[TMH]

Noob photographer, hoping to up his game from iPhone world.

My K70 18-135 arrives tomorrow. Since I’ve blown my budget I can only afford some minor accessories at present. From what I’ve read to date, filters can come in handy. To start, most of my work will be outside scenes, full to partial sunlight. Maybe some dawn/dusk attempts as well.

Could someone recommend a basic starter set for me? I’d guess a UV filter to start, what else?

[Martin Stu]

I always use a UV filter to keep the lens
Protect the front element of the lens from dust, accidental fingerprints, scratches, etc.
The lens is expensive, the filter is much cheaper
when the sun shines on the left or right shoulder (i.e. if you are at a 90 degree angle to the sun), it’s very good to use a polarization filter, look through the viewfinder and turn the polarization ring until the sky turns bluer, the grass is greener, etc. d.
polarizing filter cleans glare well

In my opinion, good filters produced by Hoya, they are not very expensive (but there are expensive), and they are of good quality.

[photoptimist]

Honestly. you can do a ton of photography with no filters at all so you might consider saving your money for more lenses.

But the most common kinds of "handy" filters and their uses include:

• UV filter: does nothing to the image except protect the front element of the lens from dust/finger prints etc.
• Circular polarizer: can be used to enhance the contrast of the sky and foliage or to enhance/eliminate reflections on water/window/wet objects
• Neutral density: used to enable long-exposure times to intentionally blurring moving water, people, machinery, etc.
• Close-up filters: relatively inexpensive approach to macro

One big caution: a cheap filter will degrade the image and a dirty filter will lower image contrast especially if direct sun hits the filter.

[pepperberry farm]

save your money unless you live or photograph in an area with a lot of blowing debris or dust - no filters here, not missing them... if you need protection for your lens, try using the hood properly....

[Alex645]

Lots of good advice posted above that I agree with.

A few notes:
a) Get filters that are multicoated. Your lens is only as good as the the worst element.
b) A polarizer can double as a Neutral Density filter to some degree although each has their designed purpose. With a polarizer, make sure to get one that is designated as 'circular' not 'linear'.
c) With digital, you don't need a UV filter as a clear one will work just as well and may be a bit less expensive. With that said, there is no harm in using a UV instead.
....and most importantly:
d) When I've purchased Pentax with a kit lens, the kit lens didn't come with the lens hood although it does if you buy the lens separately. Did yours come with a lens hood? If not, I would make your first priority in getting the PH RBC62 petal hood. It's pricey, but if given the option of only affording a hood or filters, I'd use the hood.

Pentax PH-RBC62 62mm Lens Hood for Pentax SMC DA 18-135MM 38769

Other things I'd always keep with my camera case or backpack includes:
1) spare charged battery
2) LensPen for cleaning https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1051483-REG/lenspen_nlp1_c_nlp1c_lens_pen.html/mode/edu
3) Giottos Rocket Blower for the inevitable dust on the sensor https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/318545-REG/Giottos_AA1910_Rocket_Air_Blower.html?sts=pi

[stevebrot]

What filter? It depends on what you need it for. As noted above, use of a "skylight" or "UV" filter for protection is seldom advised on this site. The problem is that only the best filters of any kind have high enough quality glass or coatings to not adversely affect image quality. Having said that, I will admit to keeping a higher-end Hoya in the bag in case I find myself where dust or salt spray or other nasties might come onto the front element of my walk-around lens. I have been doing this for over five years at this point and have never taken it out of its case.

That being said, the general rules/advice go like this:

• Buy the best quality you can afford while realizing that the most expensive are badly overpriced
• Unless you need something for special effects, on-lens color filters are a waste of money unless shooting a film camera
• Special effect filters may also be a waste of money since they can usually be replicated in Photoshop
• The sensor already has a UV filter, so the only reason one might want one for the lens is for protection and even then, probably not all the time
• Three filter types are undeniably useful:
  • Polarizing (CPL) -- Used for cutting glare, intensifying colors, and increasing contrast many outdoor subjects, particularly landscapes. These should be "circular" type to not screw up metering or AF in modern cameras) and the best quality one can afford. A cheap polarizing filter is bitter pill to swallow in actual use.
  • Gradient (Grad) -- Used to dampen sky brightness to allow the same exposure in one shot without having to do elaborate post-processing. These are usually neutral density (gray tone), though some people find a mild color gradient helpful (not me).
  • Neutral density (ND) -- These cut the light reaching the lens and the need is not apparent until one finds they need one. The most common need is for either larger aperture or motion blur under conditions where the camera is not able to deliver either, even at ISO 100.
  All three tend to be expensive. Due to this last, many users on this site find holders for generic square filters both useful and cost-effective. Don't rule them out, but do seek advice before purchase. Commit to the wrong system and it will cost you.

Confession time: While I maintain a full range of colored filters for film photography, I don't know that I have ever bought one specifically for digital. Yes, I might find an ND very useful at times (like last weekend while shooting moving water in bright overcast) or maybe a Grad, but the pain-in-shooting has not dictated such strong enough yet.

BTW...As noted above, a hood is probably the most useful and important thing one can put on the front of a lens. They keep excess light off the front element and offer an amazing degree of physical protection against bump and bash.


Steve

[stevebrot]

When I've purchased Pentax with a kit lens, the kit lens didn't come with the lens hood although it does if you buy the lens separately. Did yours come with a lens hood? If not, I would make your first priority in getting the PH RBC62 petal hood. It's pricey, but if given the option of only affording a hood or filters, I'd use the hood.

YES!!! And don't fall for aftermarket hoods claiming compatibility. More often then not, both fit and utility are poor. Get the Pentax and be happy.


Steve

Noob photographer, hoping to up his game from iPhone world.

My K70 18-135 arrives tomorrow. Since I’ve blown my budget I can only afford some minor accessories at present. From what I’ve read to date, filters can come in handy. To start, most of my work will be outside scenes, full to partial sunlight. Maybe some dawn/dusk attempts as well.

Could someone recommend a basic starter set for me? I’d guess a UV filter to start, what else?

Skip the UV filter. Get in the habit of using your lens hood, always. Better image contrast and physical protection.
Set of Tiffen ND filters ( about $67) useful for long exposures. And / or a Circular Polarizer, especially for wet environment like forests to reduce glare.

[robgski]

If you are as clumsy as I am, a UV filter protects the lens, and more importantly protects the threads at he end of the lens, from accidents. Alternately, I like the rubber collapsible lens hoods, they provide protection against dropping or bumps, and there are time when a hood is usefull.

Depending on where you live, or the subject you like to shoot, a circular polarizer filter is very handy. I also like having an Neutral Density filter if the day is extremely sunny but that is a preference and not a must-have.

Enjoy the 18-135 lens it is a great multipurpose lens, and is well represented here on PF

[SharkyCA]

Noob photographer, hoping to up his game from iPhone world.

My K70 18-135 arrives tomorrow. Since I’ve blown my budget I can only afford some minor accessories at present. From what I’ve read to date, filters can come in handy. To start, most of my work will be outside scenes, full to partial sunlight. Maybe some dawn/dusk attempts as well.

Could someone recommend a basic starter set for me? I’d guess a UV filter to start, what else?

If you are as clumsy as I am, a UV filter protects the lens, and more importantly protects the threads at he end of the lens, from accidents. Alternately, I like the rubber collapsible lens hoods, they provide protection against dropping or bumps, and there are time when a hood is usefull.

Depending on where you live, or the subject you like to shoot, a circular polarizer filter is very handy. I also like having an Neutral Density filter if the day is extremely sunny but that is a preference and not a must-have.

Enjoy the 18-135 lens it is a great multipurpose lens, and is well represented here on PF

I totally agree with Robski, just by putting a "UV" filter on your lens you have given it the protection from dust,scratches, damage to the lens coating and for bumps or worse a drop on the floor that would damage the lens threads. Also I clean my UV filter more and the lens itself rarely needs to be cleaned, thus lessening the chances of damaging the lens.

I choose Hoya filters as they are less expensive and have a good reputation, not very expensive to get a kit for the 18-135 with a "UV,ND,and CP" all together.
Pentax SMC DA 18-135mm F/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR Lens 21977 B&H
Check out the filter kits for your lens under accessories!

Hoya parent company

[BigMackCam]

Welcome to the forums, and congratulations on your incoming K-70!

Regarding UV filters... Some time back, I was a big fan of them for protecting my lenses. Many folks here told me they degraded image quality, and for a time I was adamant that they didn't. In many of my photos, they definitely didn't - at least, not that I could notice, and I'm picky. And then, I found that in some photos - just as my friends here warned me - they did affect IQ... and those photos were more-or-less ruined (compromised at the very least). If you have strong light sources in your scene - the sun, street lights, car headlights etc. - you can get flare and reflections that wouldn't be there without the filter. Plus, the way the filters are constructed and coatings applied can introduce strange artefacts that I've found particularly noticeable at longer focal lengths. But, used sparingly as and when needed, they can be helpful, IMHO. If I'm shooting in good weather and in a location where natural debris such as grit or sand won't likely get onto my lens, I shoot without a UV filter attached. But, if I'm shooting at the beach, or on a wet and windy day where I might want to frequently dry off or clean the front of the lens without taking proper precautions, I fit a UV filter for protection (and accept that there may be some compromises in the captured image quality)... that way, I can use a microfibre cloth (or even my shirt tail ) to clean the front of the lens without worrying if there's something on it that could scratch the glass... and if it does, I'm only out the cost of a relatively cheap UV filter. I've had best results from Hoya HMC Slim UV filters...

As for other types... For most general shooting, you don't really need any. But, a CPL (circular polarising) filter can be useful for removing reflections in glass and water, or emphasising blue skies, though it only works if you're shooting at certain angles to the light source, and isn't advised at wide angles due to inconsistent effect across the field of view. An ND filter can be useful too, if you wish to perform longer exposures on bright, sunny days - for example, if you want to create a smoother appearance to flowing water. Something like a 4 or 6 stop ND might be a good starting point.

As has already been suggested, cheap filters aren't a good idea. There's no point in sticking cheap, uncoated Chinese glass (or, worse still, plastic) in front of your nice, high performance lens. Your system is only as good as the weakest link in the chain. That said, you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars. Since I don't use filters that often, I'm happy to stick with relatively-low-cost major brands like Hoya, Marumi, Tiffen etc. If you're really getting into regular filter use, though, there are specialist brands that can be much better - but considerably pricier

I'd summarize this way: they've got their good points and their bad points. The whole thing started way back before "digital", when you had to control the white-balance by the use of filters which came (and I suppose still do) in all sorts of colors and shades. Those listed here, particularly by PhotoOptimist and SteveBrot, pretty much comprise all you could ever want or use in any practical way.

I do use a UV filter, myself, both to cut through haze as well as to protect the lens (same theory already mentioned - it's a lot cheaper to buy a new filter than to have a lens repaired). But you mentioned a tight budget, and if I could add one bit to the wisdom of the elders heretofore expressed, buy the best filters you can affort, look at the specifications, especially as to the type of glass used and the light transmission rate.

Probably a good idea to read up on it before you buy anything. Meanwhile, enjoy your new toy!

[TMH]

Ummmm, I’m overwhelmed. Thanks so much to everyone for the opinions/advice!

I can’t wait to ask my next noob question!

[Alex645]

Ummmm, I’m overwhelmed. Thanks so much to everyone for the opinions/advice!

I can’t wait to ask my next noob question!

This forum is amazing at getting lots of feedback and it can be overwhelming. But it also goes to show everyone has their own advice and that there is a lot of crossover in advice that you can take as a consensus.

Note that you can send personal messages to anyone that posted if you want less feedback and focus on a couple of posts that resonates with you.

There are really no bad questions. I wish I could say the same for answers, although sometimes the best answers are questions to your question.

[Papa_Joe]

All has been said to your question concerning the filters. (I would not recommend to buy any a the start).

The question is, is there any other accessories we can recommend?

Basic accessories for me are a second battery, and a second SD-Card, a lens cleaning brush and cloth (I have a lenspen, you can get some more advice here in the forum).
Maybe a good camera strap.

The next thing I would recommend is to think about where to store and carry your camera. While not in use a bag is a good option to store and carry your equipment. I'am a bit unsure if I really should recommend one because, if you use your camera it will always be unprotected (i.e. you should always have an eye on it - that I can really recommend) and I myself do carry my camera in a rucksack when on hollyday (but would not recommend that). Ask about here in the forum and you will get plenty of recommendations here.

All other equipment depends on how an where you shoot. There would be to mention
- additional lenses (stay with yours a good time, it will do)
- a tripod (for low light static photography - at night or landscape) - a been bag or even your jacket and the top of a wall might help as well (keep a hand on your strap !)
- a flash (if you have to shoot a lot indoors I really would recommend that to you or a fast lens. A used flash might do it used in automatic mode (280 T)).
- some filters (if you are in landscape photography)
and so on. But there is an if and when for every additional piece.

I suggest, take your camera out and use it as often as you can and like it. Learning how to use your camera brings you further then most equipment.