help.. advice needed about filters..

[jean]

ok so got the camera EOS 400 D got the lens with it and the 70- 300mm as well. also have bought a lens hood and uv filter. was told today Id need a polarising filter.. Ive looked online and am getting confused at the choice. I need a 58mm screw in... where is the cheapest /best place to buy them online ? and which one should I go for or avoid. and why..
thanks in avance..jean.

[Tugmistress]

You don't 'need' any filters, but the place i get mine from is ebay.
Don't get a linear one, go for a circular, you can adjust the filter to various effects on how blue you want the sky

[jean]

would that be a skylight filter..?

you can adjust the filter to various effects on how blue you want the sky
__________________

[grumpyhippo]

would that be a skylight filter..?

Life can get so confusing!! a uv and a skylight filter are essentially the same thing. A polarising filter cuts out glare as with polaroid sunglasses. Personally I've never bothered but then again I get lousey skys so I suppose I'll get have to get one. I've bought a uv filter on ebay, as tugmistress suggests, you might want to look at this chaps ebay store, I got a good service from him.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/PHOTO-BITZ-LTD

[Tugmistress]

Hi Jean,
as GH says, a UV and Skylight filter are basically the same thing under different names lol.
The circular polariser can be twisted around in situ and has a gradient, so you focus on 'the bird' sat on the fence above you and see the nice white clouds and blue sky behind, then turn the filter round until you see what colour sky you like and take your shot.
that's probably confused you even more now, sorry lol

[Colin Manson]

You don't really need a UV filter for a digital camera because the sensor is equipped with IR and UV cut filters.

Some people use them to protect the Lens glass but I'd hesitate to put some cheap filter on a lens that I've paid a lot of money for. The optical clarity of the lens would surely be degraded by a cheap filter.

Filters I would buy - Circular Polarizing Filter, Graduated ND filter and maybe some of the special effect type filters.

[Deemac]

As this is a photographic forum and nobodies posted any images yet - here's one of mine taken a few weekends ago.

This was taken without any filters.

It was just a 10-20mm wide angle (almost looking directly up into space - hence the rich/dark blue). I like to you filters as an exposure compensator.

I must try a circular polorising filter - sounds like a good idea.

[Tugmistress]

If we get a suitable sky today i'll take a couple of shots and post them, one with the polariser and one without so you can see the difference.
Nice shot Deemac

[Tugmistress]

OK, top piccy done with no filter at all, just different timing on f8 (about 1/1600 i think it was)
2nd piccy with a CP filter, difference being exposure time about 1/400 still on f8 though.





hope that all makes it as clear as mud now! lmao

[embow]

This might help.
http://www.jessops.com/Store/s17786/...r/details.aspx

Price is about right. I have similar for a Nikon. Very good results most of the time when at about 45 - 90 degrees to the sun.

[stratman]

I'm confused, as always. I thought the beauty of digital format was that you could apply filters etc. in the software darkroom. Are their qualities you can gain by effecting the light prior to capturing the image?

[jean]

lovely pics..now which make of filter? are hoya recommended?

[Tugmistress]

yes most of mine are hoya jean
stratman, i am useless in post processing, if i were to try and apply a filter after in post processing i would kill the shot, it's easier for me personally to use the one on camera

[stratman]

yes most of mine are hoya jean
stratman, i am useless in post processing, if i were to try and apply a filter after in post processing i would kill the shot, it's easier for me personally to use the one on camera

Thanks So you can do exactly the same things with filters and software it is just preference?

[Tugmistress]

Apparently you can stratman yes, i use psp pro 9 and i don't even know if the ability is in that software let alone how to use it
Having the actual filter does help when taking shots in bright midday sun, you don't blow out as many shots

[Deemac]

Thought this example taken on Saturday at Scrabster Harbour might show an example of software processing of an raw image.

[Deemac]

Another shot of Scrabster Harbour with processing in photoshop. (Sharpning, cloning out some spots, colour balancing)