In this article, I’ll cover the main types of camera lens filters used in digital photography, what they’re used for, and how to choose the best one for your needs. The bad news is that there’s such a wide variety of camera lens filters out there, it can be difficult knowing where to start. The good news is that once you get into it, lens filters are pretty easy to understand. That being said, understanding the different types of lens filters is important, as it’s easy to mess up images too. From protecting your lens to reducing glare to adding special effects, there are a number of ways they can enhance your in-camera photography. It wasn’t until much further down the road that I became aware of the other filters out there and how they could really add some oomph to my landscape photography.Īs it turns out, lens filters are an important part of a photography kit. If you have the money to spend, I highly recommend the Lee filter system.If you’re like me, your first introduction to lens filters was buying a UV filter to protect your lens. Cheaper varieties may introduce a color cast to your image and are therefore not entirely neutral. Note that the quality of the GND filters will be better the more you spend. Popular GND filters range from one stop to four stops. Strength – Graduated neutral density filters vary in strength. They’re easier to use, and they’re the better option when the horizon line contains buildings or trees. Soft – Soft GND filters have a gradual transition from dark to light.They are more difficult to use but create nice results when applied correctly. Hard – Hard GND filters have a sharp line between the dark and light areas of the filter.Let’s look at a couple of graduated neutral density filter traits: If you’re looking to buy a GND filter, check out the square options they give you the ability to adjust where the horizon line is. And getting the shot in a single exposure certainly makes post-processing easier. While it’s possible to replicate the effects of a graduated neutral density filter via HDR techniques, some photographers prefer to create their photos from a single image and often use GND filters in the field.įor one, a graduated neutral density filter lets you make your capture all at once, which can be very satisfying. Solar eclipse – Should you be lucky enough to witness a solar eclipse, you’ll want to use an ultra-dark ND100000 filter.This allows you to make dramatic long exposure photos during the day and is ideal for moving water or clouds. Landscape filters – While there are times you might want to use some of the weaker ND filters for landscape photography, you can often get great results with an ND1000.Their other function, when used with a strobe (flash), is to block enough light so you can use the flash at the camera’s regular sync speed (without the need for high-speed sync). They are used with prime lenses when there is too much light to shoot with a wide aperture. Portrait filters – ND2, ND4, and ND8 filters can broadly be described as portrait filters.Let’s take a look at the different types of ND filters and why you might want to use them: Neutral density filters are mainly used for portrait work and landscape work (with the stronger ND filters used in landscape photography). ND filter strength ranges from ND2 to ND1000 and beyond (where ND2 reduces light by one stop, and ND1000 reduces light by 10 stops). Neutral density filters block the light in varying amounts depending on the filter’s strength. So if you like to shoot landscapes or any other subjects that produce reflections, then I highly recommend you pick up a circular polarizer.Ĭircular polarizing filters are great for enhancing skies like this one. On days where there is a mixture of sky and clouds, the clouds tend to really pop. Enhanced clouds – Related to the increase in saturation is the enhancement of clouds.You can adjust the intensity of the added saturation by rotating the filter. Saturation increase – A polarizer can also add more saturation to your photo for increased impact.As you rotate the filter, you will see reflections either increase or decrease. Reflection reduction – A circular polarizing filter can enhance or remove reflections from a scene.This filter works by only allowing certain light waves into the camera, and it has several effects on your photos: In fact, it’s an absolute must-have for many photographers.Ī circular polarizer is primarily used for landscape photography, but it can be helpful when shooting outdoor portrait scenes and street scenes, as well. The circular polarizer is a great filter.
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