Lens Filters - What Are They and When Do We Need Them?

Many lens filters in today's digital society have been made redundant. Most cameras and/or post-processing tools now includes features for correcting white balance, for softening, or for varied extra effects. But there are still some features that naturally cannot be reproduce without the use of filters. Here we give you an overview of the most important filters that every photographer should learn to use.

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Using Lens Filters

A small filter may be deployed outside to the lens and provide reinforcing or fun effects. The filters had their hay days when population where still photographing with film. Digital imaging had at that time not come that far, and we used distinct filters to get the desired ensue instead.

For that reason, many connect the use of filters with a clear image manipulation. However the most base filters do not provide such drastic results. They are used naturally to reinforce the individual effects, such as light phenomena.

Here are Some of the Most base Lens Filters:

Uv Filter

Uv filter improves color pregnancy and eliminates blur caused by ultraviolet radiation. Ultraviolet light is indiscernible to the eye and extremely prevalent when shooting in hazy weather, large regions, coastal areas and areas with very clear air. Uv filters are colorless and does not want any extension of exposure time. It is recommended that Uv filters are constantly mounted on the lens as a protective filter

When you attach this filter on top of the lens glass, it is the actual filter that is exposed to any dust and scratches. It is much cheaper to replace a filter if you scratch or damage it, than to replace the entire lens.

When using a Uv-filter, it is foremost to remember that the glass of the filter should have at least as good capability as the glass of the lens. Otherwise, the picture capability will be deteriorated.

Polarizing Filter

A polarizing filter is probably the most known and used by all filters, and not without reason. This filter works much like putting a pair of sunglasses in front of the lens. It eliminates reflections, glass, shiny surfaces and water, and thus enables you to picture what is behind a window or under the water, rather than a outside full of reflections. Polarizing filter also contributes to greater incompatibility and more saturate colors, and it can make the sky darker, which is especially beneficial when photographing landscapes. Polarizing filters work, however, only when you picture your branch from an angle, not right on. That is, you'll stand right in front of a window and shooting, the filter may not be able to remove the reflections in the glass. Therefore, make sure you all the time shooting from an angle.

There are two types of polarizers; linear and circular. Linear is used with older by hand cameras, while the circular is used for cameras with auto focus.

Nd (Neutral Density) Filter

A gray filter, or Neutral Density filter, makes it potential to shoot with slower shutter speeds or large apertures, even in very challenging situations. This is because the amount of light emitted straight through the lens is reduced. This is beneficial if you, for example, want to picture a waterfall in daylight, but still want the flat ensue of water in motion. They are available in distinct strengths, depending on how much light you want to block out.

Another selection is a graduated Nd filter. This filter goes from dark to clear, with either flat or sharp transitions. This filter is used, for example, when the foreground and background have distinct exposure. An example is when you picture something dark under a challenging sky. With a graduated Nd filter, you will be able to correctly expose the dark portion of the image without the challenging portion being overexposed.

They are also used to sell out the incompatibility of the image. At sunrise, you may need to dim the sunlight a bit to narrate details in other areas of the image. There are also graded alternatives with colors, which can be used for extra effects. Orange or brownish versions can provide atmospheric skies in the pictures.