Camera Filters
A filter is a camera accessory, usually made of glass, that has optical abilities. With the influx of digital SLR cameras that can automatically do a filter's work, these accessories have become slightly less essential. Nonetheless, they remain commonly used accessories for image manipulation, lens protection, color and contrast correction, and special effects. Most photographers will recommend you carry several in your camera bag the next time you go on a photography expedition.
Filter Types
So how do you choose your the right filter? First, decide whether you need a one for black and white photography, color, or both. Then, figure out what you want to do to your image. Are you looking to accentuate color, correct light intensity, highlight or eliminate flare, or add some special effect? The filter can be used as an artistic tool, but you might just want to make your image sharper by minimizing ambient light. Be sure to know your filter's purpose before purchasing it.
* '''Polarizers''': Polarizing filters control reflection and are often used to reduce glare and improve saturation. These filters ameliorate general color intensity and contrast. You will want to have this filter handy if you're thinking of taking landscape photos. For example, with a polarizer you can darken the sky, eliminate reflections off of water, and decrease the glare on leaves. Keep in mind that these filters can be linear or circular: linear ones are much cheaper and only circular ones work with cameras that have throughlens (TTL) metering and autofocus.
* '''UV/Haze''': Ultraviolet filters provide lens protection and improve the clarity of an image by reducing the UV light rays that reach the camera's lens. These kinds are pretty standard for reducing haze and increasing contrast. Digital cameras already have this filter's properties integrated through their sensors.
* '''Neutral Density''': If you need to extend your camera's exposure time past the available aperture, you'll need a ND filter. These are great for capturing rapid movements in daylight, such as streaming waterfalls or rivers.
* '''Graduated Neutral Density''': GNDs are great for shooting dramatic landscape settings. These filters, also called split filters, are part neutral density and then transition into another clear half. According to
CambridgeInColour.com, they "restrict the amount of light across an imagine in a smooth geometric pattern."
* '''Color Conversion''': Cooling or warming filters change the white balance. You can use these filters to correct or add unrealistic color cast. Again, because digital cameras auto-correct these occurrences, such filters are not as necessary. However, they can be fun for creating some special effects, and they still remain essential for situations with unusual lighting (often night scenes) or underwater photography.
* '''Tone Control''': These are for black and white photograph, but the filters themselves appear colored. For example, if you use a yellow one, you can accentuate the presence of clouds in the sky and make your image look more natural, while blue will make these clouds appear faded out. For outdoor B&W photography, yellow filters are usually essential to prevent your images from looking too bright or washed out.
Filter Sizes
Once you've decided which filter type you need, it's time to figure out how it will fit on your camera. Your selection should be the same size as the diameter of your camera's lens. You can usually find the lens size (in millimeters) on the back of your camera's lens cap. If you have two lens sizes, don't think that you need to get another set of filters that fit that second size. Purchase filters for the larger lens and then invest in a step-up adapter ring that will let you use all of your larger filters for your smaller lens.
Quick Picks
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