Buying Filters Do's and Don'ts

K

krizard

Active member
Hi i want to buy my first filters and most of the professional guys i see filming use the square ones with the ring adapter...i think its cause you don't have to buy the filters again if you want to use them with other lens size you just have to buy another ring adapter ...correct me if I'm wrong.
So i think i am going for the "cokin p" series and a graduated gray Nd filter as a start
I would like to know from u guys some tips and tricks when buying filters and winch ones you would suggest.....
BTW those are for a 77mm lens.
 
You can get circular, screw-on filters. Just buy for the largest lens diameter you need. For everything smaller than that, use step-down rings. That way, one set of filters covers all your lenses.

I'm not a big fan of the Cokin P filters, especially not for digital/video. Don't cheap out on filters so you can avoid color shifts and other nastiness. Get a reliable set from Tiffen, Schneider, or Formatt.
 
I would also add B+W to the quality filter section.

Using step up rings, I've made all my lenses have a 77mm filter size. I don't think I will ever own a lens that is bigger than that.
 
I have dozens of series 9 and 77mm filters for sale. All are in good shape. If anyone is interested let me know and I will see what I have and sell cheap.
 
winch ND filters you guys use???
cause i see a lot of them ND2 ND4 ND8, whats the difference, winch ones are more often used and why??
i tried to search but couldn't find any good 101 on filters.
 
thanks for the advice i just bought the ND2 ND4 ND8 and the graduated versions of them.....

but i wish i can get some nice article explaining each kind of filter and their differences...again thank u for everything
 
Well im not sure what ND2, ND4 and ND8 equate to...but :

Neutral Density factors

ND.3 (exposure adjustment = 1 stop, reduces ISO 1/2)
ND.6 (exposure adjustment = 2 stops, reduces ISO 1/4)
ND.9 (exposure adjustment = 3 stops, reduces ISO 1/8)
ND1.2 (exposure adjustment = 4 stops, reduces ISO by 1/16)
ND1.5 (exposure adjustment = 5 stops, reduces ISO by 1/32)
ND 1.8 (exposure adjustment = approx. 6 stops, transmits 1% of light,)
ND2.1 (exposure adjustment = 7 stops, reduces ISO by 1/128)
ND 3.0 (exposure adjustment = 10 stops, transmits 0.1% of light)
ND 4.0 (exposure adjustment = 13-2/3 stops, transmits 0.01% of light)
ND 6.0 = (exposure adjustment = approx. 20 stops)


that's the one I'm used to
 
krizard said:
thanks for the advice i just bought the ND2 ND4 ND8 and the graduated versions of them.....

but i wish i can get some nice article explaining each kind of filter and their differences...again thank u for everything
Click to expand...

All of the filters you bought do the exact same thing, just in varying degrees. ND = Neutral Density. All it does is decrease the amount of light coming into the camera, allowing the use of slower shutter speed or larger aperture in brighter light. Cheap ND can actually create a color shift (cheap filters aren't truly "neutral"), but good filters won't affect color much if at all.

You'll see ND filters rated in numbers, and even though you see ND2 or ND6 or ND12, they're actually supposed to be decimals: ND 0.2, ND 0.6, ND 1.2. The higher the number, the more light is attenuated. They can also be stacked, so an ND 0.3 with an ND 0.9 will result in an ND value of 1.2.

The even numbers aren't as common. The list provided by jambredz covers all the more common ND values. A good, basic kit will contain ND 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9... possibly 1.2 as well.

ND 0.2 = 2/3 stop reduction
ND 0.4 = 1 1/3 stop reduction
ND 0.8 = 2 2/3 stop reduction

The graduated ND filters only affect half of the field of view (did you get hard edge or soft edge grads?). These are helpful for knocking down a bright sky so that the ground can be properly exposed, or knocking down a really bright building (rotating the filter for a vertical cut) so the objects behind it aren't underexposed. Soft-edge grads are great for landscapes. Hard-edge grads are better for architecture. The ND value is given for the highest value present on the filter, though the attenuation isn't as strong as it gets closer to the middle of the filter.
 
Alex H. said:
All of the filters you bought do the exact same thing, just in varying degrees. ND = Neutral Density. All it does is decrease the amount of light coming into the camera, allowing the use of slower shutter speed or larger aperture in brighter light. Cheap ND can actually create a color shift (cheap filters aren't truly "neutral"), but good filters won't affect color much if at all.

You'll see ND filters rated in numbers, and even though you see ND2 or ND6 or ND12, they're actually supposed to be decimals: ND 0.2, ND 0.6, ND 1.2. The higher the number, the more light is attenuated. They can also be stacked, so an ND 0.3 with an ND 0.9 will result in an ND value of 1.2.

The even numbers aren't as common. The list provided by jambredz covers all the more common ND values. A good, basic kit will contain ND 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9... possibly 1.2 as well.

ND 0.2 = 2/3 stop reduction
ND 0.4 = 1 1/3 stop reduction
ND 0.8 = 2 2/3 stop reduction

The graduated ND filters only affect half of the field of view (did you get hard edge or soft edge grads?). These are helpful for knocking down a bright sky so that the ground can be properly exposed, or knocking down a really bright building (rotating the filter for a vertical cut) so the objects behind it aren't underexposed. Soft-edge grads are great for landscapes. Hard-edge grads are better for architecture. The ND value is given for the highest value present on the filter, though the attenuation isn't as strong as it gets closer to the middle of the filter.
Click to expand...

thanks for the detailed info man, it helped a lot , i got the soft edge ones...still waiting for them to get in my country..when i get them i will post some images and tell you more about them.
thanks for all the support
 
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