ordered some filters
By surveygrrl
@surveygrrl (1270)
United States
June 26, 2008 7:36am CST
And I can't wait for them to get here. I bought a UV, polarizer and another one that I am not sure what it really does but will be fun to try it out.
I bought the set for the first two.
As soon as I get them I will be putting them on my camera and hopefully going to the park. Thee is a pond with really big water turtles but the reflections are too harsh. I will be able to get some great shots of them swimming.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@surveygrrl (1270)
• United States
27 Jun 08
Thanks. I can't wait to try them out. I was hoping they would get here this week but it is aready Friday. Crossing my fingers thy get here today.
1 person likes this
@surveygrrl (1270)
• United States
27 Jun 08
I keep watching out the windowbecause I don't know how they are being delivered. Hoping that a truck will be backing into my driveway soon.
1 person likes this
@sliver1 (14)
•
28 Jun 08
An UV filter has an effect so subtle you will hardly notice it. They are usually used as a protection for the front element of a lens (mounted and left all the time on the lens), not because of the effect they cause.
The only two filters that have effects that cannot be mimicked artificially using Photoshop are the "polarizing" and "neutral density" filters.
The polarizer has indeed an effect on color saturation (most noticeably, it darkens the cyan of the sky while keeping the clouds white). But the more important effect it has is that it can diminish reflections on reflective surfaces (such as water, windows, etc.) When doing landscape photography, in particular, it helps to have more punchy pictures, better foliage, etc. The effect works at its best when the camera is oriented at 90 degrees from the sunrays, and diminishes as you get closer to 0 or 180 degrees.
I would not use this filter inside or otherwise in low light, as it will cut light by 3 (or about 1.5 stops). I would not use it in every other circumstance neither -- for example, you wouldn't want to do portraits with it and end up with very unnatural skin tones. (Well, actually, you can, but the result will be more artsy than realistic.)
With autofocus cameras, you need to use a *circular* polarizer (as opposed to a linear polarizer), otherwise the autofocus functionality will be erratic/non-working.
The neutral density filter's only goal is to cut light while not affecting the image otherwise. Why would you want to do that? There are a few special circumstances under which you may want to do it. First example, say you want to make a long exposure, but there is so much light (usually in midday sun) that it is not possible even using the lowest ISO and by stopping down the aperture. Second example, say you want to make a picture using a very large aperture (likely to benefit from the thin depth of field, to have the background be less of a nuisance) but there is too much light to do so...
Various neutral density filters are sold, depending on the amount of light they cut (from a third of a stop to a few stops). Others have gradients of density, which are used when a part of the frame is lighter than another (such as a sunset) -- but HDR techniques using composition in Photoshop are actually doing a better job at this, albeit with much more effort.
Hope this helps...
1 person likes this
@surveygrrl (1270)
• United States
28 Jun 08
Thanks for all the information.
I just got them yesterday and started playing. I couldn't really see that much of a difference in skin tone. I guess I have to check the sky.
I am also going to see about going back to the stream behind our house to check the reflections.
I need to get my pictures uploaded onto my computer to really check how they turned out though. Just looking at the screen on the camera can be deceiving sometimes.
@sliver1 (14)
•
28 Jun 08
Playing around with your polarizer should cause a pretty obvious effect in the viewfinder.
Like I said, the effect works best when pointing the camera at 90 degrees from the sunrays. Then, you can rotate the front section of the polarizer (while it's attached to your lens) to tune the effect: it should be obvious just by rotating it that the blue skies get darker, that reflections diminish, etc.
@trickiwoo (2702)
• United States
30 Jun 08
Very cool!!! I love using filters!!! I have all kinds... polarizers, macro, gradual color, star, ND, infrared... Being able to use different filters really adds a whole new element to your photography! Enjoy testing out your new filters! :)
@Muelitz (1592)
• Canada
26 Jun 08
I am a newbie at photography and have a Nikon D40x. I wish I have the time to go out and take good pictures like what you have planned in mind. I also plan to buy accessories when I have more time for this hobby. Enjoy your camera and new accessories. Hope you get good shots.
1 person likes this
@surveygrrl (1270)
• United States
26 Jun 08
I have been interested in photography for a while but never took the time to learn how to use what I had. Now that I have I am having fun with different accessories.
I wish I was able to buy more but at the same time I get really good with what I have before adding something else.
@alieonfire (11)
• Malaysia
26 Jun 08
i know that polarizer filter will give effect on sky . i mean the color , it will be more saturated . hehe
1 person likes this
@surveygrrl (1270)
• United States
26 Jun 08
Yes. I just took some really great pictures on the beach a couple weeks ago. They turned out beautifully but I wonder what they would have looked like if I had a filter.