11 Camera Lens Filters : When and How to Use ?
Filters help minimize glare and reflections, enhance colors, reduce light coming into the lens ect. Each lens filter serves a specific purpose, as each one is built to deliver a specific effect that can help enhance the final look of an image. They can generate some fascinating effects that you are unable to edit in post-processing.
If you are new in the photography you might be curious about the various filters in the market. What is the UV filter? What is the difference between the GND and ND filter? And what’s the function of those filters?
Zippi made a pamphlet to introduce 11 common filers and their practical application to help us to understand how to choose a proper filter.
1: Protective filter
Suitable for: All photography
Function: protection against dust, dirt, smears, and scratches on the front element of the lens
2:UV filter
Suitable for: All photography
Function: A UV filter blocks UV light as it enters the lens.
A UV filter is a glass filter that attaches to the front of your camera lens and blocks ultraviolet rays. They used to be necessary for film photography, but now most photographers use them to protect their lenses.
3:Porizer Filter
Suitable for: All photography
Function: reduce mirror reflection, darken the sky. The blue cloud, reduce the shutter speed.
4:ND Filter
Application: Landscape photography and flash photography
Function: Slow the shutter speed overexposure. Long exposure can be achieved in a strong light daytime.
5:Hard GND Filter
Application: Landscape photography
Function: Balance the exposure between the sky and the ground ocean, ocean. Normally, Hard GND Filter with an obvious boundary between the bright and dark areas of the scene.
6:Soft GND Filter
Application: Landscape photography
Function: Soft GND filter usually defined by no obvious transition between the bright and the dark. It is suitable for mountainous areas etc.
7:Application: Landscape photography
Function: Different from the GND filter. The RGND filter gets darker in the middle which can effectively reduce the exposure of the middle highlight object and balance the exposure between the center and the up and lower part of the image.
8:Color filter
Suitable for: All photography
Function: Change the whole image color. With the advancement of the powerful post-product, these filters are not common in the market.
9:Cold/warm Filter
Suitable for: All photography
Function: Correct the color tone. Or change the photography mood by adjusting the white balance.
10:Close-up Filter
Suitable for: Microphotography
Function: Shorten the distance of focal length, enlarge the shooting object
11:Black and white Filter
Suitable for : All photography
Function: Black and white filters normally with 4 colors yellow green orange red. Each of them can absorb different light wavelengths to present different black and white effects. A yellow filter can stand out the contrast of the blue shadow thus stand out the blue sky and the clouds. Orange filter suits the sunrise sunset shooting. A red filter will deepen the blue and enhance the contrast.
