beginners advice

[robgriff1 4]

A question for all you experienced snappers!! I just bought my 1st dslr, a Canon 1000d with the is kit lens & I've added a 55-250is. What I would like to find out is whether the uv, macro, sepia, polarising lenses etc on Fleabay are any good. I mainly thought to get a uv lens or hood to protect the glass on my lenses, but the others look a good idea. I just wanted to know if they're any good or just a gimmick. Any advice would be appreciated.

[SEAN3513 7]

depends what your taking pics of really ???

 

i always add a skylight filter ( clear) to all my lenses for protection.

 

and the others i have are a cokin set for lanscapes, which fit into a holder that srews on to different lenses.

 

the only other essential filter i would recommend is a polarising filter, great for stopping harsh light and reflections on bright sunny days.

 

also a red filter if you do a bit of black and white work........lifts shaddow and highlight detail.

 

very basic answer but hope it helps.

 

atb

 

sean

[ade33uk 86]

I went out and got a few filters off ebay picked them up cheap when i saw them , but to be honest i have hardly used them . most of the filtering effects you can add with photoshop .as sean says a good uv filter is a must though to protect the lense ,got one on all my lenses and never take them off .

[ghillies 209]

get a desent uv filter/polariser, i had a CPL (crcular polariser) but it gives a 95% fail rate...that was 3 quid, some gave me a standar hoya PL (poloriser you have to revolve to get a pic though) and it works a load better. i beleive the test is look at a 20p or silver coin, if it apears 'black' it's polarising, if its a bleak slight black its tosh....

 

protecters are a good isia, means the lens glass isnt being cleaned/abraide and id some nice sole splats a a gash in the front..by a new filter.(verses chuck the lens).

[MuttleMcTuttle 21]

Filters are not a gimmick, and it's always best to get the effect you want "in camera" rather than spend hours messing in photoshop.

 

The only filter you really need to start with is a skylight or UV filter, mainly to protect the lens. They may help to cut out a bit of haze, and the skylight will warm the colours very slightly. The cokin type filters won't do much in the way of lens protection, but they are useful for landscapes and special effects.

Circular polarisers are good for cutting out reflections and they do help bring out colours and clouds etc. But when you use oine you will find that they cut out quite a lot of light, and are an acquired taste. You wouldn't want to use a polariser all the time, only in certain circumstances, so you couldn't really leave it on all the time. Good ones are also very expensive, but it's an area where quality counts, as people who buy them off ebay for £3 find out.... (snigger) Hoya are a reasonable brand.

 

A lens hood is a good idea too - it will afford your lenses some protection, and is also useful for preventing lens flare when you are shooting side on to the sun.

 

For digital, the sepia and coloured filters are not really essential as you can easily convert to sepia during image processing.

[robgriff1 4]

UV filter it is then! Thanks for the replies. One other question, are the macro filters any good, as opposed to buying a macro lens?

[MuttleMcTuttle 21]

I presume you mean the macro filters that screw on the front of the lens? Really all they do is magnify, just like holding a magnifying glass in front of the lens. They are okay if you get a good one, but nothing like the quality you would get from a true macro lens. I have used one on a 50mm prime lens and it was ok (ish)

If you are serious about macro photography the canon 100mm macro is a super lens and is great for portraits too. A bit expensive, but value for money considering the quality of the lens.

[ade33uk 86]

A 4x neutral density filter is a good buy , and one i use a lot to take long exposure pics of running water . Ive got a 52mm macro lens adaptor ( screws onto the end of my nikon lens ) if its the same size as a canon lens you are welcome to borrow it and test it for yourself before you buy one .

[J Darcy 5,871]

Filters are not a gimmick, and it's always best to get the effect you want "in camera" rather than spend hours messing in photoshop.

 

The only filter you really need to start with is a skylight or UV filter, mainly to protect the lens. They may help to cut out a bit of haze, and the skylight will warm the colours very slightly. The cokin type filters won't do much in the way of lens protection, but they are useful for landscapes and special effects.

Circular polarisers are good for cutting out reflections and they do help bring out colours and clouds etc. But when you use oine you will find that they cut out quite a lot of light, and are an acquired taste. You wouldn't want to use a polariser all the time, only in certain circumstances, so you couldn't really leave it on all the time. Good ones are also very expensive, but it's an area where quality counts, as people who buy them off ebay for £3 find out.... (snigger) Hoya are a reasonable brand.

 

A lens hood is a good idea too - it will afford your lenses some protection, and is also useful for preventing lens flare when you are shooting side on to the sun.

 

For digital, the sepia and coloured filters are not really essential as you can easily convert to sepia during image processing.

 

 

Great post, very informative....