How many of you use filters?

[darinwc]

How many of you use filters?
Which ones and how often?

[David A. Goldfarb]

I have lots of filters, but the ones I use most frequently are yellow, orange, and a polarizer, occasionally a grad, warming filters and color correction filters when I shoot color, but I only ticked off the ones I use often in the poll.

[Poisson Du Jour]

I most commonly use a C-Polariser in rainforests (to reduce spectrals), warmtone in shaded environments with RVP and skylight 1B for seaside imaging. There are also red, yellow and green B&W filters and a tiny Wratten rear-slot skylight filter for my 17-40 lens.

[Galah]

How many of you use filters?
Which ones and how often?

The filters I use are: UV/skylight, polarizing, and enhancing (didymium, red).

UV/skylight: mainly to protect the front element from scuffs or scratches (although I also like the warmth the skylight gives to my colour prints.

I have read many threads/posts arguing the benefits/disadvantages of using these particular filters: why the "advantages" are illusory and the disadvantages real. However, lately I have been collecting/examining (in a small way) numbers of veteran lenses and cameras, and it becomes very obvious which lenses have had the benefit of a filter to protect them from the ravages of time and which have not. This experience has -I'm afraid- entrenched me very firmly in the pro-filter camp, sorry.

Polarizing: I love the colour-saturation and blue sky-effect this filter produces. I dislike the "reveal all the crap at the bottom of the lake/stream/water" effect, and the elimination of the sparkle from water surfaces.

However, used appropriately, I find it quite good to have -as another option.

Another use -I find- is to reduce the SBR where skies are involved (brings it within the film's dynamic range (er.., latitude).


The Didymium filter is great in shots of autumn foliage, as it enhances all the warm tones, especially the reds.

I have some neutral density and soft-focus filters also, but haven't got around to using them, so far.

[Christopher Walrath]

I'm thinking starting a 'P' set for my RB67 (o/ 77mm)

[brian steinberger]

90% of all my filter work (for black and white) is done with an orange and or polariser filter. I also own a yellow, green, and deep red filter, but use these rarely. It's always fun to dream of all the filters that you'd love to own, but when it comes down to carrying them, remembering filter factors, then add in step up rings, it can become too much. Keep it simple.

[darinwc]

How is a red-enhancing filter different from a warmtone?

[Jeff Kubach]

I usally use filters for B&W. Once a while I might use one for color.

Jeff

[Chan Tran]

I never used filters. I am thinking of using the polarizer but I haven't even use it yet.

[David A. Goldfarb]

A didymium enhancing filter is supposed to enhance the warm tones selectively without changing the cool tones like a warming filter would do. The effect can get kind of wacky, but sometimes it works.