[dazza2267]

The title says it all as I have mentioned and some of you may have spotted from my posts I enjoy aviation photography but I also like landscapes and portraits so I thought I would a couple of filters but now I feel so here goes

Do I go for ND or polarising
Graduated or full
Screw on or Cokin style

What’s the difference?
Please help

Someone also sugested a polerising filter would help with the portraits but i had never heard of that before.

[Steve400]

for avaition shots i only use a UV filter, does the job!

i'll let others give info on the other filters!

[dazza2267]

Thats normaly what i use, so at least i have that bit right

thanks

[sejanus]

Well, I take it we're talking colour photography here, so I won't bore you with discussions about complementary colours and contrast enhancement!

For landscape, graduated filters can be the bee's knees, but you need a good set to get the results you expect. Check out the holder systems from both Cokin and Lee but first see what this chap has to say: Photography Field Guide: Field Guide 101: Graduated Neutral-Density Filter

NDs aren't that usefull with digital in my experience, although they can be life savers if you want to mess with exposure times, say to get a smooth finish on a river surface.

Polarising filters are mainly used to control reflections or for removing aerial haze. If you're photographing spectacle wearers, they're very usefull as they cut through the reflections and let you see the eyes clearly. In the open air, they can darken blue skies quite dramatically, although it now seems rather a cliche to me.

I knew a very experienced air to ground photographer who told me he'd experimented with polarisers for increased contrast but that the results were too hit and miss to be worth pursuing.

[Dabhand16]

SRB own brand filters are actually Hi-Tek and are very good. They also offer great advice on the phone.

Grads are best used with a square system as you can position them better, but having got a filter holder for grads, I also use square ND's too.

UV, Skylight and Polorising filters are the only round ones I use - and you can get adapters, so if you buy for your biggest lens, you can use a step-down ring (or rings) to allow it to fit smaller lenses too.

[TomSinclair]

Nice link for info on ND filters. I've wanted to know in detail what each type of filter does and when to be used.
Anyone else got more detailed links for all types of filter?

[_MB_]

Good prices on those filters Dabhand.

[silkstone]

You can get a Cokin-type polariser too - to fit in the holder - which saves using adapter rings.

Apart from (controversial) protection filters, the main ones I use are ND-grads which help a lot with grey or cloudy skies, provided the horizon isn't too lumpy.

[dazza2267]

Thanks for the link it is of great help and thanks for all the advice i shall look into it further

[morlandroger]

Originally Posted by Dabhand16

SRB own brand filters are actually Hi-Tek and are very good. They also offer great advice on the phone.

.

Those are great prices Dabhand. Even better the P sizes are the same price as the A size!!

[Dabhand16]

Originally Posted by morlandroger

Those are great prices Dabhand. Even better the P sizes are the same price as the A size!!

E&OE I guess!

I think I paid around £40 for a set of 4 'P' size ND grads.

[Sparkymark]

Cheers Dabhand - will try SRB filters shortly too