Hmmm... I wish I knew that about 12 years ago when I worked for a camera wholesaler and people would bring in their scratched lenses. I could have told them all they were making it up and sent them on their way.

I don't know who told you that. Obviously it takes a bit of a whack or some sort of pressure to scratch them but it's not as uncommon as you seem to think.

(but personally, I don't use filters either.)

I'm not saying it's not possible, but it takes a fair whack as you said and some carelessness or accident such as dropping it, which will often cause bigger problems than a filter can prevent anyway.

I just think when you are weighing up the risk of scratching your lens against the horrid artifacts etc caused by crappy filters, I'd rather take the risk of scratching and just make sure I am careful with my lenses.

maybe I need to rethink my strategy then cause I was told to put filters on everything to help protect it

[Firestone]

It's actually very hard to scratch the end of a lens.

Hmmm... I wish I knew that about 12 years ago when I worked for a camera wholesaler and people would bring in their scratched lenses. I could have told them all they were making it up and sent them on their way.

I don't know who told you that. Obviously it takes a bit of a whack or some sort of pressure to scratch them but it's not as uncommon as you seem to think.

(but personally, I don't use filters either.)

I'm not saying it's not possible, but it takes a fair whack as you said and some carelessness or accident such as dropping it, which will often cause bigger problems than a filter can prevent anyway.

I just think when you are weighing up the risk of scratching your lens against the horrid artifacts etc caused by crappy filters, I'd rather take the risk of scratching and just make sure I am careful with my lenses.

maybe I need to rethink my strategy then cause I was told to put filters on everything to help protect it

So was I

[gila]

I have UV filters on a couple of my lenses. I haven't noticed any "horrid artifacts" on any of my photos

[Earthdog]

Thanks for the answers. Is Hoya a type or a brand?

[macka]

I have UV filters on a couple of my lenses. I haven't noticed any "horrid artifacts" on any of my photos

Here are some examples of the type of artifacts that can be caused by a UV filter on the end of the lens:

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/attachme...ilter-flare.jpg

http://toothwalker.org/optics/filterflare.html

http://www.riseofx.com/flare1.jpg

It's particularly bad when shooting into lights at night time.

Once you've had a photo ruined by a cheap filter, you give up on them pretty quickly.

Edited April 29, 2010 by macka

[Firestone]

I have UV filters on a couple of my lenses. I haven't noticed any "horrid artifacts" on any of my photos

Here are some examples of the type of artifacts that can be caused by a UV filter on the end of the lens:

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/attachme...ilter-flare.jpg

http://toothwalker.org/optics/filterflare.html

http://www.riseofx.com/flare1.jpg

It's particularly bad when shooting into lights at night time.

Once you've had a photo ruined by a cheap filter, you give up on them pretty quickly.

So does this apply to all filters or just cheap ones?? If its cheap ones what are good ones???