There is an opinion that light filters are rapidly becoming a thing of the past along with film cameras. Today, when any effect can be obtained using computer processing, filters have indeed lost their relevance in many ways. But nevertheless, for some tasks even today the light filter is the most reliable and convenient tool for work. Now it performs a different function - with the help of a light filter, you can create the photographic material for further processing that you need. It does not replace photo processing, but creates the basis we need for processing.

And today we will talk about just that - about what filters and why a modern digital photographer needs them.

But first, let's talk about which filters really should be sent to the dustbin of time.

And it’s worth talking about them because the seller in the photo store can tell you for a long and exciting time how you need these filters and how you can get nowhere without them. It’s just that these light filters have long been lying and gathering dust in the store’s warehouse, and the seller needs to sell them to someone.

Color filters and filters that change color temperature

The RAW format gives us the ability to change colors, change the color temperature, and do a lot of other great things. And for this you do not need to buy glass, which costs 100 times more than its cost.

Effective filters.

Asterisks. Rays. "Blur". All this was mega-cool until Photoshop was invented.

Let's say goodbye to this veteran and turn to those light filters that are of interest to us in the 21st century.

Ultraviolet light filter (UV)

The main task of this light filter is to prevent the penetration ultraviolet rays. If you are shooting in highlands or on the ocean at the height of solar activity (when the influence of ultraviolet light on the picture is especially high) - the UV filter will really make the colors in the photo more realistic and beautiful.

But such conditions are quite rare. In practice, the main function of a UV filter is different - a UV filter is great for protecting your lens from physical damage. It does not affect the picture in any way (and in some cases even improves it), but if the camera falls, it will take a hit on itself. After all, it is much cheaper to buy a new filter than a new lens.

Importantly, the UV filter will also get dirty and scratched, not your lens. If you use expensive optics, be sure to buy a UV filter along with the lens.

Polarizing filters

I am sure that each of you has seen gorgeous photos from tropical islands, where the sky is truly blue and the ocean is a beautiful juicy sea color. All these photos were taken using a polarizing filter.

Photographer - Vasily Gureev

The main function of the polarizer is to eliminate reflections and glare on shiny non-metallic surfaces. It is thanks to this that the sky in the photographs turns out so blue - the polarizer removed the sunlight reflected by the sky.

Photographer - Vasily Gureev

The same with water - removing glare from its surface, we get more juicy and beautiful colors.

Photographer - Vasily Gureev

Another way to use a polarizer is to eliminate reflections in storefronts and windows. Let's say you need to take a picture of a person sitting outside a window in a cafe. But in the photo we get a lot of reflections in the glass of the shop window. Use a polarizer and you will get the frame you want.

Of course, it is possible to make the sky and water beautiful during processing. But, firstly, this is not possible in all cases, and secondly, using a polarizer you can make an even more beautiful picture during processing, because with a polarizer we will initially get the best frame in colors - an excellent basis for further processing.

In reportage photography, a polarist is really indispensable. Having made 300-600 shots from the event, you will spend a lot of time on beautiful processing the same sky. And with a polarizer, you will immediately get shots where general batch processing will be enough to make great photos.

Neutral gray filters (ND)

The effect that a neutral gray filter has is very difficult to recreate in processing. And even in cases where this is possible, it becomes an extremely time-consuming process. What does an ND filter do?

Have you seen pictures of water gently descending from a waterfall?

Beautiful footage. And you can remove them only with the use of ND filters. The fact is that if we set the exposure settings correctly, we will get a beautiful frame. But the water in the waterfall will freeze. There will not be the smoothness that we wanted to get. Because to get this smoothness, you need to shoot at a slow shutter speed - 1/2 second or more. But shooting at such an exposure during the day, the frame, no matter how hard we try, will still turn out to be overexposed. What to do? Wear an ND filter. The only function of an ND filter is to reduce the amount of light that hits the camera's sensor.

There are ND x2, x4, x8 and even x400 filters. These numbers in the filter markings mean the light transmission coefficient. We take, say, an NDx8 filter, put it on the lens and that's it! Now the camera receives much less light and we can safely shoot at the shutter speed we need.

gradient filters

In essence, a gradient filter is just glass, one half of which is transparent and the other is colored. Gradient filters come in two types - ND and color. Color filters are used only when shooting on film, because. in digital photography its effect can be created in Photoshop in a couple of clicks. So, we are not interested in him at all. But the neutral gray filter really deserves attention.

A gradient ND filter has the same effect as a regular ND filter - it does not let in excess light. But in the case of a gradient filter, the ND coating takes up only half of the glass.

What is such a filter for? For example, you are shooting a landscape. In the frame - a field with wonderful flowers and beautiful clouds in the sky.

But the sky and the field differ in brightness. This means that either our sky will not be juicy and contrasting enough, or the field will turn out to be excessively dark. And in such a situation, we just need to put on a gradient ND filter - one half of which is transparent (let's turn the filter with this half on the field), and the other is neutral gray (and its correspondingly on the sky). What did we get?

Now the sky in the frame will be darker than it really is, which means we have equalized our sky and field in brightness.

A similar effect, without using a light filter, can only be achieved by shooting several frames with different exposure settings, and then, during processing, glue them all into one photo. But it’s easier and more efficient to just put on a light filter and immediately take the shot you need.

In the shop

So, having decided what kind of filter we need, we came to the photoshop. When buying a light filter, it is important to know a few things:

- All filters are made for a certain lens thread size. For example, you won’t be able to put on a filter for a 50mm “fifty” telephoto lens - it will simply be too large.

- Buy light filters from trusted manufacturers. A poor-quality filter will not last long and will spoil your photos very quickly. The fact is that cheap light filters are made of low-quality materials, which after a while will begin to break down, the components of the filter will begin to delaminate, distorting the picture in your photographs.

— You should not buy filters from branded manufacturers of photographic equipment (Nikon, Canon, Minolta, etc.). Of course, these are high-quality and reliable filters. But the brand in their name is just a set of letters and nothing more. They are produced by completely different companies commissioned by Nikon or Canon. And as a result, you will overpay a decent amount just for a well-known brand.

- There are several companies that produce really high-quality filters professional level for the right money:

Rodenstock

Optische Werke G. Rodenstock has been producing photographic optics for over 100 years, and Rodenstock filters are considered to be among the best in the world. Professional photographers Rodenstock filters are trusted all over the world and this is perhaps the best recommendation.
If you need a really high-quality light filter, pay attention to Rodenstock filters.

HOYA

World leader in the production of light filters. In the production of filters, HOYA uses a number of unique technologies that make their filters very high quality and reliable. We are especially interested in the HOYA PRO1 Digital series of filters - light filters designed specifically for digital cameras.

Schneider B&W

The company is also known for the quality of its light filters. In addition to the production of extensive model range filters, B+W pay special attention to the strength of their filter frames.

TIFFEN

Due to their quality, TIFFEN filters are used by professionals all over the world. Unfortunately, on Russian market meeting TIFFEN products is much more difficult than HOYA or B+W.

As we can see, filters are an integral part of the shooting process in modern photography. The success of a photographer today is the technical knowledge of photography and the ability to competently process photographs. And filters are exactly what will help you create a photo that you can process as efficiently as possible.

It must be said right away that filters for lenses are not mandatory for use. So why do we need filters on lenses, what are their types and how to use filters in photography.

One of the tasks performed by such filters is lens protection, if a foreign object hits the lens, the filter will take the blow.

Another task for filters is luminous flux control, they are able to delay the desired waves of light and so you can achieve certain artistic goals.

Polarizing filters

A polarizing filter is used to reduce reflections and glare from surfaces, such as reflections on water. The polarizing filter reduces the aperture ratio of the lens, because of this, you need to make a correction to the exposure. But such a filter enhances colors. The sky, grass and other colored objects become richer. Well suited for shooting landscapes, landscapes.

There are linear "PL" and circular "C-PL" polarizing filters. They consist of two plates and before shooting they need to be adjusted by rotating the plates relative to each other. Rotation occurs between 0 and 90 degrees.

When buying such filters, carefully choose the desired system, because linear filters often block the autofocus system. And circular polarizers are more expensive, but they basically allow the autofocus and metering system to work normally. Also pay attention to the attachment to the lens, because the filter will have to be rotated and you must not knock down the setting of the first lens of the lens if you also have to adjust it.

The price of polarizing filters is from $20 to $150.

Neutral ND filters

If it becomes necessary to change the exposure, but it is impossible to reduce the shutter speed, then reduce the amount of light entering the matrix. In such a situation, a neutral ND filter is used. They differ in density, which means the amount of light transmitted. Such filters may be needed when shooting on a sunny day, if you need to increase the shutter speed (shooting water in the sun). Or you need to increase the aperture for a shallower depth of field.

Neutral density filters for cameras do not affect colors, contrast, glare, reflections.

They can cost from $10 to $200.

Gradient ND Filters

Such filters for lenses are used only to reduce the light flux, but their density varies over the entire filter area. There is a smooth gradient, when the transition between different areas of density is smooth. There are filters with a clearer boundary between different areas. And there are filters where the gradient is applied in a circle, the filter is denser in the center, and enlightenment comes to the edges.

Such filters have the abbreviation "GND". They are used when objects with different illumination enter the frame. For example, a bright sky and earth with a clear horizon boundary. By applying a gradient filter, you can get a picture with a normal exposure over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe frame.

Usually the part of the filter that transmits more light is made transparent. Then the marking of the filter indicates the difference in the transmission of light at different ends of the filter, that is, how many steps the dark part delays the light. For example, "0.6 ND" means a difference of 2 f stops (1.4).

Infrared

Infrared light filters on the lens serve to filter almost the entire visible spectrum of the light flux, only infrared radiation is transmitted to the matrix. Since visible radiation is blocked, aiming at the object (focusing, exposure metering) must be done before using an infrared filter. As a result, in the picture you will get a dark sky, white trees and all objects will change their color greatly.

The approximate price of infrared filters is from $50 to $100.

Protective filter

Used to protect the lens of an objective. You can purchase immediately with the purchase of a lens, especially if the camera will be used outdoors. Protects the lens from fingerprints, dust, dirt, sand, scratches. Today, ultraviolet light filters are mainly used as protective ones.

UV filters

They have the letters "UV" in the designation, and are often used as protective filters. They were widely used for film cameras, the digital matrix is ​​much less susceptible to ultraviolet radiation. But you can still notice the difference in the pictures with and without a UV filter. Applying a filter can make the image a little more contrasty, affecting the display of blue. Its use is especially noticeable in the mountains or at sea. But still today, its main role in digital cameras is the protection of the front lens of the lens. Price from $5 to $50.

Conclusion

The main manufacturers of filters for lenses are the following companies: Marumi, Hoya, Kenko, Matin, Meike. When choosing a filter, pay attention to the size in millimeters so that it matches your lens. Also, filters can be either threaded or overhead. With a threaded connection, great protection and it is not scary to move the filter during shooting. But for screw-on filters, you need to carefully look at compatibility with your lens.

Greetings, dear readers! I'm in touch with you, Timur Mustaev. Many amateur photographers sooner or later think about expanding their own collection of accessories and add-ons for the camera. One of the items on the list of important acquisitions are filters for optics.

Of course, in the digital age, photo processing works wonders, and the use of most filters has become impractical.

However, there are several types that will come in handy in any genre of photography.

I propose to devote today's article to one of them - the UV filter, which should be in the arsenal of every self-respecting photographer.

In one of the previous articles, I already talked about the possibilities.

Purpose

The purpose of a lens UV filter is primarily to protect the front lens from dust, moisture, and accidental damage that often occurs as a result of being dropped or hit by a hard object.

The main declared difference of this accessory from others is the prevention of direct sunlight on the matrix of a SLR camera, which is more sensitive to ultraviolet light than the human eye.

UV filter is used during landscape photography at long and short distances, which avoids the formation of haze, which is very noticeable when photographing in mountainous areas or in open areas where there is an excess of ultraviolet rays in sunny weather.

A high-quality filter does not affect contrast in any way, so it is not necessary to remove it from the lens.

What brand of UV filter should I buy?

Having installed the filter on the optics, remember that from this very moment it becomes part of your photographic device. So that in the future there are no problems limiting the capabilities of technology, do not chase cheapness, choose those manufacturers that have proven themselves in the market for photographic products.

Here are a few of them: Hoya, Marumi, Kenko, Tiffen, B+W.

When choosing, the material of all its components should be taken into account.

As for the lens itself, it must be made of high quality glass and covered with a protective layer.

Cheap analogues are made of plastic and after some time they begin to collapse, and the protective layer flakes and peels off, which ultimately does not decorate the photo.

In order to choose the right filter for your optics, it is enough to know the thread diameter, which is indicated on the lens or on the inside of the protective cap.

By the way, the cost of the filter depends on the diameter, the larger it is, the higher the price.

How to use Adobe Photoshop to replace the UV filter?

As you understand, Photoshop will not get rid of mechanical damage and scratches, but it can cope with the final effect of ultraviolet radiation on the photo.

So, you can remove unwanted phenomena as follows:

• By increasing the overall contrast of the photo with the help of the sliders ( Image > Correction > Brightness/Contrast).
• By lowering the saturation of the blue tint by moving the slider ( Image > Correction > Hue/Saturation > Blue).

In conclusion, I want to reveal a simple truth, a filter, like a lens hood, is an integral part of the photography process, but the success of a photographer does not depend on the availability of these accessories, but on the ability to use them.

Do you have a SLR camera? If yes, how well do you understand it? Do you have misunderstandings about usage? If so, I recommend studying a powerful video course. Thanks to him, you will learn to better deal with your reflex camera. You will no longer have many questions and begin to get beautiful photos.

Digital SLR for beginners 2.0- for owners of NIKON photographic equipment.

My first MIRROR— for owners of CANON photographic equipment.

Subscribe to blog updates, and share a direct link to the article with friends and family. Happy filming!

All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.

All photographers know that for a high-quality picture one is not enough: you need to have a set of lenses and some other devices. A special role is given to light filters for lenses - special glasses that are put on lenses.

Why filters are needed

The main task of light filters is to give the image a certain effect immediately, without using graphic editors. This allows you to darken or brighten the photo, get rid of overexposure or glare. Another important task is to protect the lens from dust and sand when shooting in natural conditions.

It is important to remember that the use of filters can lead to deterioration of the photograph itself due to the presence of an additional "obstacle" between the lens and the subject. It is also not recommended to put on several filters at once, as this will create an unnecessarily thick “wall”.

According to the type of attachment, all lenses are divided into:

1. Overhead: They are rectangular and can be used on any lens, but require an additional mount;
2. Screw-on round shape: they are selected according to the diameter of the lens and screwed on top. If necessary, special adapter rings can be used.

But much more often the division occurs depending on the purpose of the filter itself. They may be:

• protective;
• neutral;
• polarizing;
• having a certain effect.

Each option has its own specific uses.

Protective filters

They are used to protect against:

There are four types of such filters:

1. Neutral: the simplest colorless filter that allows you to protect the lens from mechanical stress;
2. Haze: anti-haze filter;
3. UV: protection against UV radiation that can damage the lens;
4. Skylight: have a light pink glass tint that helps to correct the color of the photo, making it warmer. They are used to soften the frame in portrait photography and sharpen in cloudy weather.

Attention! Protective filters are inexpensive, but products from cheap companies can degrade photo quality due to a weaker ability to transmit light. You need to choose the best option.

Neutral gray filters

Also called Neutral Density (ND) they are used to achieve a soft blur by reducing the amount of light. Initially, this can be achieved by holding down the aperture or slowing down the shutter speed, but these tricks can greatly simplify the composition itself, depriving it of other advantages. In addition, applying the filter is much easier and frees up the photographer's hands.

There are two types of filters:

1. Simple: has a uniform color without transitions;
2. Gradient: has a smooth transition from white to gray. It can be soft, hard and circular: in the latter cases, the gray color comes out of the center.

A simple neutral density filter is used for:

The most striking example of the use of a neutral density filter is a photograph of a waterfall on a bright sunny day. To achieve the effect of whole water, not broken into drops, a long exposure of several seconds or minutes is necessary. Using a filter, you can easily achieve this without damaging the lens.

A gradient filter is used in a similar way, but in slightly different situations. It allows you to leave part of the photo in natural light, and darken the second part. This is helpful when shooting overly bright skies, snow, or seas.

A significant disadvantage of the gradient is a clear division into halves: if the boundaries of the illuminated area are not clear, problems may arise. It is also worth remembering that each manufacturer has its own concept of gradient saturation: for some, the color can go completely dark, for others it remains too light.

The saturation of the gray color changes in stops - from one to ten. The most popular are filters for one, two and three stops. For convenience and economy, some companies have begun to produce filters with variable stops, their number ranges from one to eight. They consist of two polarizing filters that must be rotated to achieve the desired result.

Polarizing filter

Photographers often refer to this filter as a “polarizer” and you can see that it is present in almost all professionals. Its main advantage lies in the removal of sun glare from almost all surfaces except metal: from water, glass, mirrors, etc. Due to this, objects whose colors seem excessively dull due to a large amount of light become brighter and more saturated, gaining contrast. This allows you to work even with excess light, without losing image quality.

A classic example of the "work" of a polarizing filter is a photograph of the sky on a sunny day. Due to the abundance of light, the object usually appears faded and flat. By removing glare from moisture droplets that are in the atmosphere, the filter allows you to get a clear and textured image. The same applies to shooting water, such as a lake or the sea: by eliminating glare, the water appears transparent.

There are two types of filters:

1. Linear: Cheaper options that can only be used on film cameras with a focus knob;
2. Circular or circular: used on digital cameras with autofocus. They consist of two frames - movable with glass and fixed, which is fixed on the lens. To obtain the result, it is necessary to carefully rotate the moving part.

It is worth recalling the shortcomings of the "Polar", the main of which is its price. This filter is one of the most expensive, but it is not worth saving on it: cheap analogues of unverified companies either work poorly or do not work at all.

Attention! The second unpleasant feature is connected with the advantages of the filter: it "eats" the light. As a result, the photo may appear darker than desired.

It is also worth remembering that the filter does not work well with lenses that are too wide, as it is not able to completely remove all glare from such a wide angle. It is best to use the filter at a focal length of 28 mm and the light source at a right angle: for example, the sun should be at its zenith.

Special filters

In addition to the main filters, there are several glasses that can help you achieve an interesting effect on a photo without additional processing.

1. Warm and cool filters: allow you to change the hue of colors by changing the white balance, making the photo "cooler" or "warmer";
2. Colored glasses: allow you to "color" the photo in different colors;
3. Soft-effect filters: help to blur the object, blur it, while maintaining high definition;
4. Infrared glasses: they pass radiation from 700 nm, which allows you to take surreal photographs, completely changing colors. For example, the sky may turn black and the foliage white, although the clouds remain unchanged;
5. Beam filters or "stars": due to the presence of a special grid, point light sources, such as lamps, are stretched and take on the form of "stars" with several rays;
6. Fog filters: on their surface is located a large number of translucent dots that create a light haze - morning fog.

Many photographers consciously refuse to use filters, others, on the contrary, cannot imagine the process without them. Filters are small but important assistants in photography, helping to achieve better quality, clarity, and in some cases, unusual effects.

How to choose a filter for a lens - video

The filter on the lens is perhaps the most incomprehensible accessory for a beginner in photography. On the one hand, all the photographers of the past used them in one way or another. And the consultant in the store, most likely, will strongly advise you to purchase a light filter. On the other hand, in recent years, a lot has changed in the technical side of photography: some types of filters have simply become unnecessary.

Nevertheless, a number of scenes without a properly selected filter will definitely not be able to be removed. And the most banal task - protecting the front lens of the lens from mechanical damage - has not been canceled. In this article, we will talk about what filters are really needed for photography today and how to choose the best light filter.

What filters are not needed for digital cameras?

Since the beginning of the 21st century, many photographers have switched from film cameras to digital ones. Of course, this simplified the process of shooting and processing images. Similarly, the transition to digital technologies affected the work with light filters. For example, all modern digital cameras they themselves know how to select the white balance, adapting to lighting conditions - incandescent lamps, sunlight and other sources. But quite recently, to ensure the correct color reproduction, not white balance presets were used, but glass filters of different shades and densities, they were also called conversion filters. So, you can forget about this type of filters if you shoot with a digital camera.

In addition to conversion filters, simple color filters were also widely used: red, yellow, blue, green. They were used for black and white photography. Thanks to such filters, only rays of a certain color reached the film without hindrance, while the rest of the colors were weakened. For example, a red filter made it possible to get an almost black, very dramatic and beautiful sky on black and white film. Today, the same effect is easy to obtain both digitally and directly in the camera.

Soft filters that reduce the sharpness of a frame to obtain a certain artistic effect have lost their former relevance - smoothing textures and skin roughness in portrait shooting, glowing contrasting borders in other scenes. They were replaced by digital retouching. However, not everything is so clear-cut here. Some proprietary soft filters provide a unique effect, just as each lens has a unique background blur pattern. So it is not worth completely abandoning soft filters.