[shuttertalk]

Let's talk about filters. Which ones do you have (apart from UV) and which ones do you most regularly use?

[Rufus]

Only UV and polarising. Nothing else seems necessary with digital really.

[adam]

The only other filter I've got apart from UV is Hoya R72 for doing infrared pictures, something photoshop can't do;
how regularly do I use it? almost never!

[peter]

ive got a Filter a nd B type mount for some of my fileters ..
i got a few of em .. i got a polarising ...
i got a diffusion filter which makes the liikght look all soft ..
i gots a blue gradient filter to use to make the sky look bluer ..
i got a warm filter .. to make it warmer ...
got a brown gradient one .. dunno what that is for ...
got a start filter. ... which makes reflective light dispurse into star like shapes ...

i thinki got a couple more sitting i na box somewhere...
my dad bought em long time ago .... came wid the AV-1 we got ...

ive only really used the ppolariser nd the diffusion filters tho .. dont really see the use for the rest of them ... but most of the time its a hassle to \screw on the filter mount .. so i usually dont bother ...

[adam]

I was going to start a new thread on filters to ask a question,but seeing as this one already exists, I'll continue the discussion on filters, but in a different way, so...

Which filters are good to have? I don't mean the type, but I mean BRAND. I only know of HOYA and B&W, and heard of some others, but which ones are the GOOD ones to have?

If you just want one to protect the front element of the lens, you don't want one that will ruin the image quality to a large extent. I'm not saying that I want a filter to protect the front lens element from me bumping it right on the front glass, but I'm more worried about the top layer of the lens (coating perhaps) wearing out every time I clean the lens.

[shuttertalk]

Hm... I usually buy Hoya (made in Japan if possible), but that's just a preference.

There is some information here when I was researching a while back.
http://www.2filter.com/faq/faq.html

Some people buy the best money can buy, because the reasoning is that you spend $$$ of dollars on quality lens only to let your shots be ruined by a cheap filter. Others don't really care. I'm middle of the road - try to get the best compromise between price and quality.

[slejhamer]

I have Hoya S-HMC UV filters and a B+W IR filter, but my polarizers are el-cheapo Sunpaks and you know what? They are super!

I had a B+W mono-coated polarizer, ridiculously expensive in the 82mm size, and it did not have any meaningful advantage over the Sunpak other than the ring was made of non-binding brass. Sold it along with my wide lens with no regrets.

[EnglishBob]

I have The Hoya IR mentioned above, used rarely, then I have a cirvular polarizer for each of my lenses, as well as a UV that is never removed. Pretty much everything else I do in PS.

All my filters are Hoya.

[Don Schaeffer]

I have a circular polaroid filter which I use to darken the sky. I have yellow filters for use with black and white photography to darken the sky. I have to mount my filters behind the lens (49 mm screw mount). The polarizer makes my lens feel wobbly and the camera vignettes slightly at wide angle. So I stopped using the polarizer.

[Toad]

I'm like Don. I use a circular polarizer. I have a Cokin filter set that I rarely use as well. Just so much junk in the camera bag.

[Don Schaeffer]

There is some nice software that simulates a range of filter effects. I'll find the link.

--Don