Walk in the Park

Red Leaves

Autumn in Tyler State Park

The plan was to test my new filters out today. Of course, I get to the park and realize that I left them at home. I definitely wish I had my polarizer filter for the picture above. It'd be great if it actually captured the blue sky.

Which ND (Neutral Density) Filter should you choose for your DSLR?

This was my latest question, as I felt the need to purchase and explore with a ND Filter. I'm planning a trip to Bushkill Falls in PA this weekend and would love to play with this filter while I'm up there. It's about time I add a few toys in my camera bag! So I did some research on filters and figured I ought to share what I found. Here goes...

For those of us who are new to the world of photography, I'll start with a basic question.

What is a filter?
A filter is simply a camera accessory consisting of an optical filter that can be either mounted in a holder accessory or can be screwed in front of the lens. There are several different kinds of filters, but they all allow added control for the photographer of the images being produced. Sometimes they are used to make subtle changes, while other times the image simply would not be possible without them (Yeah, I took this definition from Wikipedia...what about it?)

I knew I was interested in a ND Filter since I've heard that this is a basic filter that everyone should own and it is a huge asset when photographing waterfalls (which I plan to experiment with this weekend). While conducting my search on ND Filters, I learned about a couple of other filters you should always carry with you. Here is what was suggested on several sites and forums.

Three filters everyone should have in their bag....

1) Circular Polarizer - eliminates reflections and darkens skies.

2) ND Filter - this is like having sunglasses for your camera. It stops down the light allowing longer exposure times. This filter is very helpful when photographing waterfalls and landscapes during sunrises and sunsets. They have different levels of "intensity" such as 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, etc. etc. The best multi-purpose one would be a 0.6, which is also known as a "2-Stop" Filter. The 0.3's are really meant to be added to other filters and the darker you go, the longer exposure time will be needed. A tripod is required for the really darker ones, such as a ND 3.0 (description is from this flickr post)

3) UV Haze Filter - used primarily to protect the camera's lens..prevents dust and dirt from entering the lens. Also reduces haze.

I read that you should not go cheap on a circular polarizer. This was advice that I chose not to take. I have a small budget and figure I'll be good with a $20 polarizer to start and can always invest in $65+ one later. I'm a bit nervous about the three filters that I ordered as I've read extremely mixed reviews about Tiffen filters. One being that the ND filter is not actually neutral and adds a hue to the image. I guess I will just have to be my own judge. For the money, I figured it was worth the risk. I'm not a pro and I'm just looking for something basic and functional. I'll be sure to review them once I test them out.

Here is what I bought on Amazon yesterday...
$19.15 - Tiffen 52mm Circular Polarizer
$5.07 - Tiffen 52mm UV Protection Filter
$12.10 - Tiffen 52mm Neutral Density 0.6 Filter

Here are a few websites you might want to check out on this subject....

Digital Photography For What It's Worth - Filter options for digital cameras
Rod Barbee Photography - Polarizers, ND, and Grad Filters for Landscape
Neutral Density Filters
Filters for Outdoor Photography

Hopefully this saved you some time searching the internet for answers!