What filters do you need?

The answer differs between different photographers. Set out below are some general comments for you to think about.

What filter should I get first?
For the majority of photographers, the filter most often used is the circular polarising filter. Marumi DHG Super slim polariser, NiSi or Hoya and Kenko offer good filters for a fair price.

The value of a UV filter is debatable in the digital age and often comes down to personal preference.

What next?
This is where you need to be really careful. If you venture into neutral density or graduated neutral density filters, you are most likely to be making a choice of a “slot in” style filter. You will need a filter holder and lens adapter for each different size lens.

Think about what size filter holder you want (Lee, Cokin P and Z Pro are common), which brand holder you wish to buy, can you use different brand filters in your holder? The choice you make now is going to influence your choices later.

If you do landscape photography, buy a soft graduated neutral density filter. Depending on the type of landscape you do you may prefer a hard graduated neutral density filter, or a reverse graduated neutral density filter. Cokin is a good balance between cost and quality, but the high end brands are Lee, Singh Ray and B+W.

If you are more interested in waterfalls, rivers, streams, longer exposures or reducing harsh sun then try a neutral density filter that gives you 3 or more stops like the Lee Big Stopper or the Formatt-Hitech Firecrest ND (13 or 16 stops).

If you like slot in filters you tend to build your collection over time and end up with:

  • a neutral density filter (including 8 or more stops);
  • selections of soft graduated neutral density filters (1 , 2 and 3 stops);
  • one hard graduated neutral density;
  • one reverse soft graduated neutral density (many photographers do without any reverse grads, can be viewed as optional); and
  • maybe even some of the countless colour intensifying/changing filters (again optional).

Placement of filters
If you are using 2 or more filters at once, place the CP filter on the front of the stack (furthest from the lens), then any Graduated ND filter. If you are doing an extended exposure place the ND closest to the lens.

What does The Doc use most often?
The Doc uses a Singh Ray CP screw on filter (thin version as it minimises the risk of vignetting).

The Doc has a Lee Holder and one from The FilterDude. The Lee Holder is configured to hold 4 filters and the FilterDude Holder 3 filters.

When doing landscapes he commonly uses a CP Filter (PRO Polarizer by Dean Cooper), Lee 3 or 6 stop ND for long exposures and soft graduated Neutral Density filters for the sky (Lee and Singh Ray).

One filter The Doc often uses at sunset to make a colour shift is a Cokin FLW filter.

Quality starting kit

If The Doc was starting over he would get:

  1. Marumi DHG Super slim polariser, screw on type. Filter size determined by the lens used most often. This filter can be used without the holder.
  2. The FilterDude Holder and the matching adapter plate determined by the lens. Extra adapters plates you can buy cheaply off eBay.
  3. Buy a Singh Ray, Lee, NiSi or Formatt-Hitech Firecrest soft Graduated ND filter (3 stop).
  4. Lee, NiSi or Formatt-Hitech Firecrest ND filter (6 stop). A 6 stop ND filter works well if you use a CP filter and Grad ND at the same time. The 3 filters used together give you around 10 stops.
  5. PRO Polarizer by Dean Cooper (NiSi Filter in a 100×100 plastic frame and can be inserted into the filter holder for easy use). Not required if you buy the NiSi system which has a built-in CP filter in the filter holder.
  6. Learn how to use the filters. Dean Cooper’s book is very good. Buy and read it BEFORE you buy any filters.

Later you can add to the collection with a 1 or 2 stop hard Graduated ND filter, 1 or 2 stop soft Grad ND, FLW filter and perhaps a reverse grad ND filter. Again these are optional.

Poverty Pack

Minimal purchases for those serious about filters, but unable to buy the lot. My suggested poverty pack, sorry but it is still not cheap:

  1. FilterDude Filter Holder.
  2. 3 stop grad ND filter.
  3. 6 stop ND filter.
  4. PRO Polarizer by Dean Cooper.
  5. Book on how to use filters.

Note: if you buy the NiSi 5 system (now up top version 7), you will have a filter holder, some adapter plates and a CP filter as part of the kit. NiSi has a Standard and Pro version of the filter holder. If you like NiSi products, this would save more money.

You save even more money buying filters second hand.

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