Do I need graduated filters?

[Fossegordon]

I am fairly new to photography but I've got a few lenses and am starting to take some good pictures. I mainly take macro pictures and portraits of my son but also want to take landscape pictures.

I think nd filters and polarisers are essential for this but what I can't work out is why I need graduated filters. I understand what they are for but not sure I understand the advantage of using them over merging photos in photoshop with one exposed for the sky and one for the land??

Surely merging in photshop is more flexible and cheaper and you need a tripod anyway so what's the benefit of expensive graduated filters over merging afterwards??

Thanks in advance for any views and advice.

 

[BarryDawsib]

Taking 2 shots with 2 exposures on a tripod, then merging in photoshop, several problems can occur; you can miss "a" shot, a moment in the shot because you were exposing for one or the other.

With filters like the Cokin P Series that I bought a couple of months ago, you don't generally need a tripod, which is great if your hiking around or have a long way to go (or if its too ruddy cold to stay still for so long)
and just glancing through the filters before slotting them in 90% of the time gets the right balances of exposure.

Another thing from my experience, is doing 2 exposures limits the variety of shots your able to take, an example being, you set up the camera on a sunny evening, on the tripod, adjust the settings twice of more to get the shot, pack the bits away again, get up, go, set it all up again.

now I just leave the filter on the camera and 8/10 times I don't need to change it.

That's just my experience though!

 

[Jim.R]

Some people like to get it right in camera, others prefer to do it afterwards in PP. It's all down to personal choice really.

 

[dougiem]

I was interested in buying a set of filters but will it not be a problem when my lens focuses the lens turns :shrug: (i have the 18-55mm IS Lens Kit and the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6

 

[Craft]

I was interested in buying a set of filters but will it not be a problem when my lens focuses the lens turns :shrug: (i have the 18-55mm IS Lens Kit and the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6

no, because the holder doesn't directly screw to the lens, it can move freely, so even if the lens turned the holder (and filter) can remain in the correct position..

Look at this pic:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2232/2044817559_edb8c76aee.jpg

the bit with 58mm written on it is the adapter ring, this screws in to the lens. It sits in a groove on the back of the holder and is held there by a clip, so although it can't fall off the holder is free to rotate around it.

 

[dougiem]

no, because the holder doesn't directly screw to the lens, it can move freely, so even if the lens turned the holder (and filter) can remain in the correct position..

Look at this pic:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2232/2044817559_edb8c76aee.jpg

the bit with 58mm written on it is the adapter ring, this screws in to the lens. It sits in a groove on the back of the holder and is held there by a clip, so although it can't fall off the holder is free to rotate around it.

Sorry about hijacking the thread a bit but what size would i need and where can i get a kit or do i need to buy each bit separately

 

[Craft]

both your lenses have a 58mm screw thread, so you need an adapter ring that size, a holder and the filters..

there a several suppliers, but as a quick look:

58mm adapter ring : http://www.premier-ink.co.uk/photog...type/kood-ptype-58mm-adapter-ring-p-1265.html

Holder: http://www.premier-ink.co.uk/photog...od-ptype-wide-angle-filter-holder-p-2532.html

Filters: http://www.teamworkphoto.com/index....=14540&zenid=757bc8d75364e3cc8a8ed77f86978619

That filter set has ND and GNDs in it. I found the filters through this site, seem to have a good reputation/happy customers.

The holder I have selected above is the wide angle one, I picked this because sometimes a wide angle lens will "see" some of the holder and cause vignetting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vignetting). The wide angle holder is meant to avoid this. I think at 18mm on a crop camera you will be okay with that though (can anyone confirm?).
The disadvantage of the wide angle holder is it can only hold one filter at a time, with the normal holders its possible to "stack" filters to get more effect..

This holder is just about the cheapest you'll get - it will do the job. If you are feeling flush look at the Lee stuff, one filter will cost you about the same as all of the above! but its mean to be top quality stuff.

 

[Lynton]

Basically the pic above, by craft shows the mount for the lens - the hole in the middle is usually around the 80-85mm mark depending on make.

You then buy a stepping ring (in this case 58mm - in the pic) - this needs to be the same diameter as the lens you are going to take the pic of, as you will screw the whole thing onto the front of your camera.

Go look at the lens you want to use and will see an O with a line through it and then xx mm - usually on the front of the lens around the edge.

you then slot sqaure filters - usually up to 3, in the grooves.

I bought a KOOD set of ND stuff from premier ink and something (advertise in all the camera mags)

Unsure if Koods are a different size to Cokins etc, so you may want to check that.

 

[HoppyUK]

I am fairly new to photography but I've got a few lenses and am starting to take some good pictures. I mainly take macro pictures and portraits of my son but also want to take landscape pictures.

I think nd filters and polarisers are essential for this but what I can't work out is why I need graduated filters. I understand what they are for but not sure I understand the advantage of using them over merging photos in photoshop with one exposed for the sky and one for the land??

Surely merging in photshop is more flexible and cheaper and you need a tripod anyway so what's the benefit of expensive graduated filters over merging afterwards??

Thanks in advance for any views and advice.

I agree Graduated filters are a throwback to film photography where photoshop just wasn't an option. Although I hate post processing and it's always nice to get things right in camera, I think you can do anything in post that you can get with a grad, and actually do it much better a lot of the time - eg you don't get the grad effect running over buildings and hills etc that break the skyline.

I don't accept that you need to use a tripod at all, and you can also shoot some moving things (they can only move slowly - grazing sheep are fine) if you set the camera up properly. That is, set it to take bracketed exposures in automatic sequence. There one guy on here that does it all the time, with everything, always shoots two or three exposures set on auto-bracket - it takes less than half a second, bang bang bang, job done.

Also, if you shoot Raw and are careful with the exposure, you can get enough dynamic range in one shot to do 'faux HDR' and a bit of selective darkening and lightening in post to compress the tonal range often looks pretty nice, like a light grad.