I'm curious as to what filters people use when photographing trains. Presently I have only UV and circular polarizing filters on my lenses. Is there any other cool things people have done with filters? Feel free to post samples, or provide a URL. Thanks!
I've got a Sunpack (ICK!) UV filter that I keep for protection on my prized new 24mm lens as well as a light yellow filter for use in black and white photography, but for now, that's all I have. I'm looking at getting a couple B+W Skylight filters for protection on all my lenses in addition to a few other assorted colors for black and white work. This brings up another question, though. Do you all have different filter sizes for all different lenses, or do you use one larger size and step down rings to fit all your lenses?
Me too .. but I only have two different size lenses, (50mm and 67mm) to use with the four different length lenses that I have. I use the UV (Daylight) filter and a Polorized filter. For night shots I may use a star filter. Hey Mark .. you are down in my old stomping grounds!! I grew up right under Hansen Dam at the corner of Glenoaks and Branford Street! In fact, if you go to the old corner of Foothill and Osborne within the dam, you will find a grove of Pepper trees that my grandfather planted around his house and grocery store. I used to lifeguard at Pop's Willow Lake and often went to Sunland Park!
I use the standard Skylight filters as protection on the SLR's lenses. I think they are 52mm or 57mm. The Nikon digital has a 28mm lens thread that makes for difficulty in finding filters unless I use a step-up ring to 37mm then use video camera filters. So, currently I don't have a filter attached to it (and the lens cap is now hiding in a soy field a mile west of Waseca MN! ). Asking the local camera stores to get the 28mm filters is pointless - they haven't heard of any. They are, however, available via the internet. Gary.
I am from the anti-sky/uv-filter-as-protection school. IMHO - unless using high quality filters (B&W, NIKON, Canon etc) the UV/Sky filter is an additional piece of glass that is probably not multi-coated placed in front of a high quality, multi-coated lens. This will diminish the image quality. When using a high quality filter the 'insurance' aspect is not so attractive - as a general rule (but not always) the front element in a lens is not highly complicated and should not be super expensive to replace, should it get scratched. Now if I were a photojournalist I would have a totally different view - many that I have met over the years keep several extra new UV filters in their bag because they get scratched that often. Some keep high quality filters, some keep cheap filters - depends on where they images are going (newspaper reproductions won't show the difference.) I use a Poloraizer outside in full sunlight with my 35mm. With the digital I am in the same boat with Gary - 28mm thread filters are rare beasts. I use CU filters for macro work with the 35mm (inexpensive non-multicoated and I notice a difference in image quality with them.) The Nikon 995 won't be needing any help with that.
When I shot with a 35 mm camera, I always used filters, typically (my favorite) was a circular polarizer. That was always the ticket to reduce the glare on the locos (especially NS black!). I also kept skylight filters on my lenses for the "protection". I have shot photos using a "star" filter, with good results. I don't currently have or use any filters on my digital camera, due to the non-standard size and mounting. Harold
Picked up two new skylight 1A filters yesterday as protectors for my 24/2.8 and 200/4. I almost picked up my first polarizer, but there was a new Lowepro shoulder bag with my name on it.
