In this lesson, we will briefly discuss filters, a short but important topic.
Maybe you have heard of filters for photography or seen them in the shops. If you ask why they are useful, the answer is short and simple.
In the time of digital photography filters are really no longer necessary. Everything that a filter does, especially creative filters, you can do later on in editing software like Photoshop e.g. you don’t need a red filter (= a red piece of glass which you put in front of your camera) simply tint your photo later using your software and keep the original untouched and pure. However, there are still some filters which are useful.
UV Filter
A UV filter should actually block the UV light that is not seen by the human eye but could theoretically influence your photo. Especially in old(er) film cameras strong UV light could give photos a blue touch. Nowadays new lenses already have so many glass prisms or a UV protection film on the glass, that a UV blocker is not required. But there is another use. A UV filter protects your lens from scratches and dirt. It is a challenge to protect your gear especially for outdoor photography where there is a lot of action, A UV filter is a good and much cheaper solution than buying a new lens. You should still check for a high quality filter – cheap low quality filters could negatively influence your photos.
Polarization Filter
Polarization filters can for example darken the sky slightly giving more contrast to an image or reduce reflections caused by water and other surface. We’ll skip the technical explanation as to why and how this works and focus on the use. A p-filter consists of two layers which need to be adjusted for each picture. Simply look through your viewfinder and turn the adjustment ring of your filter. You will see how reflections are reduced. For example, it will be possible to take pictures through glass or into water without surface reflections. To darken the sky and get some more contrast works similarly, again it’s physics. Simply, light is not equal and there are light types of different waveforms. With a polarization filter it is possible to block a certain type of light which is generally seen in the sky, so the sky gets darker. The foreground is lighted by a different type of light and remains untouched (not darker). Even if I talk about different light types they are all emitted from the sun. Don’t worry too much about why, it’s simple again, look through your viewfinder and see how the motive changes while turning the adjustment ring. In my opinion those filters mentioned are the only useful ones, especially for the UAE and the local light situation, and are a good investment. A polarization filter is usually more than double the price of the UV filter. Prices are strongly dependent on your lens diameter.
Published in March 2011
