Monday 10 March 2014

Equipment overview - Part 2

Filters

Filters play an important role in my photography, I would much rather try and get it right in camera than spending time on the computer back home. Lightroom does have many great features for highlight recovery, boosting shadows & graduated filters which I frequently use to fine tune my images. However, there are some effects which are very difficult to replicate in software.

My collection of filters & filter accessories

Circular filters:
  • Almost all my lenses have standard or pro Hoya Skylight 1b circular filters attached for lens protection. When I'm using any other filters with these lenses the protection filters are removed to prevent vignetting.
  • My largest lens diameter is 77mm so I've only bought specialist circular filters in this size and combine them with step-down rings for all my other lenses.
  • Circular filters do have their limitations, but they much cheaper than their slot in comparisons.
  • I've got a Hoya pro circular polariser, B&W 3.0nd (10 stop) & B&W 1.8nd (6 stop).

Slot in filters:
  • I use Hitech 100mm ND grads, I've got a set of hard & soft in the following strengths: 0.3, 0.6 & 0.9 I've also got a non-grad 0.9  

Holders & pouches:
  • I've got a Cokin Z-Pro holder, with 2 mount rings, 77mm & 67mm. I can also use my step-down rings in combination with the 77mm ring if needed.
  • Lee filter wraps provide great protection for my Hitech filters and pack down really small, you can fit three filters in each wrap.
  • I've also got a few filter pouches for my 77mm filters, with a small cardboard separator in so you can store two filters or a filter and a step-down ring in each pouch.



If I was buying again, not on a budget and prepared to wait for availability I would probably buy Lee filters, but I've been very happy with my current set-up.


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