Lens Filters

How are Camera Lens Filters Used in Photography and Videography?

In photography and videography, a filter is a camera accessory to protect camera lenses from scratches, thumbprints, and dust. Meanwhile, lens filters improve images and, in some instances, achieve effects that even the best photo editing suites cannot replicate. 

Different Types of Lens Filters

Lens filters consist of an optical filter that can be inserted into the optical path. A lens filter can be of a square or oblong shape and mounted in a holder accessory, or, more commonly, a glass or plastic disk in a metal or plastic ring frame, which can be screwed into the front of or clipped onto the camera lens. 

In digital photography, the majority of lens filters have been rendered redundant by digital filters applied either in-camera or during post-processing. Exceptions include the ultraviolet (UV) filter typically used to protect the front surface of the lens against moisture, dirt, and scratches, which makes them ideal for shooting in wet, dusty, or muddy environments. In the past, UV filters were also used to prevent the UV light from causing haze and fogginess in older photographic films, which were typically more sensitive to UV rays.

A neutral density (ND) filter permits effects requiring wide apertures or long exposures to be applied to brightly lit scenes, while the graduated ND filter is useful in situations where the scene's dynamic range exceeds the capability of the sensor. Not using optical filters in front of the lens has the advantage of avoiding the reduction of image quality caused by the presence of an extra optical element in the light path and may be necessary to avoid vignetting when using wide-angle lenses. ND filters are most suitable for landscape photography, flash photography, street photography, photographing moving bodies of water like rivers and falls. 

Graduated neutral density filters (also known as ND Grad or GND filters) have a vertical transition between dark and clear to balance the exposure between the sunny sky and its darker foreground. This type of lens filter varies in darkness and is measured in “stops”—the number of stops of light determines how much it will darken part of the scene you are trying to capture. Graduated neutral density filters are most suitable for landscape photography and shooting during the golden hours: after sunrise and before sunset.

A CPL filter – which stands for circular polarizer/linear – is a glass attachment that can reduce the glare from reflected surfaces. A CPL filter is most suitable for removing glass reflections, darkening the sky, and enhancing color. 

Polarizing filters, pretty much like sunglasses, add depth to an image by saturating its color and reducing reflections.

Protect your camera lenses and improve your photographs with help from K&F Concept and its wide range of selection of neutral density, protective, and polarizing lens filters.