Module Three: Intermediate Digital Photography
Lens Filters: A Detailed Look
Learning Outcomes
In this lesson, we will take a detailed look at lens filters and study the effects of a variety of types of filter available today. By the end of this lesson, you will begin to think about what use your type of work might have for lens filters and which ones best suit you.
UV/Clear/Haze Filter
The purpose of a UV / Clear / Haze filters today is to simply protect the front element of a lens. In the past, these filters were used to block UV from hitting the film. All digital camera sensors have a UV/IR filter in front of the sensor, so there is no more need to use UV filters on DSLRs. Many photographers use these types of filters for protection, because it is easier and cheaper to replace a …show more content…
Linear polarizers should not be used on DSLR cameras, because they can result in metering errors. Circular polarizers, on the other hand, are perfect for DSLRs and do not cause any metering issues due to their construction. Circular polarizing filters are essentially linear polarizers, with a second glass element attached to their back that circularly polarizes the light, giving accurate exposure results when the light hits the light meter. When the two elements are aligned at the right handle and orientation from the sun, the captured image could have more saturated colors, bluer skies, less reflections and higher overall contrast. Polarizing filters can also reduce haze, which is very useful for landscape photographers.
I never leave my home without a polarizing filter. When photographing landscapes, I often use a polarizing filter to spice up the colors, darken the sky and reduce haze. Polarizing filters are a must when photographing waterfalls or other wet scenery with foliage.
There are a couple of potential issues that you need to understand when using a polarizing