Filters
Jekyll Island, GA “Driftwood Beach” – No filter
I have a number of items in my camera bag including a flashlight, compass, remote release, lenses, etc. Conspicuously absent are filters. It isn’t that I am averse to using filters, it’s just that I don’t like to change them. It’s called laziness! I rather like to shoot unencumbered; however, I have seen a number of photographs, particularly on Craig Tanner’s Light Diary site, where the application of a filter has greatly improved the shot in a natural and pleasing way. Here is an example of one such shot. I seem to really like the effect of the Blue-N-Gold polarizer.
Further, I noticed that Mark Graf has mentioned in his latest post about the Singh-Ray Vari-ND filter, which looks extremely useful. Many are the times when I wished that I had a neutral density filter to get allow me to get a shutter speed to produce a certain blue effect. The one filter could replace several.
I only own one filter, a polarizer, and it sits unused 99.99% of the time. In two weeks, I’m about to go to California for a week. I think that I’d love to take one, or both of these filters, but that’s not going to happen unless someone loans me one. 
The Blue/Gold filter weighs in at $190 for the 67mm filter, and the Vari-ND seems to only come in 1 size, 77 mm and weighs in at a whopping $390 for the wide-angle ring mount. Mind you, I have but two lenses that take a 77mm filter: 11-18mm, 80-200mm f/2.8. The others take filters varying from 52mm (18-55mm) up to 86mm (200-500mm), leaving me to make a choice as to which ONE size I would buy. Things were so much easier with Cokin filters!
I have a favorite lens, which is the 18-70mm, which uses a 67mm filter and thus could purchase the Gold-N-Blue Polarizer, but it appears as though no more of those will ship until September, so I’m out of luck … maybe in luck because I can’t spend the $$$
I already know that I don’t like special effect filters, like star bursts, vignette, etc, but I’m interested in the types of filters that you use. Have you ever used Singh-Ray filters before, and are there any filters that you feel really enhanced your pictures?
I only use a standard type of polarizer and a ND filter. Fortunately, most of my lenses take a 77mm filter, so I don’t have to buy them twice. Well, there’s my macro lens which has a smaller filter mount, so I had to buy a 2nd polarizer. But that’s about it, I don’t use any other filters.
I would love to try the Gold-Blue polarizer – but it sounds an awful lot of money for just giving it a try. Even more so for the variable ND-filter. So far, one ND plus the standard polarizer (if I need to give the ND an even more shading) worked perfectly fine for me.
I’m currently thinking of whether I should invest in a (set of) graded ND-filters, perhaps from Cokin to remain somewhat flexible. I can get most of the effect of such a filter from an according RAW-development, but the less I have to post-process, the more time I have for shooting…;)
stunning shot Paul …
love it!
your nature shots are the best!
Paul – I have the gold/blue also. I don’t use it all that much because I believe it really requires specialized situations to make it look good. But when the situation presents itself, it can be quite nice.
Paul, the lack of a filter sure didn’t hurt your photo there. It’s breathtaking! I can’t imagine how a filter could have helped that one.
However, I do know that polarizers are helpful when shine or glare is a problem. Shots in bright, sunny locations around water are hard to capture, and a polarizer can help. That’s the only filter I own right now, and it’s rarely used, simply because my main focus the past year has been macrophotography. (I suppose a polarizer would help there, if sunlight was bright–tips, anyone?)
I use circular polarizers but they aren’t the Singh Ray, they are so expensive! I also have grad ND’s but I have the Conkin and I don’t like them. The light seems to bounce between the filter and the lens giving a sort of hazy look to the photos. I’ve tried several things to avoid it but it just seems to happen anyway.
I would love to try the Singh Ray but I think I have to hit the lottery first. My most used lenses are 77mm. I just bought a new lens a couple of weeks ago and that’s eaten up my photo budget for a very long time.
This is a very stunning photo the blues are awesome.
I’ve recently been doing some night shots and a flashlight definitely helps. Not only in getting your focus to work but for making sure you’re not standing in an ant pile
On filters, I have a ND filter a polarizer and thats about it. ND comes in handy doing shots where you need a lot of motion. The polarizer just makes things pop for me so I use it maybe 30% of the time.
I use my polarizing filter a good 90% of the time when shooting landscapes. I also use my grad filters (the Grad ND 3 the most) as well as my ND 8 fiters. Those are the filters I use when shooting low and slow with my ISO 25 and 50 films. Of course I use the red and polar when shooting infrared, and I bought an infrared opaque filter I’m learning how to use. I’ll almost always use a filter when shooting b&w, usually red, and I use green when shooting people and brown nature scenes. BTW, I’ll use up to three grad ND’s if I want to hold back the sky AND the water in a scene.
Thanks all for your comments and suggestions. I might have to dust off my polarizer and give it a try or two the next time I’m near some water. For now, I think that I’ll take a voluntary budget freeze and skip purchasing any new filters or camera stuff until I encounter a real need.
Subliminal messages – YOU NEED IT – You need it – you need it. It’s only money….