Filters

[SpookTheHamster]

I haven't had any filters other than UV for ages now, and I've been debating whether it's worth buying any if I'm using a digital camera. Obviously, a polarising filter would still be useful, but what about any others?

Do any of you still use coloured filters? What filters would you recommend for someone doing some landscape photography?

 

[Lovesong]

For landscape, you might want a Graduated ND filter, and maybe a circular polarizer. Cokin makes a nice system for the gratuated ND, where you can adjust the height, as well as the angle.
Color filters have really become obsolete, at least for my purposes. Photoshop can do things that filters can only dream of.

Edit: Sorry, here http://www.cokin.com/

 

[ChrisA]

I haven't had any filters other than UV for ages now, and I've been debating whether it's worth buying any if I'm using a digital camera. Obviously, a polarising filter would still be useful, but what about any others?

Do any of you still use coloured filters? What filters would you recommend for someone doing some landscape photography?

With digital, I don't think you need color correction filters. With film yo might use some kind of warmming filter. but you can tweek the color balance so easy with digital they are not needed.

But I do think you will want a circular polarizing filters and maybe neutral density gradient filter. You might even want a set of the gradient types one with hard edges and one soft and a couple different densities. The current fad is to do this in software using different exposures (Called HDR) but the effect is never perfect. (If nothing else a tree leaf might move between exposures.) Getting it right in-camera is the way to go. I use the square type of gradients so I can adjust the height of the line. I'm using Tiffen glass filters in a Coken P-size holder. Others make quality filters for the Coken holder but the Coken brand of filters a just cheap plastic. The P size will fit on a lens that has a 77mm filter ring

With black and white film I used to use filters aggressively. I'd even stack a red over a polarizer some times. but I can get the effect of the red filter in post processing now, but you can't get the pol. effect in post.

 

[SpookTheHamster]

How easy is the Cokin system to use? Graduated ND and polarising were the two I was really thinking about buying. What brands do people prefer, or is Cokin the way to go?

 

[Father Jack]

The ND grad is really the only filter you will need.

FJ