[Brinno]

Hi all,

I’m a bit of a newbie to film. Which filters do you think is good to have for film?

Would you get any if the balancing ones like The cooling 80A and 82A Or the warming ones like a KR3?

I want to get yellow for b&w and also Uv, polarisers and a ND.

Should I get UVs for every lense?

Love some advice.
Thanks

[Hawkfan]

I think polarizing filters are #1 and then depending on where you are and what time of day etc. perhaps a warming filter. I used to have UVs on my old K and M lenses but I no longer use them. Maybe if you are shooting where there is blowing sand or dirt but if you are careful in regards to handling, I think it is just adding unnecessary image degradation. I found they did very little "UV" filtering.

[aslyfox]

I'm glad you specified FILM

as many advise against filters with digital cameras with the exception of polarizers

I was taught it was cheaper to replace a filter than fix a lens so I often use a " protective " filter ( UV ) until I am actually taking photos with my digital cameras

you might want to read this article:

Polarizing Filter Basics
An article explaining the photographic uses and effects of a polarizer
By bdery in Articles and Tips on Jul 14, 2014

The polarizing filter is one of the most commonly used lens filters among photographers. There is a good reason for this: this type of filter can enhance photos in many ways. When used correctly, a polarizer will reduce or eliminate glare from reflective surfaces such as glass and water. It can deepen the color of the sky and the overall color saturation in an image, especially outdoors, can also be significantly improved.

This article aims at explaining how a polarizing filter works, the physics involved and how it should be used. Types of polarizers and the process of stacking filters will also be discussed briefly.. . .

Read more at: Polarizing Filter Basics - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

otherwise perhaps this will start you out:

As a budding or aspiring photographer, you’ve likely seen or even used camera lens filters before. Photographers use these little pieces of glass for a multitude of reasons, but the most common is for managing tricky lighting conditions when shooting.

Filters help minimize glare and reflections, enhance colors, reduce light coming into the lens, and more. Each lens filter serves a specific purpose, as each one is built to deliver a specific effect that can help enhance the final look of an image.

How are Camera Lens Filters Used in Photography? . . .

https://www.adorama.com/alc/a-beginners-guide-to-camera-lens-filters/?

[steephill]

For B&W work also have a look at red and green filters. Red for high contrast and green for improving some skin tones.

[StiffLegged]

Red can be pretty severe with B&W film, I carried an orange and a yellow too for less drastic results. However, when you want the drama, you'll want the red!

[Wojciech]

Hi Brinno,

I take pictures on film with and without filters every now and then since quite some time. Here is my subjective advice for different types of film and situations:

B&W: For avoiding blowing-out of sky and to give more contrast between the sky and the clouds, a yellow (or an orange) filter will work very well. If you want a stronger effect you can use a red filter. In these situations I prefer a color filter than a polarizer because you don't have to turn it to get the optimal effect - just put a color filter on, and you are ready to go. Overall, for white clouds on a blue sky I had good results with an orange filter. With red I found that the relative luminance of various objects of the picture varies too much from the original scene (blue and green objects get too much darkened, while red objects become almost white) - you have to be careful there.

Color negatives - I would forget about using any color filters. The color temperature can be corrected at the printing stage. A polarizer can be very helpful for darkening the sky though.

Color slides - I guess this is where the cooling or warming filters shine. Unforunately, I don't have any experience with using them - I always shot color slides without any filters.

UV filters - I think they are mostly useful on high altitudes where the UV light is relatively strong, and can cause haze while photographing distant objects. I never made any tests with and without, but to be honest I have never had a any trouble with UV light ruining my shots (the highest altitude I ever took any pictures was around 2200 m above the sea level). I am not a landscape photographer though.

And a general remark - If you decide to use filters do buy decent ones. Once I bought a set of cheap non-coated Polariod filters (UV, Polarizer and "fluorescent") and was rather disapponted with them - the UV filter decreased sharpness of the pictures, the polarizer gave some slight yellowish tint, and I still have to find any use for the "fluorescent" one ).

Hope that helps,

Wojciech

[AlwaysAl]

My go to filters are the polarizer and ND. To save $$, perhaps consider a system similar to the Cokin system. Adapter rings are cheaper (and easier to store) than filters. Additionally, I originally followed the advice of "protecting the lens with a UV filter" and found in some cases it took away from the image and during my photographic time, have never damaged the front glass of a lens (or broken a filter), so dropped that advice in favour of the lens coatings. Al

[stevebrot]

Would you get any if the balancing ones like The cooling 80A and 82A Or the warming ones like a KR3?

Much depends on what what lighting you anticipate for existing light color work. The 80A and 82A are used when shooting daylight balanced film under tungsten incandescent lighting (~3200K) to correct to 5200K. I am not familiar with the KR3, but have used 81A to warm skin tones in natural shade or with flash.

I want to get yellow for b&w and also Uv, polarisers and a ND.

A Wratten #8 (yellow) is the minimum for B&W work. I would add a #24 (red) as well. A good quality polarizer should also be in the bag for color work. Both circular and less expensive linear polarizers will work, though the linear types will interfere with auto-focus systems.

Skylight filters (Wratten #1A) are useful for color transparency (slide) films, though I generally don't use them for color negative films. Plain glass UV filters have about the same effectiveness against UV as the glass in the lens itself. Good ND are expensive and hard to justify unless one has a clear use case in mind.

Should I get UVs for every lense?

At one time, universal use of UV (usually clear glass) or skylight 1A (mild warming and UV block) was the norm, for protection of the front element if nothing else. Better that a filter take the punishment than the front element, right? Prevailing wisdom at present is that adding a filter to the optical path has potential to decrease image quality while providing little actual protection. If you don't need them for effect, don't use them. Attaching a hood (almost always good idea is suggested as a protection alternative.

For years, I had skylight filters on all my lenses since I did a lot of color slide work. That is not my current practice, though I do have them in the bag as extra protection should conditions suggest that might be prudent or if I were to shoot the new Ektachrome.

On the matter of expense and quality. Filters can be expensive and I suggest not skimping on quality. Here are a few points to consider:

• Multi-coating serves the same purpose on a filter as on a lens and is a basic requirement.
• There is some prejudice against aluminum filter rings in favor of brass with the latter assumed to be less prone to binding. I own both and strongly suggest considering brass for thin/ultra-thin rings where finger gripping the filter may be difficult.
• Avoid filters offered as part of a camera purchase bundle, unless they are name brand.
• Established name brands include:
  • Tiffen (huge selection,* moderate price point, often dissed due to use of laminated construction...not been a problem for me)
  • Hoya (first-rate glass and coatings at moderate price point)
  • B+W (German, brass rings, Schott glass (almost all models), moderate to high price)
  • Heliopan (German, brass rings, Schott glass, moderate to high price)
  • Lens makers such as Schneider, Zeiss, Leica...
• There is a plethora of new brands of high-quality filters (mostly polarizers and ND) that are worth considering, though the maze of brands, models, and conflicting claims may prove not worth the effort. Be wary of advice from bloggers, they are paid to talk up the product. I own and am happy with a couple of Haida brand and have heard good things about several others.
• Inexpensive filters are usually not high quality. Be wary of filters bearing the name of a photo accessory brand (Bower, K&S, Benro, Bower, etc.); they are generic product.
• The cost of a higher quality circular polarizer or ND is money well-spent.
• I am not a fan of variable ND filters, but that is probably just me.
• Wide-angle lenses may require a thin-ring filter to avoid vignette
• Compatibility between filters and hoods may be a challenge.
• Graduated ND filters are cool and very useful
• Modern zooms often require very large and expensive filters. Primes are our friends.

Continuing on the theme of expense, many photographers find that step-up rings in a couple of common sizes may save a considerable amount of money. Consider that both 49mm and 52mm threads are pretty common. Consider that I have a fairly expensive 49mm B+W polarizer in the bag when I probably should have bought a 52mm and a 49/52 step ring instead. Yes, dumb me.

There may also be some economy and practical value in using a filter system where standard filter sizes fit a frame usable on many different lenses. How big a bag do you intend to carry? Do we have enough porters?

I know...pretty intimidating. Get the basic yellow, red, and polarizer and maybe a step-up ring or two.


Steve

(...my favorite filter is a #12 deep yellow (aka minus blue) for B&W landscape work...)

* It is probably safe to say that if one is looking for a particular filter and size, Tiffen makes it...'nuff said.

[robgski]

+1 for both polarizers and ND Filters, and I often take images in rainy, icy, sandy, dusty conditions, so a high quality UV filter is a must.


Colored Filters can be good for interesting color results, too. The Takumar 17mm FE has a built in Orange Filter which really emphasized the veins in this leaf.

[dms]

KBX AND KRX are conversion filter in the mired system. Mired is 10^6/T(K). R and B for warming and cooling. The advantage is changes in light are additive if using inverse absolute temperature. E.g., A skylight filter is a KR1.5 (X = 1.5) and a KR 3 is roughly double the effect--a moderate warming effect. Effects of filter are same if using several (adding the mireds values) or a single filter of the same mired value.

I suggest a polarizing (PL) filter—I use (now) inexpensive linear PL one because everyone wants circular PL. They say linear PL can affect exposure readings and AF. But an inexpensive used linear one w/ multi-coatings should do when you use it—which is not often—and if need be you can take exposure w/o it and then add about 1-1/3 stop exposure (depends on the brand).

In fact, except for experimenting, unless you can verbalize a reason to use a filter I suggest not to. Minor exception is a skylight filter outdoors for color. Ii was usually suggested (pre-digital). I often use it. It is an exception about not leaving filter on much of the time--if outdoors w/ a blue sky—except may want to remove it if a lot of sun glare and no large areas that see blue sky but not direct sunlight.

Also I use tungsten film for both daylight and night (lights), and thus I use a 85B in daylight (KR15)--it converts 5500K to 3200K. This is useful when shooting night/indoors where increased exposure due to a filter is problematic, and the filter exposure adjustment is smaller for converting tungsten film to daylight than vice versa. (Even with less use of incandescent lights I still find it usually works well.)

As I mentioned above, the KR3 is a slightly warmer filter than the skylight and may give pleasing results outdoors. Again a multicoated one may be available for little money, as possibly w/ the linear PL and skylight filters. (Since w/ digital most filters need not be used, and it is suggested to not use linear PL, good multicoated filters may be available used at low cost.)**

Later you may want to use graduated grey (neutral density) rectangular filters to take bright sky and less bright land below, sunsets, etc. But this is a more expensive scenario, and likely means using a tripod outdoors. 2 or 3 such filters and a filter holder are optimum, and in Cokin P Series size (usually adequate for 35mm), it is likely to cost used about $100. These are plastic/resin, and thus uncoated, filters. Glass are available but prohibitively expensive IMO.
_____
** Actually mutli-coating is not so needed--well that depends, of course a great shot ruined by flare was ruined! Nevertheless, especially if getting several filters to try out, you may find really inexpensive single coated filters. Single coated is probably minimum requirement--which all well known name brand glass filters probably are--e.g., Tiffen and Hoya. Eventually if you find there is a filter you use a lot under conditions that give flare problems (e.g., for me the 85B filer), you can upgrade.

[gofour3]

I use a filter every time I shoot film period. (Unless it's indoor macro work)

Skylight/81A/81B/Polarizer for colour work.

For b&w some sort of yellow to red filter or polarizer.

I only use Schneider B+W MRC or Pentax SMC filters. The Pentax SMC filters are a really good option and easy to find. (You sometimes even get them attached to a Pentax lens purchase)

Phil.

[officiousbystander]

I used to have high quality (ie multicoated) UV filters on a couple of my lenses but I'd sometimes get odd reflections which would affect an image. For b&w film I only have yellow filters which are great for getting the cloud/sky contrasts in landscapes.
There's a good summary of the impact of filters on b&w photos here:
Using colour filters for black and white photography

[Michail_P]

Polarizing with digital, also with film and ND when you need to. I can tell the difference when shooting film. I think the sharpness is a little off in digital when using UV. I’m not sure but there’s a big chance.

[tuco]

For slide film, I think you will find the 81A and 81B filters more useful for outdoors than the 80 series ( for light temperatures)

For BW film, colored filters give you more latitude in changing the tone rendering of your scene. An orange filter, for example, will darken sky and give more contrast with clouds in more situations and with more lenses than a polarizer. A polarizer is highly directional on how well it works. And if you put it on a wide angle lens, you can get dark, patchy sky on end of the frame and not the other. Not a good situation. Whereas a colored filter is not affected by direction or the lens you mounted it on.

But a colored filter will not prevent you from 'blowing out your sky" if you meter through the filter or apply the filter factor correction to your exposure. If you metered and placed your sky value too high or develop your film too long, it can blown your sky filter or not.

[stevebrot]

** Actually mutli-coating is not so needed--well that depends, of course a great shot ruined by flare was ruined!

Yep...I field a lot of "the photos from my Pentax camera suck" help requests on this site. An amazing number are directly traceable to use of cheap "protective" or PL filters.

Single coated is probably minimum requirement--which all well known name brand glass filters probably are--e.g., Tiffen and Hoya.

The reason why I so strongly suggested MC is because most of the reputable brands are. All my Hoyas are HMC and to the best of my knowledge their entire line is MC. As for Tiffen, their moderately priced offerings (~$25 and above) are usually multi-coated with the lowest price being single-coated. The most important thing for a cost-conscious filter shopper to do is to not over purchase in terms of quantity. Does a person need a full spread of ten or so color filters for B&W in three sizes for each color? Probably not. I buy as need presents.


Steve