I'm going to my local camera shop tomorrow and just wanted to know the basics I should pick up to go with my first dSLR. Can some explain to me just why a filter is used? Are they that imporant? Also which is the best type of cloth I will need to clean the lens.
right - depends on who you speak to
you need a tripod - its just a must, really helps, even if you think it wont
filters - some use a UV filter all the time as just a way to protect your lens - others say something in the way all the time doubles the risk of fingerprints/marks etc
i wouldnt start using filters until youve got used to your dslr - but ones you should think about
Neutral density (or ND)- as i understand just a dark tinted filter which allows you to do much longer exposure in daylight without being over exposed
IR - really cool and makes all green foliage look like snow - depends on the cam as to how good your IR shots will come out
polorizing circular filter - these are useful for landscapes they're supposed to bring out the colours
i just bought 3 filters this afternoon so i cant comment really - aint used em yet!
Are they fairly expensive?
Get a UV or Skylight 1A filter, absolute godsend for keeping the actual lens protected and free of crap.
Yes it is another piece of glass which is never good, but unless you are a pro or very very serious amatuer you will never notice the difference.
Tripod is useful although not essential to begin with.
Memory Card? SanDisk and Lexar are the ones to stick to imo and you should be able to pick up a 1GB Card for no more than £70.
a few things I'd pick up :
Lens cloth - Just a microfibre lint-free cloth. Use is obvious.
Rocket Blower - great for removing dust and crap without touching anything. Handy for sensor cleaning. Safest way of cleaning sensor, though not most effective.
Tripod - as said above, a must. Try out what the shop has to offer. They vary in quality massively. Get the most stable you can afford (and carry comfortably!). Although having said that, perhaps don't spend more than £40-£50 on one - once you get to know what your style is, it may be worth investing in a "higher end" tripod, and in turn, a particular head.
Filters - ooer! Warning! Controversy ahead!
right. Filters. First off, 99% of filters are academic these days. They can be reproduced effectively in photoshop. There are some which can't though (expensive programs will claim they can - they can't. They really aren't as good as the real thing).
Circular Polarisers - these will saturate your skies, giving images real pop. Work best at 90 degrees to the sun. If there is no sun, they have no effect other than to lose you 2 stops of light. Worth picking one up. If they are available, don't pick up a cheaper linear polariser. Won't work with your camera.
Neutral Density filters - just a gray, neutral filter. Makes you lose light, forcing longer exposures - longer exposures can be great fun (with a tripod) but impossible with even low ISO and high aperture in some conditions. Example - taking a photo of a fast flowing river in bright sunlight. They're great, but I wouldn't bother with any just yet. They're really quite expensive.
Neutral Density graduated - same as above, except this time the top of the filter is dark, and the bottom light, and the two fade evenly. Ever noticed that your skies come out really washed out? Sure, you could expose for them, but then you end up with silhoutted foreground. These filters let you expose for both. Very handy. Reproducable to a certain degree in photoshop, but only if you had the sky detail to begin with. As with ND (neutral density) filters, they're mega handy, but not a must. More expenditure, so unless your pockets are deep, I'd skip them for now.
Infra Red - woah! Well personally I love these. The name is misleading, they actually block visible light, not IR at all. All that is left is IR light - lets you see into a whole different world. There is tons to explain here, it's a whole different area of photography - but suffice to say, I think it's best if you get to grips with "normal" photography before you start to dabble in this.
OK, so those are the "effects" filters covered. I think. As far as I know just about everything else is reproducable in PS.
Onto UV, or "Skylight" filters. Essentially just a clear bit of glass. They can help to reduce haze on bright days, although it's not really a good enough reason to buy one. The reason most people get them is to protect the front of their lens - it's better to bump a UV filter which cost a couple of quid than the front element of your lens, which cost far more. So people just leave them on all the time.
however there are many who do not use UV filters. Those who do not do so because they say that they degrade image quality. This can be in many ways - increasing chances of flare, extra internal reflections, "the lens is only as good as the last bit of glass" - all sorts.
I'm not going to say whether you should or shouldn't subscribe to the "keep a UV filter on all lenses, at all times" idea. Just that you should be aware of the pros // cons.
Wow, thanks for such an amazing reply. I learnt quite a bit there. The tripod I got from ebay is fine for the time being. Once I get more into photography I will buy a better one. I think I'm gonna get a UV lens just to protect the front of the camera. Is there a standard size? I have a Niikon D50
Annoyingly, all lenses have different filter threads - of course some are more common than others, but you're damn lucky if you can use the same filters on more than one lens.
Smaller filter threads = cheaper filters.
To find out the filter thread for the kit lens (18-55?) pop off the lens cap - it'll say on the back.
To give you an idea of filter thread sizes, they range from the low 40's to the 80's
edit : and no problem - there was too much trawling the net when I first started with my dSLR for titbits of info here and there.
Yeap I have the 18-55 mm one. Looks like its a 52mm cap
This sub-forum was a great idea
Damn right!Originally Posted by Famished
This sub-forum was a great idea
52mm is relatively small - filters should be comparitively easy on the wallet
Ouch, you should see the cost of filters for my 67mm 18-50 f2.8 sigma. Makes me want to cry!
Not around too often!
not much to add really...
pop to an independant camera shop that does more second hand stuff. filters tend to be £2-3 from them
ooh and memory cards can be as little as £75 online for a 2 gig sandisk extreme III which are very fast indeed.
Yes, if you need more memory, I'd pick it up off the net.
If you're willing to peruse Ebay, I picked up a 1GB Sandisk extreme II for 30 notes, brand new, in the UK.
Even if you don't want the hassle of Ebay, memory is still cheaper online
hunt around, they're cheaper - ebay or mymemory.co.uk often quite cheap.not much to add really...
pop to an independant camera shop that does more second hand stuff. filters tend to be £2-3 from them
ooh and memory cards can be as little as £75 online for a 2 gig sandisk extreme III which are very fast indeed.
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Yeah, I had a bit of a nasty moment when I got the skylight filter for my 17-40L lens.. 77mm = ouch!
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stoo, I got a 77mm filter (circ polariser) for my 24-70/100-400 lenses and it only cost me around £12...spotless too
sometimes ebay is great.
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I managed to get a 52mm UV filter for £3 on ebay
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