AF100 and my first 4 filters? What should I buy?

Jon Furtado

Jon Furtado

Well-known member
What would be the first 4 filters someone should buy if they have a new mattebox with two rotatable 4X4 filter trays? I'm looking to make the dive into filters soon, but am trying to decide between a mattebox and screw on filters for my lenses.

Thoughts?
 
Jon, as you know there are a number of ways to skin a cat.
For some of my ultralight shooting, I have a Singh-Ray Vari-ND filter I can use to control exposure. If you get any screw-on filters get the larger size and use step down rings for your smaller lenses. Of course the AF100 has an ND filter wheel. When it comes to matte boxes I would nudge you toward one with two 4x5.6 filter trays as well as a 4x4 tray, and a 138mm rear. That way you are covered for life with filter solutions for any camera. Some wider lenses will vignette with 4x4 filters. Many times I will combine an on-board ND filter from the AF100 with a 4x5.6 ND Grad filter in the matte box. You might be able to make your money go farther by buying used, as I have bought a number that way. This ND Grad kit, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/572925-REG/Formatt_BF_4X5_ACKIT54_4_x_5_65_Quick.html is what I would get first to help control exposure, then I would likely add a polarizer next, for my first 4 filters. I have some colored grads, but tend to do any of that work in post now. Every once in a while I'll use a 1/4 or 1/8 black diffusion filter to take the edge off, but can add that in post as well.

Dave
 
David W. Jones said:
Jon, as you know there are a number of ways to skin a cat.
For some of my ultralight shooting, I have a Singh-Ray Vari-ND filter I can use to control exposure. If you get any screw-on filters get the larger size and use step down rings for your smaller lenses. Of course the AF100 has an ND filter wheel. When it comes to matte boxes I would nudge you toward one with two 4x5.6 filter trays as well as a 4x4 tray, and a 138mm rear. That way you are covered for life with filter solutions for any camera. Some wider lenses will vignette with 4x4 filters. Many times I will combine an on-board ND filter from the AF100 with a 4x5.6 ND Grad filter in the matte box. You might be able to make your money go farther by buying used, as I have bought a number that way. This ND Grad kit, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/572925-REG/Formatt_BF_4X5_ACKIT54_4_x_5_65_Quick.html is what I would get first to help control exposure, then I would likely add a polarizer next, for my first 4 filters. I have some colored grads, but tend to do any of that work in post now. Every once in a while I'll use a 1/4 or 1/8 black diffusion filter to take the edge off, but can add that in post as well.

Dave
Click to expand...

Graduated ND's are on the only filters I don't seem to understand the use of. I can understand a 1/2 ND in order to pull in the sky. How do the graduated ones work?

So your saying get a Mattebox with 3 filter trays? Don't those tend to run very expensive? I was looking at the more affordable Chinese ones.
 
POLARIZER, Grad ND .6 (those are the only two I really use), from there I would pick up what you need as you need it. The polarizer is the real must have, everything else comes down to need....

On edit: I got this when I started getting filters, and found it was a great set to start out building my collection: http://www.adorama.com/CIFTG4X4SET.html
I would get those to start out and see what you need and want from there.
 
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Just make sure to not go cheap. Any time you put additional items like filters you are just losing losing losing. Cheap filters are worse than no filters at all.
 
grad NDs are really useful, especially if you're shooting wides and need to bring the sky down a little whilst preserving the ground. Also a polariser is a must. Coloured grads like tobacco, sunset and blue can be useful and fun to play with, but to be honest you can do achieve those effects more efficiently in post these days. I'm glad the fashion for promists has gone, I never liked that look!
 
Jon, the biggest reason I suggested getting a matte box with Panavision size filters is in the event you need complete coverage on some wide angle lenses, or very large diameter lenses which will vignette with a 4x4 size tray in. Even when buying a Chinese made matte box, it's better to buy once than twice. But if you know you will never need a 4x5.6 size, the 4x4 will do. Filters really boil down to what kind of shooting you do. For example... The ND grads can help with sky, water, windows, so a rotatable tray may be needed. You will also want a rotatable tray position for a polarizer. Some people like to put the polarizer in the 138mm insert on a matte box. I would avoid Cavision filters as they have had problems with sandwich separation.

All the Best!

Dave
 
Might get shot up for this but imo polarisors are for still cams .. once you pan or move the camera you lose the pol effect.

If you intercut pol and nil pol shots, the look can look mismatched.

Cheers.
 
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