How many of you use filters?

paxette · Mar 9, 2009

Neutral density on the SX70, a red filter and, a polarizer for everything from reducing reflections to darkening sky/water or as a ND filter in a pinch. I have a bunch more (more b&w filters, some special effects and a few colour correction filters) but I always gravitate toward these three.

2F/2F · Mar 9, 2009

WTF??? What about yellow-green ? Hoya XO (Wratten #11 equivalent). My favorite and most-used one, though I rarely use filters.

I clicked yellow, orange, red, green, blue, and I do not usually use filters at all. I have these filters, and have used them in the past, but do not use them frequently.

I use all Hoya HMC filters and have not ever noticed an image degradation compared to a non-filtered pic. I like them because they are good and fairly reasonably priced. Looking around the Web, it seems Ken Rockwell thinks so too...and he and I usually see eye to eye; at least in what I have read on his site so far.

For color, 80A and 82B are my most commonly used filters, and sometimes 85B as well.

darinwc · Mar 9, 2009

Yellow-green? I didnt even know that was a color =] seriously what is it for?

Siruis: true

DaveOttawa · Mar 10, 2009

darinwc said:
How many of you use filters?
Which ones and how often?

Cokin #1 diffuser lives in my darkroom bag not camera bag good for enlarging.

narsuitus · Mar 15, 2009

When needed, I use polarizing, neutral density, graduated neutral density, color correction, and special effect filters.

I use glass, acetate, and plastic filters.

I only use protective UV/haze filters when I am shooting in a hostile environment.

The last time I used a filter was during the holidays when I used a special effects starburst filter to shoot Christmas lights.

Sanjay Sen · Mar 15, 2009

In the past, I used a red filter a lot for B&W, but I do it less often now - replaced mostly by an orange filter. I use a polarizer mostly for color, and sometimes for B&W as well. The least used is probably the warming (81A) filter.

Also, there is the SFX200 filter that gets used with Ilford's SFX film.

jgjbowen · Mar 15, 2009

I use filters sparingly....mostly 4" wratten #8 or #12 yellow filters...(damn, but those little suckers have become expensive!).

Aren't b&w filters all used for contrast reasons? I normally reach for a filter when the good ole Zone VI modified meter indicates very little separation between, oh something like the sky and clouds or between the grass of a graveyard and the tombstones. I just replaced my #8 yellow wratten filter after 25+ years of service. The rest of (#12, green, orange and red) are still going strong (ie very little use) after 25 years...

Toffle · Mar 16, 2009

R-72, yellow, green, yellow/green, Red-25, ND2+4, Grad ND, warming... etc
They add a bit of weight to my bag, though I seldom use more than two on any particular outing.

Cheers,

Excalibur2 · Mar 17, 2009

Well I haven't read thru all the thread, but a diffuser is handy for portrait shots to "flatter" some women.

colrehogan · Mar 17, 2009

Now if someone can find an easy to remove wide angle circular polarizer, that would be great. I barely managed to get mine off my 28-70 on Sunday. Grrrr.... Now I know why I like the Lee polarizer. Unfortunately, I don't have their circular polarizer. $$$

Excalibur2 · Mar 17, 2009

colrehogan said:
Now if someone can find an easy to remove wide angle circular polarizer, that would be great. I barely managed to get mine off my 28-70 on Sunday. Grrrr.... Now I know why I like the Lee polarizer. Unfortunately, I don't have their circular polarizer. $$$

I used a hacksaw on one filter, as it was stuck so securely, the front of the hexanon lens was unscrewing trying to get it off.....well I now know how the front part of a 28mm hexanon lens comes apart.

removed-user-1 · Mar 17, 2009

darinwc said:
Yellow-green? I didnt even know that was a color =] seriously what is it for?

Stronger than a normal yellow, not as strong as a deep yellow, slightly more effect in the greens than any of the yellow filters... all of the basic black-and-white filters have several variants. In my opinion the effect is subtle.

Sirius Glass · Mar 17, 2009

colrehogan said:
Now if someone can find an easy to remove wide angle circular polarizer, that would be great. I barely managed to get mine off my 28-70 on Sunday. Grrrr.... Now I know why I like the Lee polarizer. Unfortunately, I don't have their circular polarizer. $$$

Use a wide rubber band. Or if really desperate, put duct tape around the edges. The slowly turn the filter.

Steve

Galah · Mar 17, 2009

colrehogan said:
Now if someone can find an easy to remove wide angle circular polarizer, that would be great. I barely managed to get mine off my 28-70 on Sunday. Grrrr.... Now I know why I like the Lee polarizer. Unfortunately, I don't have their circular polarizer. $$$

Place the filter on the extended (flat) palm of one hand and turn the lens/filter combination with the other; alternatively, place the lens -filter-down- flat on a piece of rubber matting and, pressing lightly into the rubber, turn the fiilter off.

The difficulty arises because people tend to grip the filter tightly on diametrically opposing sides, which causes it to deform out of the round, causing it to bind in the thread.

I was given this tip by a very experienced potographer/collector/camera shop operator.

Sirius Glass · Mar 17, 2009

Galah said:
Place the filter on the extended (flat) palm of one hand and turn the lens/filter combination with the other; alternatively, place the lens -filter-down- flat on a piece of rubber matting and, pressing lightly into the rubber, turn the fiilter off.

The difficulty arises because people tend to grip the filter tightly on diametrically opposing sides, which causes it to deform out of the round, causing it to bind in the thread.

I was given this tip by a very experienced potographer/collector/camera shop operator.

This method would work, but in this case the poster is have a problem with a polarizing filter. Therefore all that would happen is that the other filter would turn all day, accomplishing nothing.

Steve

Galah · Mar 19, 2009

Sirius Glass said:
Therefore all that would happen is that the other filter would turn all day, accomplishing nothing.
Steve

Good point!

winjeel · Mar 21, 2009

I've used digital for a few years and hated the black and white feature on it, as it really didn't behave like a real b&w, in that a red or polariser did nothing to the sky! Anyway, I've used red, orange, yellow-green, and a polariser in the past (forget which brand), but now cokin.

However, in colour, the cokin ND doesn't seem to work well on digital, as it can render the sky purple-ish (quite unnatural), does this happen on film?

Paul Jenkin · Mar 22, 2009

I have a small set of Lee Filters (3 stop ND Hard Grad, Coral Grad and combined 3 srop ND Hard Grad with warm up at the bottom). I use these with my Bronica SQ-B and D300. I will use them with my 35mm kit once I've bought the adaptors.

I've got a set of various colours (red, blue green, orange and yellow) that I use (very occasionally) with my F100 and will be looking for their equivalents for my OM1 / OM2n. I also use digital protect (clear) filters for the lenses I have for my D300.

I tend to think of filters as having two uses. One - they produce whatever effect you want from them and, two - they provide some protection from dust, water and finger marks for your lens.

Ektagraphic · Mar 23, 2009

I have just started to gain intrest in filters. I will hopefully get a few soon. I just picked up an 85B to shoot some Ektachrome 64T in daylight. I can't wait to see how it goes.

JPD · Mar 28, 2009

Light yellow is my standard filter. Yellow-orange for landscapes, and yellow-green in the summer for landscapes and sometimes portraits. DUTO 0 or 1 when I use soft filters.

Q.G. · Mar 28, 2009

Ektagraphic said:
I just picked up an 85B to shoot some Ektachrome 64T in daylight. I can't wait to see how it goes.

If you find it a bit too cool, try a 'plain' 85.
It's better for that.

Terry Again · Apr 17, 2009

Hi, I have a filter that is 2 piece thing. One piece screws on to the lens of course and the other just free spins and I think It says Polarizer on the side? I can't remember the brand? I wonder how I use this filter if it just free spins? And to get it off if I want I'd have to try a wide rubber band or duct tape?

Q.G. · Apr 17, 2009

The effect of a polarizer changes with its orientation. So it needs to rotate freely, without falling off your lens when it does.

It's no problem getting a grip of the non-rotating part to get it on and off the lens. Only fingers required.

nicefor88 · May 2, 2009

or maybe just UV, if you consider them to be real filters?

How many of you use filters?

Which filters?

Yellow

Orange

Red

Green

Blue

Warmtone

Polarizer

Neutral Gradient

Other

I do not usually use filters at all

paxette

2F/2F

darinwc

DaveOttawa

narsuitus

Sanjay Sen

jgjbowen

Toffle

Excalibur2

colrehogan

Excalibur2

removed-user-1

Sirius Glass

Galah

Sirius Glass

Galah

winjeel

Paul Jenkin

Ektagraphic

JPD

Q.G.

Terry Again

Q.G.

nicefor88

How many of you use filters?

Which filters?

Yellow

Orange

Red

Green

Blue

Warmtone

Polarizer

Neutral Gradient

Other

I do not usually use filters at all

removed-user-1

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