How To Stack Filters On A Lens
If you're like me, your first introduction to lens filters was buying a UV filter to protect your lens. It wasn't until much further down the road that I became aware of the other filters out there and how they could really add some oomph to my landscape photography.
As information technology turns out, lens filters are an important function of a photography kit. From protecting your lens to reducing glare to adding special effects, in that location are a number of ways they can enhance your in-camera photography.
That being said, agreement the unlike types of lens filters is important, equally it'southward easy to mess upwardly images besides.
The proficient news is that once you get into it, lens filters are pretty piece of cake to understand. The bad news is that at that place's such a wide variety of camera lens filters out there, it tin can be difficult knowing where to start.
In this article, I'll cover the main types of photographic camera lens filters used in digital photography, what they're used for, and how to choose the all-time 1 for your needs.
Let's get started.
What Are Lens Filters Used for in Photography?
If you lot've always asked yourself, "Should I use lens filters?" hither's a summary of their various usages and benefits to help you decide if they align with your photography needs.
1. Lens Protection
The most common utilize for photographic camera lens filters – at to the lowest degree among beginners – is for lens protection.
Keeping a filter fastened to your lens tin can keep scratches, dust, and fingerprints at bay. And let'south confront information technology, information technology'south a lot less expensive to replace a damaged lens filter than it is to supersede an unabridged camera lens.
2. Correcting for Challenging Lighting Conditions
If y'all often discover yourself in challenging lighting situations and you don't want to spend the time correcting your images in mail-processing, at that place are a number of great filters bachelor that can help you lot out.
For case, if you lot're looking to darken an over-bright sky while not affecting your foreground, y'all might choose to use a polarizing filter or a graduated neutral density filter.
If you're shooting indoors with irregular light sources, yous might choose to use a color correcting filter.
three. Adding Impact to Your Images
Camera filters can also exist used to enhance images, whether past adding a level of contrast, restricting the calorie-free inbound a lens to decrease shutter speed, or adding special effects.
iv Styles of Lens Filter
Earlier we get to the different types of camera lens filters, let's take a look at what styles they come in:
1. Circular Spiral-On Filters
Circular screw-on filters are perhaps the most common type of lens filter. This blazon screws straight onto the threads at the edge of your lens barrel.
Screw-on filters are super easy to attach and swap out, and some can even be stacked on top of each other. They're also much more than portable than most square and rectangular filters. Most let you to put the lens cap over them, making it easy to keep them on 24/vii if that's what works for you.
Each screw-on filter is a different diameter, so if you have a number of differently sized lenses you might need to invest in more one filter or in a set of stride-downward rings.
UV filters, circular polarizers, color filters, and ND filters frequently come in this form.
Exist aware, though, not all lenses have threads on the ends of their barrels.
Also, circular filters come up in unlike thicknesses. The thicker ones are generally less expensive and tin potentially add together vignetting. The more expensive ones are thinner, but depending on the model, can make it impossible to put on your lens cap.
2. Square Filters
Square filters drop into a filter holder that's attached to the front of the lens. While they're not as quick to adhere every bit screw-on filters, they do come with a number of benefits.
For one, a filter holder set will oftentimes come with a number of adapters allowing y'all to apply a single filter with a number of different lenses. There'southward no demand to buy multiple expensive filters – just one.
Also, if you enjoy stacking filters information technology's easier with square ones because the filter holder unremarkably has 2 to 4 slots, allowing you to utilize more than one filter at a time.
Lastly, square filters are generally larger than your lens bore, preventing the vignetting that often happens when stacking screw-on filters. The most widely used sizes are 3×iii and 4×4.
3. Rectangular Filters
A popular filter-type for mural photographers, rectangular filters also use a filter holder attached to the front of the lens. The difference between these and square filters is that there's more room to move them up or downwardly – something important when using a graduated neutral density filter or any type of filter where the issue doesn't embrace the entire frame.
The most widely-used size is iv×6, though other sizes are also available.
4. Drop-In Filters
While square and rectangular filters are sometimes called "drop-in" filters because of their filter holder system, there's another form of drop-in filter designed especially for use with larger telephoto lenses.
These lenses have a special slot in the lens torso that yous can drop a specially made filter into. Of course, yous're unlikely to run into these unless you're using i of these huge lenses. Most photographers will be choosing between circular or square/rectangular filters.
seven Chief Types of Lens Filter
Some filters create furnishings that tin't be easily duplicated in Photoshop. In this epitome, the waves have been converted to drinking glass by a ten-stop ND filter. | Photo credit: Teryani Riggs
Which filter you invest in will largely depend on what effect you're going for. Choosing the right 1 is important because if misused or misunderstood, they can often backbite from your image quality.
1. UV/Skylight Filter
In the by, it was important to block UV rays (including UV haze and UV light) from striking the moving picture in cameras. Digital cameras, however, have a congenital-in UV/IR filter so an additional filter is not needed.
In outdoor photography, skylight filters can reduce the blue bandage that sometimes occurs. They can also keep the colors of nearby objects from reflecting on skin tones.
These days, skylight and UV filters are primarily used to protect the front element of your lens.
Less expensive UV filters can sometimes add a color cast to your images, then beware. If you're merely using them for lens protection, y'all might consider buying but a clear piece of drinking glass.
Ane thing to keep in heed, still, is never to utilize a low-quality filter with an expensive lens. It can definitely reduce the prototype quality you're paying and so much for.
Also, never stack UV filters with other types of filters, as vignetting is much more likely.
ii. Circular Polarizing Filter
Circular polarizing filters are used primarily to darken skies that are much brighter than the foreground. They do this by increasing the saturation of the heaven and increasing the contrast betwixt the sky and clouds – ideal for real-estate photography where a bright blueish sky is often required past clients.
They also do a corking job of removing reflections from glass or h2o and reducing haze.
Virtually landscape photographers never exit habitation without a polarizing filter – they're an absolute must for overly vivid skies and when photographing waterfalls or other moisture surfaces where reflections are unwanted.
While there are two types of polarizing filters – linear and circular – circular polarizers are the ones you desire to utilise with a digital camera. They're made with an extra piece of glass that ensures you get accurate exposure results when light hits your photographic camera's lite meter.
Round polarizing filters most often come as spiral-on filters. One time affixed to your lens, you then spin the rotating chemical element to go the event yous want.
Polarizing filters are some other one you don't want to combine with other filters. You likewise don't want to use them with ultra-broad-bending lenses.
Another matter to keep in heed that polarizing filters tin can substantially reduce the corporeality of calorie-free entering the lens, and then you'll need to adjust the exposure accordingly.
3. Neutral Density Filter
Neutral density filters allow for first-class long exposure shots in bright sunlight. | Photo Credit: Teryani Riggs
Neutral density (ND) filters have one purpose: to reduce the corporeality of light entering the lens.
They're made of darkened glass and come in diverse densities, the strongest of which will reduce the light up to 10 or even 12 stops.
Unlike graduated neutral density filters, a standard neutral density filter blocks light uniformly – i.e., the entire paradigm is affected every bit. This allows you to subtract your shutter speed while maintaining your chosen aperture and ISO.
The result? Silky waterfalls, glass-like oceans, and misty waves. They also add together in motion blur and then that you become a heightened sense of motion from clouds and other moving objects. They're a great tool for doing long exposure photography in a bright surround.
Videographers and portrait photographers often use a neutral density filter for maintaining a shallower depth of field when shooting in very bright light.
I thing to be aware of with ND filters is that quality really counts here. Less expensive versions will near always have a colour bandage and will oft reduce sharpness as well.
While the color cast can be removed in post-processing, the added softness isn't so piece of cake to remove.
If you want to reduce your shutter speed further, it's fine to stack more than i neutral density filter together.
What'south the best ND filter to purchase? Read our guide to discover our recommendations.
4. Graduated Neutral Density Filters
Where standard neutral density filters bear upon the unabridged image, graduate neutral density filters (GNDs) affect only the upper part of the image.
They're designed to darken skies while leaving the foreground ordinarily exposed. Because of this, they're likewise sometimes called "carve up filters."
With film cameras, graduated neutral density filters are essential when capturing dramatically-lit landscapes.
With digital images, however, it all depends on whether you want the best in-camera shot possible or if you're happy taking multiple exposures and then blending them together in Photoshop.
If you lot have changing light or fast-moving subjects, nonetheless, a multi-exposure shot might not exist feasible. That's where a GND is specially useful.
There are three types of GNDs: hard edge, soft edge, and reverse. The basic dominion of thumb is to utilize a difficult edge GND when you take a clear, flat horizon.
Use a soft edge GND when photographing a horizon that's non flat, and usse a opposite GND when photographing sunsets where the sun is about the horizon.
Like ND filters, GND filters can too be stacked.
five. Color Filter
There are generally two types of colour filters: warming/cooling filters and color subtraction filters (mostly used for black and white photography).
- Warming and Cooling Filters
In the past, warming and cooling filters were primarily used for correcting white balance.
They're still pretty essential for movie photographers, but most digital photographers don't carp with them – specially those who shoot in RAW. It'south so piece of cake to fix the white rest in post-processing that almost photographers won't need them.
Nonetheless, if you're feeling creative, shoot with film, or just want to get the best in-camera shot possible, they could be worth your while.
Too, you may come across a few situations – similar some underwater photography – where there is such an overwhelming amount of monochromatic low-cal that no amount of adjusting the color temperature and white balance in mail-processing will work (at least not without adding racket).
- Color Filters in Blackness and White Photography
Colour subtraction filters are slightly different. They blot a single color while letting the other colors through.
Each filter allows its own colour of light through merely blocks other colors to varying degrees. For instance, using a cherry filter will permit 100% of the red light through, but will cake most of the blue and green.
Color subtraction filters are particularly useful in black and white photography. The colors that are allowed through will appear brighter in a black and white image. The other colors will appear darker.
You can, of course, adjust the color filter in post-processing, only there's a certain pleasure to getting the look you desire in-camera.
Color filters are definitely stackable.
6. Close-Upwards Filters
Shut-up filters are really a type of lens, but attach like filters. They magnify your subject field in the same mode reading spectacles do, allowing your photographic camera to focus more than closely on a subject than information technology would ordinarily be able to.
Close-up filters work on all sorts of camera lenses – fifty-fifty those on meaty cameras.
If you only exercise macro photography occasionally and/or are non yet gear up to invest in a costly macro lens, a close-upwardly filter can be a great investment. They're quite affordable and even stackable.
That beingness said, these definitely reduce image quality and are no substitute for an actual macro lens.
vii. Special Furnishings Filters
Like color filters, special effects filters went a fleck out of faddy once digital photography and Photoshop came along.
Nevertheless, if you prefer to go the all-time in-camera photo possible and like the furnishings they provide, these filters are worth a go.
Here's a list of the most popular:
- Starburst filter – add together a twinkle to light sources. Depending on which filter you buy, they'll plow lights into two, four, six, or eight-pointed stars.
- Multivision filter – duplicates your subject in a sort of kaleidoscope effect. Depending on the 1 you buy, they'll create between two and six duplicates. You tin besides choose betwixt circular and linear. The circular multivision filter arranges your duplicates in a circle. The linear multivision filter arranges them in a straight line.
- Diffusion or soft filter – creates the soft-focus effect pop with portraits and still life images.
- Heart spot filter – creates a diffusion effect where the center of the image is in focus simply the edges are soft.
- Infrared filter – blocks out visible light while allowing infrared light into the lens. Great for IR photography.
Regardless of which filter blazon you choose, exist aware that virtually photography filters will essentially change the dynamics of the light entering the lens. As a result, yous'll probably need to adapt your exposure to compensate.
This is chosen the "Filter Factor." Each filter has its own specific filter factor, so go acquainted with it earlier you use it.
How to Choose a Lens Filter
Once you lot've decided on the type of filter yous'd like to use (i.eastward. UV filter, polarizing filter, ND filter, etc.), your next step is to cull the one that's going to work all-time for you.
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Type of Filter
As mentioned in the first department, the most common filters either screw onto your lens or drib into a filter holder. You'll have to decide which style y'all desire to invest in.
Spiral-on filters are less bulky and often less expensive. They work swell if you're simply going to utilise the filter on one lens (i.e. a polarizing filter that you only want to use on a landscape lens).
They too make corking camera accessories if you're ownership a filter solely for lens protection – they often provide an air-tight seal and won't accidentally move (well, unless you lot're using a polarizing filter).
If you want to use a filter on multiple lenses, a foursquare filter might exist your meliorate bet, since the lens holder volition unremarkably work on a number of different lens diameters.
Square or rectangular filters are as well a better choice if y'all're looking to stack filters on top of each other.
Either way, exist sure to bank check the diameter of the lens(es) you intend to utilize the filter on and brand sure you lodge the right size.
(Tip: If you don't know your lens diameter, a quick way to find it is to look on the back of your lens cover.)
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Construction
Some of the important things to look for in a high-quality filter are:
- the seals (for spiral-on filters)
- blazon and thickness of the glass
- where the drinking glass was made
- the quality of the coatings
- the material of the filter'due south retaining ring (cheaper filters will have retaining rings fabricated of aluminum; more expensive filters volition have retaining rings fabricated of contumely)
- the height of the filter edges
Any of these considerations volition affect both the quality and cost of a filter you're looking to buy.
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Toll
Investing in a camera filter is a lot similar investing in a lens – information technology's usually all-time to buy the highest quality you lot can beget. Cheaper filters tend to affect paradigm quality with colour casts, vignetting, or lack of sharpness.
If yous're using a high-functioning lens, make sure that the quality of the filter is but as good, or you'll be hampering the lens' performance.
Yous might not be able to see the deviation in performance when photographing with a kit zoom lens, but endeavour out a inexpensive filter on a more expensive, high-performing lens and you'll exist sure to encounter the difference.
With some filters, you can see the deviation even on less expensive lenses. For instance, my first 10-cease ND filter was fabricated by B+W and retailed for around $90. At that place was a considerable colour cast, and a little bit of softness, only it was all manageable in post.
When I was on a trip a year or and then later and forgot the filter, I bought a cheaper Ice ten-stop ND filter for around $xxx. The color bandage was horrible and the softness almost too much to deal with.
When I finally got my hands on a loftier-quality Peter McKinnon Variable ND filter (available here for effectually $300), I was in heaven. No color cast and quite sharp. There was next to no post-processing repair to practise.
And so while it might seem tempting to get for the cheaper options (and adept glass is never inexpensive!), if you lot accept a high performing lens, don't skimp.
Lens Filters FAQ
What does a lens filter do?
Each type of filter serves a specific purpose. Some are used to protect your lens from damage, others to minimise glare, moderate the amount of calorie-free coming into the lens, or enhance colours and dissimilarity in your images.
Do professional photographers utilize filters?
It depends on the state of affairs and type of photography work, but generally speaking, professional person photographers volition know how to apply filters and take some in their kit. Most landscape photographers, for example, will use neutral density and polarising filters on a regular ground.
Tin can I use a polarizing filter all the time?
Information technology'southward not advisable. Some situations will be better served without a polarizer – for example, if you're shooting in depression light, want to deliberately capture reflections, or want to capture the color of the light.
Final Words
Lens filters are small but mighty and when used well tin play a significant role in the outcome of your images.
Sure, you can achieve many of the aforementioned effects in post-production, only using a filter allows you to see what you're doing while composing and taking the photos.
Besides, information technology'due south hard to replicate some of the furnishings that filters bring – in detail ND filters used for long exposure photography.
Have you tried filters before? Which ones do you use now?
How To Stack Filters On A Lens,
Source: https://shotkit.com/lens-filters/
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