Filters

Suz · Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 3186

I have a couple of filters
ND .6
PL-Cir
4 pt star

What should I get next? Thinking I'll make a run before the trip to Lake Powell.

Hnak · Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 1766 Location: Prescott, AZ

I have a First-Need, a Pur, and now a MSR Miniworks.... Mr. Green

I also just bought a UV/Skylight and a circular polarizer...

Which reminds me, what is our water source on the boat? Does it carry enough for 12 people for 3 days? Or do we filter?
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Suz · Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 3186

taking the water question back over to the Houseboat thread Laughing

I think I'm going to skip the UV filter.

Matt Hoffman · Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 701 Location: Grantham, NH

I can't imagine why a Circular Polarizer would ever leave the front of your lens; except for maybe some low-light situations.

For shooting at Lake Powell, I would make sure I have a Graduated Neutral Density Filter. Get a Cokin system. Get 2 different strength GND filters if you can.
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Suz · Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 3186

I don't have a graduated Neutral Density filter. Can you give me an example of what i would be asking for (high and low?) .......would that work similar to a circular polarizer?

I guess I don't keep that Cir PL on there because if I can shoot with fewer layers of glass I think that's better.............isn't it?

IGO · Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 4144 Location: Las Vegas

I don't go into the desert without a polarizing filter either Matt but they ain't worth a hoop at alpine elevations. They turn trees black and the sky the kind of blue that just does no exist.
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mmacmike · Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 123 Location: New York

I never take my Circular Polarizer filter off my camera either Matt expect in low light. Using the Circular Polarizer you can control it's intensity by tuning it therefore avoiding the black trees and unrealistic sky's. It really does wonders cutting out glare at any elevation.
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Matt Hoffman · Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 701 Location: Grantham, NH

Digital Sherpa · Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 66 Location: Mesa, AZ

I would agree that GND filters are valuable tools for the photo kit. They can provide huge benefits when you need to balance shade with bright light.

As Matt mentioned they come in several strengths. I carry a 2 stop and a 3 stop. They also come with a "hard" edge or a "soft" edge, meaning the transition from the dark part of the filter to the clear section is either very abrupt or very gradual. I found that I rarely used the hard edge versions so I no longer carry them. The soft edge works best in our desert landscapes where the horizon is almost never a straight line.

Here's an example of a shot made with a 3 stop GND just before sunset. It's the classic Virgin River & Watchman scene in Zion. The foreground is in shadow but portions of the mountains are in bright light along with the sky and clouds. In order to balance the exposure and have good detail in the shadows without blowing out the sky and mountains, I placed the filter at an angle with the transition line just below the bright band of rock beneath the Watchman. Bingo. I get a photo that looks the same as what I saw. The only other way to make this photo would have been to shoot two exposures, one for the sky and one for the foreground, then merge them in PShop. I always prefer to get the shot right in the camera, which is why I still carry the filters.

Ron

IGO · Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 4144 Location: Las Vegas

Daryl · Posted: 3/27/2008, 6:52 am Post subject:

UV-haze filter does nothing much other then protect your lens from scratches. I've never been able to see any difference with or without.

That being said, if I don't have a CP on my lens while hiking in brushy areas, i have a UV filter on. I'd much rather get a scratch on a $5 filter then a $1,000 lens!
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Digital Sherpa · Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 66 Location: Mesa, AZ

IGO - the gear that never leaves the pack includes the D2x, 12-24mm, 24-70mm, 80-200mm, hoods for all the lenses, 2 GND filters (but not the holder), circular polarizer, 2 stop circular ND, 16gb worth of CF cards, remote shutter release, CF tripod with ballhead and QR. I may add a few other widgets depending on the distance, number of days afield, and the subjects I expect to encounter.

desertgirl · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 3350 Location: Chandler, AZ

Digital Sherpa · Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 66 Location: Mesa, AZ

Yes. It's much quicker and I don't have to carry extra gear since I always bring both hands with me. Smile

BoyNhisDog · Posted: 3/27/2008, 7:27 pm Post subject:

Another point of view is; No filters of any kind, ever.

In these times, you can get a DSLR that has such wide dynamic range that many times one exposure is enough to get it all. GND filters cannot follow a complicated horizon but there are other methods that can deliver a sound solution.

This Image is one exposure. You might recognize it as the same place as my avatar. I go by this place often and most always find something strange and beautiful. No filters here and plenty of detail throughout including the sky.

On another journey, I found another skull and brought it to this place after trying several other locations. This Image was one of the last shots of the day and it is made from three exposures all two stops apart, no filters. I like a bit of drama with some blown highlights and velvety blacks at times but before I went this far it looked like This with all the detail in those areas

If you are really after small details in places you do not normally get it, then three exposures can work at times. I made This Image with three exposures and no filters. You can see down into the cracks with this method while there is total detail in the sky.

A good example of three exposures is This Deep Dark Canyon and very bright sky. No way to get this in one exposure but it may have worked with a GND filter to some degree but not to this for sure. The detail down in is hard to do without the right exposure and no one exposure can do this.

But again, with a good modern DSLR you can capture the whole range in just one shot many times as in This Image with a complicated horizon and subject. 99% of the images I make are one exposure and never any filters. You should bracket and check the histogram to make sure you have the perfect exposure but that will become common practice after you have done this some.

This is in no way knocking the use of filters, as they are a very viable solution for many photographers. I tend to travel with a DSLR, two lenses, the 10-22mm and the 60mm with a good CF tripod, ballhead and quick release plate, remote cable and double axis bubble level. I take about the same amount of memory as Digital Sherpa. I never take my expensive CP filter and don’t like extra glass in front of my lenses as a rule.

So, there are various ways to do this thing. I found very quickly that a CP filter messed up the sky with a superwide lens as it sees differently as it looks across it. True, it takes the glare off foliage and some other features but at times, I like the sparkle of the light on water and do not want to remove it or the reflections. It is a choice and I have seen it done well using many of the various methods.
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