Which filter

**Canada_Rockies** · 01-04-2008, 11:26 PM

Originally posted by spyglass

Anything you place between your subject and the sensor/film will affect the image you ultimately receive. All glass has impurities, nothing is made perfect, flat, 100% aligned, all glass will reflect and distort light to some degree, etc. Luckily for us humans the results that we seek with the use of filters can far outway the harm they could ever do (but it is a good practice to buy decent filters - yes all those no name filters on Ebay from China, terrible idea).

And make sure they are the filters with the good coatings on them - they ain't cheap, but you want the image, not the flare.

christinelandon · 01-22-2008, 03:55 AM

Pentagor, the circular polarizer would be the best bet, but only if the lighting is near to coming over one of your shoulders. If your scene is mainly front or back lit, the polarizer can't do its thing very effectively on light scattered from atmospheric haze. In that case, a good UV or UV/haze filter would be a better option.

Grad NDs sometimes help, but not always–last week, I was shooting southward across Elliott Bay toward Mt. Rainier near sunset with heavy white haze in the sky. Tried several strengths of split NDs to no avail, as the white mountainside was affected to the same degree as the white haze! That situation called for a polarizer, but mine's on backorder from Cokin, not in my bag!

Totally agree with everyone that, if you're going to try your filter options on a given shot, you should put the best quality glass or optical resin possible in front (or at the rear, in some cases) of your lens. The filters should have the best multicoatings you can afford in the given filter line you choose. I've relied on supermulticoated Hoyas for years, and there are good products from B&W, Heliopan, Singh-Ray, Cokin and Lee out there, as well. You're better off with no filter than with cheap, uncoated filters, IMO.

flyer · 01-26-2008, 05:10 PM

Most of what you see (or, more exactly, not really see) is atmospheric haze. As far as I know, not much can be done about it with filters. You can minimize it by photographing far landscape scene on sunny, dry weather. I have to deal with that a lot when doing aerial photography. It's a real killer as far as contrast is concerned.

bimjo · 01-26-2008, 08:19 PM

For this particular pic (and any others you've shot without filters) you could try this:

1- duplicate layer
2- adjust top layer until you get the sky effect that you're looking for
3- add a layer mask to the top layer and paint over the foreground using a very low opacity on the brush

You could also try to burn it, but no matter how hard I try I cannot get dodge/burn to look very good. Too heavy a hand I suspect.

01-22-2008, 03:55 AM	#17
christinelandon Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Seattle, Washington, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 812	Which filter? Pentagor, the circular polarizer would be the best bet, but only if the lighting is near to coming over one of your shoulders. If your scene is mainly front or back lit, the polarizer can't do its thing very effectively on light scattered from atmospheric haze. In that case, a good UV or UV/haze filter would be a better option. Grad NDs sometimes help, but not always–last week, I was shooting southward across Elliott Bay toward Mt. Rainier near sunset with heavy white haze in the sky. Tried several strengths of split NDs to no avail, as the white mountainside was affected to the same degree as the white haze! That situation called for a polarizer, but mine's on backorder from Cokin, not in my bag! Totally agree with everyone that, if you're going to try your filter options on a given shot, you should put the best quality glass or optical resin possible in front (or at the rear, in some cases) of your lens. The filters should have the best multicoatings you can afford in the given filter line you choose. I've relied on supermulticoated Hoyas for years, and there are good products from B&W, Heliopan, Singh-Ray, Cokin and Lee out there, as well. You're better off with no filter than with cheap, uncoated filters, IMO.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
For Sale - Sold: Pentax and Albinar 2x TCs, 2 Cokin A filter sets, 49mm Filter and Macro tubes	pxpaulx	Sold Items	15	02-11-2010 09:09 PM
UV filter and polarized filter	mba1971	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	7	11-09-2009 04:23 PM
Infrared Filter help? Bad filter and technique	Peter Zack	Photographic Technique	13	10-16-2007 06:52 AM

01-04-2008, 11:26 PM	#16
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by spyglass Anything you place between your subject and the sensor/film will affect the image you ultimately receive. All glass has impurities, nothing is made perfect, flat, 100% aligned, all glass will reflect and distort light to some degree, etc. Luckily for us humans the results that we seek with the use of filters can far outway the harm they could ever do (but it is a good practice to buy decent filters - yes all those no name filters on Ebay from China, terrible idea). And make sure they are the filters with the good coatings on them - they ain't cheap, but you want the image, not the flare.

01-26-2008, 05:10 PM	#18
flyer Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ste-Anne des Plaines, Qc., Canada Posts: 2,013	Most of what you see (or, more exactly, not really see) is atmospheric haze. As far as I know, not much can be done about it with filters. You can minimize it by photographing far landscape scene on sunny, dry weather. I have to deal with that a lot when doing aerial photography. It's a real killer as far as contrast is concerned.

01-26-2008, 08:19 PM	#19
bimjo Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pasco, WA Posts: 967	For this particular pic (and any others you've shot without filters) you could try this: 1- duplicate layer 2- adjust top layer until you get the sky effect that you're looking for 3- add a layer mask to the top layer and paint over the foreground using a very low opacity on the brush You could also try to burn it, but no matter how hard I try I cannot get dodge/burn to look very good. Too heavy a hand I suspect.