Tips on using filters?

marksweb

marksweb

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Mark
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I've been looking on here for some tips on using filters but so far not found anything :(

Basically yesterday I bought a new lens and 3 filters from a guy down in't for sale. So tomorrow i'll be recieving;
58mm Hoya Skylight filter
58mm Hoya Circular polarising filter
58mm Hoya R72 IR filter

And I've never actually used any filters before so i'm totally new to everything about them. So if anybody has any links to web sites with tips or just general tips from your own experience i'd really appreciate you sharing them :thumbs:

Also, I seem to remember the canon 50mm lens takes 58mm filters - is that correct? would be nice if it did.
 
The skylight filter will protect your lens and can be left on.
The circular polariser works when you are at right-angles to the sun... it cuts out glare and flare from water surfaces and also makes the sky nice and blue and clouds nice and puffy white. You turn it round and you can see the effect so you stop where you want it.

I will leave IR for someone knowledgeable!! :thumbs:
 
I'm just back from South Africa where my circular polariser got a lot of use doing just as Janice describes :) Best used away from the middle of the day as it does next to nothing when the sun is overhead. The effect is very strong when the sun is to the left or right of where you are facing.

edit for Trev... there is still some effect as you aim more towards or away from the sun position but not nearly as pleasing - just a very slight sky darkening.

Most people use skylight/UV filters to protect the front glass on the lens. I don't as I think I can see a difference in image quality.

The IR filter can make some extraordinary effects but is not easy to use. You will find whole web sites dedicated to infra red photography and the processing needed to make the images pleasing. Some lenses work well with IR - some don't.
 
thanks for the replies so far!

i've read a little about IR and it seems you need incredibly long exposure times to get results. But all the IR shots i've seen do indeed make for some stunning images :)
 
aye - that nifty little fifty.

not too bad if you can just get an adapter ring though :)
 
RobertP said:
I'm just back from South Africa where my circular polariser got a lot of use doing just as Janice describes :) Best used away from the middle of the day as it does next to nothing when the sun is overhead. The effect is very strong when the sun is to the left or right of where you are facing.

edit for Trev... there is still some effect as you aim more towards or away from the sun position but not nearly as pleasing - just a very slight sky darkening.

Most people use skylight/UV filters to protect the front glass on the lens. I don't as I think I can see a difference in image quality.

The IR filter can make some extraordinary effects but is not easy to use. You will find whole web sites dedicated to infra red photography and the processing needed to make the images pleasing. Some lenses work well with IR - some don't.
Click to expand...

Robert...

I have been using UV filters on my lenses and have noticed a drop in IQ, I put it down to me getting used to the new camera, however I think I will remove them and see if it is the filters that are causing it.

I must admit I did not buy the best filters in the shop, the only expensive filter I have purchased is the Hoya Pro series C/P.

Will test out you theory and let you know..

Nigel
 
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