Digital camera lens filters are extremely useful in any photographer's gear bag. Camera lens filters are an important part of photography, but with new digital technology they seem to have lost their allure to photographers. The three top camera lens filters any photographer should have are a UV (or haze) filter, a polarizer and a neutral density (ND) filter. These are also the most commonly used filters.
UV & Haze Filters
The top reason to have one of these filters is to protect the lens. One of these filters should be on the lens at all times to protect against dirt, dust and objects (such as rocks) that can hit the lens and crack or scratch the surface. UV filters are cheaper to replace than a lens. Both types of filters do not affect the image. UV filters reduce the amount of ultraviolet light reaching the camera sensor and therefore improve contrast and reduce haze.
The down side of UV filters is the possibility of lens flare and some reduction in image quality. But, digital camera sensors are not as sensitive to UV light as film. Therefore, the reduction in image quality is minimal. Also, some UV filters introduce a slight color shift. The solution to these problems is to purchase high quality filters. Most high quality filters will have a coating that cuts down on lens flare and keeping the filter clean will also help. The better quality filters do not tend to have any color shift.
Polarizing Filters
These filters are indispensable for use in reducing glare, landscape photography, photographing water, reflections and many other uses. Polarizers reduce the amount of light reaching the camera sensor. They work in the same fashion as polarizing sunglasses. In landscape photography they reduce the contrast between the skies and the landscape. This means deeper, richer blues and less contrast. With a circular polarizer, the saturation can be adjusted by rotation of the ring up to 180 degrees. This gives the photographer greater versatility than a linear polarizer.
The downside to polarizers is the reduction in light to the camera sensor. Normally it is 2-3 stops. In low light situations, this can be a problem. If the camera is hand held, then the reduction in light may cause blurry images and sports or action shots would not be possible. But, in bright sunny conditions, this would not be a problem. Also, a tripod can be used for some situations where the reduction of light makes hand held shots impossible.
Neutral Density Filters
Neutral density or ND filters reduce the amount of light reaching the camera sensor uniformly. These lens filters can be purchased in many different levels of density. These are great in situations where a slow shutter speed and low ISO is desirable. On a bright sunny day when a low aperture is needed, the ND filter will come in handy. They are also great for long exposures with water, for making blurry motion shots and shortening the depth of field.
The places where you cannot use ND filters are in sports, motion shots, or with fast shutter speeds. There are also graduated ND filters that are great for sun shots in landscape photography. ND filters are great when used with water for the effect of motion.
Summary
There are other filters that have many useful properties, but these three are the ones that all photographers should use. Filters expand the photographer's versatility and creativity in many situations. They are light, easy to carry and protect the many expensive camera lenses photographers own.
Caroline Thompson - Caroline Thompson has been a professional photojournalist since 1999. She combines writing and photography in her stories. ...
