Four camera filters you still need for digital photography (Polarizer, ND, UV, Graduated ND)
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- Are camera filters obsolete when we can just Photoshop things? Not so fast! We look at four camera filters you still need in your bag (polarizer, ND, UV, graduated ND). Unfortunately for Chris, however, digital killed the Rainbow Star (filter).
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Nailed it - unleashing the creative process...out in the field, rather than behind a computer.
I have a small fortune invested in filters. I still love to use them.. and yeah i run a protective UV on all of my glass.
Love the Lee system....
Thanks for this Video.
Polarisers and ND for me, I’d rather exposure blend with luminosity masks than Nd grads. I tend to get better results.
I rarely use ND grads. not really useful with high dynamic range camera and also if theres a focal point (trees, rocks, etc) across horizon it will darken the object even more..
Same. I shoot RAW for exactly that reason
Harry Neary does the canon 90D have good enough dynamic range? I’m trying to figure out if I need to buy a Grad ND
I fell off 30 feet from a cliff while hiking on top of a volcano in Ecuador in 2011. I had a major shoulder injury but the UV filter saved my Nikon lens; the filter was completely shattered, the lens still works! I will always vote for the UV filter.
Great video guys. For me the fun of photography is in the picture taking so I like to use old school filters rather than post where I can. Circular polarisers and ND definitely and I’m still partial to a FLW for sunsets and my star filter. Using filters is easier to me and I get a better understanding of what I’m doing compared to using a computer when its all software
The great thing about modern photography though is you can mix up old school and modern methods depending on how you feel and what you want to do
I really like the B+W high transmission polariser. They're very useful for handheld stuff.
Polarizer - Absolutely. If only I could ever remember to bring and use it. Side benefit: it also makes a good 1.5 stop ND filter!
ND - Absolutely, for the reasons you stated, and also for video. No knowledgeable person would dispute it.
UV - I'm with Jordan here. Just take reasonable care of your gear and it's 100% unnecessary. Use a hood instead, which gives more protection AND reduces flare. Cleaning marks (damage to coating) won't really affect image quality. Get in the habit of using a blower or brush instead of scrubbing with the ol' microfiber each time.
Graduated ND - 100% replaced by HDR.
Not 100% true. My fav lens is the Canon 16-35 f4 L. It's weather sealed all around except for the front. Where you need a filter to complete the sealing. It's even in the specs. It's not the only lens in that regard. Also, no ultra wide hood keeps rain from the front. Also most ultra wide hoods are pointless anyway. Not much protection against damages and flare anyways... which brings me to your next mistake. wiping off the coating doesn't affect image quality? Of course it does. It's there to reduce flare and not just the stray light but also from direct light against no hood will help.
Regarding UV filters for lens protection. I totally agree. Cleaning any glass surface will damage it over time, gradually degrading it. also the obvious front element protection from accidents. I go one step further on my mirrorless camera. I use an internal uv filter (actually the manufacturer calls them 'sensor protetors'). cleaning a camera sensor is fraught with risk of damage. Therefore it's much less expensive to damage an internal filter than a camera sensor. Great video, thanks.
Dont forget infrared! That effect cannot be done in post.
IR filters work so well on modern mirror less cameras; much easier than film where you couldn’t see the picture through the view finder to frame it.
Actually, Photoshop can make any image look infra red.
I'd say if you're interested in IR you're getter off getting a converted camera. Yes it can be done with a regular camera and a filter but you have to do really long exposures and you are more prone to color shifts or tints from the filters.
Slide something in and screw... *wink*. Chris, your dad joke is getting badder. Love it!
That is NOT a dad joke.
@@MrPhilbautista 9 months later it might be.
The word you are looking for is "worse" sir
Hi guys - love the video - and you are right. It's not all about technology! Call me old fashioned too but I for me filters are an essential part of the experience and the "slowing down process" when shooting landscapes. Cheers, Matthias
I still use filters and enjoy doing so. It's a legacy from my days of using film, something that I still do,not everything can be done in post production.
A polarizer can be used to increase reflections as well as decrease them. Also, there is at least a theoretical place for color correction filtering in extreme cases. But you are counting on having enough extra light to "throw away". The advantage is avoiding noise in one of the component colors.
I’ve been looking at ND filters and seen reviews. Colour shifts and vignettes in images. The more expensive ones seem to do a better job, and then there is the question of screw on or slide as you mentioned. The question remains on which system is more affordable and still get great results. The slide filters can be used on all lenses. The screw on must be purchased for each lens you own.
In my earlier years I used film and did a lot of black and white using different colour filters. Red darkening the sky, a yellow-green tended to be mid range for a lot of things. I still have the filters. I made the transition to DSLR, and unboxed a few of the filters I had in storage with my old film camera.
I have neutral colour filters instead of UV on the front of some of my lenses to protect them from dust. Some may say that a lens hood would solve that issue, and why put a piece of glass on the front element, especially when you made a large purchase to get the lens in the first place?
Layering and photoshop - Not everyone has or uses photoshop. I do fix some images using software. I do as little as possible to keep an image from looking so different, that it no longer looks like what I started with.
I keep three filters in my Camera Bag, a ND, CPL and spare clear -UV Filter. I do use a UV for cheap protection , a few years ago my Camera came loose from my cheap cross body strap and it hit the ground and just like you said the UV broke by the lens was 100 percent.
I also bought a black rapid strap right after that. 😁
I used to be on the no UV filet camp... I bought some off brand lens caps... and they popped off in my bag. Now have 2 G Master lenses with imperfections / slight scratches. Luckily don’t affect performance... but definitely converted as it will affect the resale value.
ND filters also allow you to use large aperture in high light. I have this issue constantly when shooting outdoors in the summer, when light is so bright during the day that I cannot shoot at low aperture because the shutter is already at its max and the ISO at min. Grad filters I don't find useful anymore because one can easily average two or more shots at different exposure compensation settings and add a digital grad filter to recreate the exact same effect.
I like your videos in and of themselves. I also like the music that you choose, and I appreciate that you leave it for the beginning and end. So many RUclips videos play music in the background for the duration of the video, and it can be very distracting. In many instances, it is also very bad music. Great content, by the way...
That wink at 4m 5s is super cute ❤️
7:41 I wouldn't say that using filters isn't a technical exercise. They're just a different kind of technical that some people find more intuitive than software.
When you were growing up …..? Digital cameras weren’t around in early 2000s? 😁 Great explanation, answered the questions I’ve had for a while. Thank you.
New to the digital photography world and this was very helpful.
I generally fit a Hoya lens filter for protection. Twice, in the last 45 years, that protection has saved a lens from damage. And they keep dust away, which creates minor scratches on the lens when cleaned. Lee ND filters are truly neutral, which is more than can be said for cheaper filters.
Ahh, I remember colour correction filters. Those were the days (when photography was hard work).
Hi Chris, to make this superb video even a bit better, watch next time for your shirt collar Ok, actually Jordan should have seen it. :)
On topic:
Polarizer: sure no digital replacement yet for reducing reflections
ND: as you said possible to replace but still more convenient to use a physical filter. And with multiple shots being stacked, you shoud not have a color shift problem.
GND: in a lot of instances bracketing is my choice as you do not always have a nice horizon. On the other hand: when movement gets into it - yes it can have benefits. But I never experienced a situation like that. On top: as you said dynamic range of modern cameras is astonishing (+ noise reduction algorithms are also improving)...
UV-filters: in normal circumstances I don't use them. However in case I'd shhot at the sea or a motocross race, I normally have them in the bag.
Good summary was what you said about the process of photographing. When you are out in the field and anyway take your time to compose your picture handling the filters can be an additional pleasure in fact (somehow like using manual mode, even if AV would be good enough, if you know what I mean...).
Thanks for the great video!
I do agree, we need at least some filter. I have Circular Polarizer, and very help if I want to shot object behind glass or, act like ND filter if I want slower shutter speed when do trail light or blurring movement (as CP does cut quite allot amount of light, but as much as ND9/10). I also use UV-C filter, when I shooting n construction site, as help to protect from dust and gravel, but most of the time I remove it if I shoot on controlled place or I shoot in safer place.
currently saving for Graduated ND filter... which for a long time I do really want, hold it back for years as I rarely shoot landscape, but now I consider to have those.
excellent video, thanks you just helped me feel justified about buying filters for my DSLR. I KNEW there was good reason to have them, it's that sense of ME having an effect on the photo rather than the software/hardware combination doing it for or even in spite of me
UV filter everything, put your gear on renters or business insurance, get a warranty, and for the love of god.... DO NOT LEAVE A TRIPOD WITHOUT A SANDBAG. Sorry... PTSD kicked in when he said lenses falling... Good video.
I laughed so hard at that first bit. You keep shooting those rainbows, buddy.
Really enjoy the video guys. I use uv filters, but the best quality I can afford so that the image is not overly impacted in any way, as I always have the uv to protect my lens as have the habit of not being too careful.
Thank you guy so much. Finally someone has effectively helped me to understand filters
Good review of the essentials. Those are ones I still hang on to and use. I'm old school and these and other filters were essential in film photography. I also like the creative aspect of making those decisions at the time of exposure. So many people today just don't understand the basics of photography. They just shoot, shoot, shoot, and figure they'll eventually get one good shot. Not my preferred method, and certainly not fun and disappointing on reviewing at the end of the day.
Personally use NDs and Polarisers for my Landscapes. Great tools and all for for shots that just cannot be done within post (or easily)
Love my ND10 stop filter. I totally agree with Chris. Why bother in post processing when you can get what you want with a filter on in front of the lens.
As a Nikon/Sony shooting landscape photographer, I tossed my silly square GND filters in the trash 10+ years ago, and never looked back. I chuckle to myself when I see big name Canon-shooting landscape photographers on RUclips still slapping a GND on every single shot they take, hehe. I laugh even harder when I see people mounting those enormous 150mm filters on their 14-XXmm lenses, especially now that I have the Nikon 14-30mm f/4 Z/S at my disposal.
I mostly use 2-3 circular threaded filters now, a polarizer, a 10-stop ND, and an 8-stop polarizer. They all fit nicely in a little padded case, and they allow for effects that would be virtually impossible without such filters.
That opening line got me 😂
Extremely informative.
I keep a variable ND filter on my zoom lenses at all times. Handy for video!
Can you guys please do a ND comparison between brands? Even at the same price point there can be much difference between a manufacturer and another
Great blogg guys i am still using all my cokin filters on my digital camera, like you said the more you can do with the photo outside the less time you spend in post. Gerry👍
could you list the systems you used the the video. In particular I'm interested in that circular polarizer. It looked pretty trick.
A good rule of thumb that I heard a while back:
When buying filters for a lens, you should spend around 10% the cost of the lens. That should give you an appropriate quality filter to match the quality of your lens.
(i.e., $1300 lens, $130 filter. $450 lens, $45 filter, in my cases.)
Lens filter price doesnt rely reflect that much in quality in my experience
And what's making the price the thread of the lens ? C'mon this look like those "golden rules" invented by sellers in good old days
Damned you Canadians. Always making sense.
Thumbs up, so much truth in one video. DAT WIND though, no dead cat?
5:41 ....I felt that in my soul.
I am going to need counselling after that part.
0:30 shot of Chris: probably the best IQ of the series. Which LUT did you use? any special tweaks?
That was just the lovely 'Like-709' profile, with some minor teaks to contrast and white balance.
As far as I'm concerned the only filter that I must always carry with me is my 10-stop ND and a circular polarizer. I've since stopped using graduated neutral density filters and others as they either don't do much or the stuff can be done in post (without baking the effect into your image). But some effects (like those you get wit ha polarizer or using a solid ND filter) cannot be reproduced in post. For example, the silky smooth water or clouds with an ND Filter. You can try to get silky smooth water in post (by blurring) but it usually doesn't produce the same "natural" effect you'd get from a filter and in some cases, is obvious it was blurred after the fact). One filter I wish people would STOP using are UV filters for lens protection.
Honestly! Filters all The was. Of course you can use digital alteration at any point. But it still is photography. Getting as much right in your cam is much better and more Fun. Why stress over fixing Things in Post that need Not be fixer if done right the first time.
What filter system are you using in the video? Really like the frame and control to rotate the polarizer.
It's probably more than I'd want to spend, but it does look cool. Do they ever check out the comments?
It's a Haida M10 filter holder. Works great!
Good filters are expensive, bracketing not soo much
And also cumbersome to use on the field.
You can't bracket glare off of water though, or 2 minute shutter speeds in the middle of the day.
@@thedman103 polarizer is the only one you can't replicate digitally, but you can definitely have arbitrary density ND filters with picture averaging
@@v0ldy54 Picture averaging can leave stuttering gaps though. Definitely better to use long exposures.
Software to median-blend images often doesn't come cheap, and a the cost of a machine that can handle multiple high-res frames isn't trivial either! (if anyone knows some cheap/free Windows/linux software for this that isn't GIMP/G'mic let me know!)
How about a review of filter holders?
Holy, the white balance in that first shot in front of the tree. Chris looks a little green there, don't you think?
Also, try taking a portrait at 1.4 at noon in Arizona.
If you have to take a portrait under the sun, it's gonna have nasty shadows. If you have to take it at f/1.4, it'll be soft. Seriously, your portrait would be better if you take it down a couple of stops and find some shade and, under those conditions, an ND isn't such a big deal anymore.
You can use electronic shutter. There are cameras now that go down to 1/32000 sec.
I use ND and VND filters a lot for video or stills to manage my shutter speed, but that's about all.
You can easily get long exposure water shots without a ND filter using Photoshop as described in the video, but when it comes to light trails or panning shots, a ND filter is absolutely essential.
I remember when CDs came in. Everyone said Vinyl (LPs/Albums) were dead and buried. Now people want that 'emotional' 'physical' connection with the music and all the nuances and pleasures, of buying, owning, and playing their vinyl. Same I would say for filters. Perhaps you can replicate a lot of filter effects in lightroom et al. But for me I would rather be outdoors with my camera enjoying that physical connection and creation with my camera and the subject I am trying to 'capture'. rather than sitting in front of a computer for several hours. So bottom line, for me anyway...I will not be ditching or stop using my filters anytime soon!
I still keep a cross-screen star filter that work great with automotive in bright sunlight.
What about the effectiveness of a polarizer filter for indoors with glass like museum exhibits? Is it effective against those reflections?
Anyone know a good orange filter for reef aquarium?
I use UVs as a protection from random fingerprints and dust on front lens. Getting antistatic UV filter is a way to go.
Also i prefer to filter UV light in front of lenses, not on sensor.
Maybe you should do a review on filter holder systems. This Haida seems to be quite expensive, I have no idea how it compares to others or what to look for in these systems.
Filters are still popular in astrophotography, particularly those that reduce light pollution. While you could get away shooting without filters by stacking, you will always get better results when you use filters here.
Thx for the video! I fully agree with you for the polarizer. For the ND filter: I will not buy a digital camera any more which doesn't have a build-in ND filter. I want that variable from 1 to 10 stops. If everybody talks about computational photography. That is a field where companies should do their homework. I don't want to spent a couple of 100 (whatever your currency is called) for a filter which can be done internally. I also don't need the experience of putting filters in front of my lenses. I also think blurred moving water is totally overdone, just because people bought the ND filter set - now they have to use it. Not every blurred waterfall looks better. Actually in most cases it just looks artificial and doesn't help telling the story at all. Why do people know that for fish-eye lenses, but not for ND-filters? A (for me) much better reason to use ND-filters is that I can use my big apertures even in well lit conditions.
ND and CPL for sure, the rest is either snake oil or easily acchieved in post.
The problem with UV filters is that when you drop them the ring usually bends so you can't remove the broken filter. The front element of a lens is much thicker than the filter, and almost always would have been fine just hitting the ground.
Could you do a CPL shootout, comparing cheaper vs more expensive models or more stops lost vs less stops lost models? I kind of habe a hard time wrapping my head around this, as I am now using the basic „Amazon Basics CPL“ as I noticed no major difference between it and the Haida M10 you were using in the video (although the Haida FELT more effective,i could see no difference when comparing the shots directly).
It would be especially interesting in regards to sharpness, colors and how much of the unwanted glare they remove. Thanks, :D
Why did you use CGI or green screen @7:08? looks like news shoot. Nice content. good job :)
Great information! Thanks!
I always use UV filters for protection, because I am on a limited budget. I can't usually afford to replace a given lens immediately if it were to get damaged. The loss of image quality (if any) is worth it as insurance, plus I'm at the point in my photography career that if the stand out problems in my pictures is the UV lens, I would be extremely happy with that outcome.
I used to be like you then I got insurance with AAA LOL It's cheaper than putting high grade UVs on all my lens.
@@danielson_9211 Yeah I discovered that I could insure my gear for basically nothing. I still use UV filters though
I would argue GND still has its place especially for long exposures. Bracketing doesn't need gear that's true but 1. If you are taking long exposures, moving objects like clouds might not have stayed in the same place. 2. You gonna have to take multiple shots. In the case of long exposure, it takes a lot of time.
Your a funny man Chris.Another great presentation.
What brand are you using? I love the aesthetic so much.
0:30 mark, so cinematic 🤔
why couldn't camera companies give ISO s starting from 5 or 10
No mention of ND for video?
BTW UV/Protection filters can be a very bad idea at night with bright lights around, as some light reflects back off the sensor (usually more green light) and then reflects back again off the flat inside of the filter and you get one green splodge somewhere in the image per light. I've tried assorted expensive filters and none are great for this. Maybe B+W are the best, but I haven't tried all of them.
Interesting vid thanks Chris 👍😊
I bought some cheap colored filters and they're way more fun than software. I'd rather commit to the shot then have the ability to tweak it later.
My filters are still in school!
I don't use UV filters unless I think I'm going to be up close to something. My macro lenses get one. Sometimes if I have a lens I just want to throw in the bag without a lens cap I'll buy one then. Otherwise, what's the point if you can at least be a little careful with your lens?
Haha oh the wink “you filthy animals” LMAO
Yep! Sometimes you need polarizers and ND filters.
could exposure bracketing negate the need for a graduated filter?
Great vid. What are your thoughts on a fixed ND vs a variable ND filter and any recommendations? (Cost vs quality and convenience)
At the 7:10 mark, the video of the stand up looks weird. Im guessing jordan is off tripod and the stabilization isnt keeping up?
Just one thing... instead of UV filters, I'd recommend to use the proper protector filters. They are designed to protect a lens. Way better than UV filters.
Diffusion filters, I would say those aren’t as easy (nor fun) to replicate in post. A nice 1/8 pro mist filter can really bring in a slightly more natural feel to an image.
Yeah, but they're more specific case items and wouldn't really be a good inclusion on a list like this.
Ver useful. Please link for handsome filter holder? Thank you
Have you tried the new 23 stop filter? What exactly can it be very useful for? 🤔
Many UV filters on the market are actually not filtering UV at all, I tested mine with an UV lamp and it just goes through. Not that it matters with a digital camera but the sellers aren’t honest.
Can you guys review those magnetic filters like H&Y?
These Canon shots have amazing quality, mainly because of the great lens but stil
What is a good brand/mount system that can accommodate all these filters? Specifically asking for fujifilm (but doesn’t really matter too much)
Loved it!
One day cameras will catch-up with computational photography and we'll all have Live ND. By the way, have you ever seen a UV shatter and end up in the motor of the lens?
The less work needed in post, the better.
Not sure if computational photography will ever be able to remove glare and reflections as well as a proper polarizer filter.
Would that filter kit you have work on a lens with a built-in hood like the Tamron 15-30mm f2.8 SP?
What filter system are they using in this video?
Tiffen Black Pro Mist 1/4 + 1/8
Are coffee filters still needed in coffee machines?