photography filters?

Question

My fiancee is a photography minor and keeps saying he needs filters for his camera. I wanted to buy them for christmas for him, but have no idea what to be looking for or where to look!

Answer 1

You must know the filter size (depending on the lens that he would be using for the particular type of images he's after).

Is he mostly interested in wildlife, still life, landscapes, portraits....?

Suppose he uses a lens with a filter size of 67mm but he also uses a lens with a filter size of 62mm... you might want to consider getting the larger size filter and a $7 item called a Step-Up Ring for the two sizes of lenses so that he can attach it and use the larger filter size on the smaller lens (instead of buying the same filter twice).

Does he use UV filters on all of his lenses for protection against dust, humidity and accidental fingers prints (as I do)? UV filters are used for protection but they also help eliminate haze. He may want a Circular Polarizer filter (Circular Polarizers are for lenses/cameras with auto-focus capacity, while Linear Polarizer filters are only for manual focus lenses), to darken skies and eliminate light reflection off the surface of water and it also permits him to shoot images through glass without getting a reflection and light reflections from non-metallic surfaces. He may want two or three Negative Density filters in different powers, and a Warm-Up filter. All of these are better in the screw-in type filters (see below).

If, however, he does landscapes (where he'll be using a tripod), he may prefer to get Cokin filters for the graduated filters, which are a bit clumsier to use than the screw-in type filters but they do offer the advantage of being able to be adjusted by lowering or raising on the filter mount that attaches to the front of the lens; these also come in several colors, like graduated yellow, graduated orange, graduated gray, graduated blue (see below).

http://www.camerafilters.com/
http://www.cokin.co.uk/pages/cokinP.htm

You may also want to check with B & H:
http://bhphotovideo.com/

I hope this helps; good luck and best wishes.

Answer 2

Filters... A lot but not all filter effects can be done on the computer. Your lens, probably the 18-55, has a thread on the front. That size differs from the 52mm on your lens to 58, 62, 67 and 77 as the most common sizes. Polarizer: Removes glares and reflections Neutral density: Reduces the amount of light reaching your lens so you can use longer shutter speeds in normal light Graduated neutral density. unlike the first two which are usually screw-on these tend to be square and sit in a holder. Used to compensate for the difference between sky and land in some landscape photography. For the first two you can't really go wrong with B+W or hoya filters. The last one, cokin's h-250 is a nice and affordable starter kit to try it out.

Answer 3

Be kind. Only he knows what he really means. Get him a gift certificate from www.bhphotovideo.com. You would save yourself immeasurable grief by letting him buy the ones he wants. If he is a perfectionist he'll buy Heliopan or B&W filters, letting him decide his needs will show you respect his judgement and not make him fake gratitude. High end filter purchasing is something that is probably beyond your realm of understanding if you are not a photograher. They effect lens performance, color rendition , and other issues. Give the gift of choice. He'll love you for it! A single Heliopan can cost more than you might be willing to spend, depending on the lens he wants to fit.
The day he orders what he wants and it arrives will make you understand how much it meant to leave the choice to him.

Answer 4

This is a dangerous propostion. DON'T DO IT! Get a gift certificate from a photo shop in the amount of at least $100 and tell him to go buy filters. There are so MANY different types and you'd need to know the diameter of the lens that he prefers to use the filter on also.

Answer 5

Wolf Camera, or search google for camera store or check your directory. If you go into the store, Im sure the employees will help. Im in photography currently, and I think the filters arewhen your developing a print, you can change thecontrast...but theyre called polycontrast filters.

Answer 6

My husband is into photography and gets this company's free catalogs in the mail. Every so often they send a special huge catalog which must contain everything they sell.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com

I see they have gift cards, maybe that's an idea you could use.

I do know that filters come in different sizes, depending on the millmeter of the lens. You will have to know this to purchase them. (Look on the back of the lens cap).

Answer 7

First of all what kind of film he is using?

Some filters work only in B&W others in both (color and B&W).

The best one you can get is the Polarizer that work in both; with this one he will get more saturated colors and better B&W. If has an automatic focus camera buy circular polarizer.

This filter will cut reflections in the water and cut gost images in glass.