Let's talk about filters

[kshapero]

Please tell me about your experiences using filters. Not just UV's but some unique stuff and everything else. Polaririzers, FLD, K2, 81A, etc.

 

[kshapero]

Oh yeah, or do you just use photoshop or the like to clean it up?

 

[FPjohn]

Minimal

Minimal

http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/handbook/

I try to minimize use of post manipulation.
yours
Frank

 

[colyn]

I use 2 filters. Yellow for b&w and a polarizing filter.
I do use a red filter if shooting IR film though..

 

[sbart]

The filters to use are of course largely determined by whether you're shooting with color film vs. b&w.

When color, I often use a circular polarizer (on the SLR, anyway -- won't work with an RF).

When b&w and want extra cloud vs. sky contrast, I'll use a medium yellow #8 or yellow-orange #16. It also depends on the b&w film characteristics; two that I've used: Agfa Scala 200 and Kodak Tri-X seem to be especially sensitive to blue, so the sky gets too light vs. the clouds. If anything, with those two films I haven't compensated enough -- should have used the orange filter instead of the yellow in many cases. If I don't want to darken blue in the non-sky (again with the SLR only) I'll use the polarizer.

If I'm at the beach and not otherwise using a filter, I'll use a UV just so that the salt spray isn't gumming up the front element of the lens. It's easier and safer to clean the filter.

 

[Twigs]

I have red, green and a CPL.

Red - I must have done something wrong - often when I'm not metering off the sky I don't see as much cloud-sky separation as I would expect.

CPL - extremely troublesome to use on a RF.

 

[peter_n]

For the red to be effective you need a pretty saturated looking blue sky, then it will come out black. 🙂

I really like the B+W MRC filters. They're expensive but they are excellent.

 

[Bryce]

Can't imagine life without filters! For B+W I use K2, UV, O2, and a funny yellow green thing. My bag would seem kind of empty without any of them...

 

[wyk_penguin]

I mostly use the yellow filter like a UV filter when i shoot B&W in hazardous places. Otherwise I don't use filters. The problem is forgetting to take them off after using them.

 

[J. Borger]

I only use B&W ND filters (102 or 103) to be able to shoot the Noctilux at F1.0 during daytime. I see no imagedegradation or extra vignetting on the R-D1 using these filters.

 

[jaapv]

The filters to use are of course largely determined by whether you're shooting with color film vs. b&w.

When color, I often use a circular polarizer (on the SLR, anyway -- won't work with an RF).

Why on earth wouldn't it work with a RF 😕 😕

 

[richard_l]

For the red to be effective you need a pretty saturated looking blue sky, then it will come out black. 🙂...

The shadows will also generally be blocked, unless they are receiving additional illumination from reflected sunlight.

Richard

 

[tkluck]

Having once dented the snot out of a Nikor macro lens, I use 'em for general protection. (note Minox has one built in)

Otherwise, I'll use filters to "pop" clouds, sky, or leaves once in a while. Never very serious about it. Rarely use them on non-TTL metered cameras. Too lazy to do the math...

polarizer would work on a RF, but you wouldn't know what you've got 'till it was too late. Exposure a bit problematical too.