Camera filters

[AndyL]

G'day Folks,

Quick question - buying a few filters; wondering which ones are of use for aquarium photography?

The guy at the camera shop of course wanted to sell me about 30 different ones . Figure you guys might be better able to suggest which ones are worthwhile.

Thanks in advance,

 

[Blazer88]

What kind of filters did they try and sell you? I don't use any when I shoot my tank.

 

[Rosseau]

I'm not sure what you would use for aquarium shots. Would a polarizer do much?

I'm sure some polarized light exists in the tanks (sort of dependent on your lighting). But I don't think it would be negatively affecting your pictures.

 

[Blazer88]

A polarizing filter will cut the already low light even more. I have one and I've never used it on the tank.

 

[AndyL]

Well in theory a polarizing filter would let you remove any glare/reflection.

Neutral density - if I understand correctly; is basically a shade that doesn't screw up the colors.

Flourescent - which amazingly they had in probably 15 different styles for various K rated bulbs.

UV - doubted they'd be truly useful, as uv really shouldn't be a problem.

The Macro "filters" (screw on 55mm +2/+4 lenses) were kinda cool - might have to invest in a set - tho i notice they're 1/10th the price on ebay.

Largely why I'm asking... Tho I've never noticed my tank being too dark for photography There's a few places where I cant snap a picture without being overexposed...

 

[Blazer88]

Here is my take of filters, hopefully this is somewhat helpful.

-Polarizer: It will cut down on any reflections on the glass. But I would rather just turn off all of the other lights in the room so there aren't any to begin with. CP's can cut down the light significantly resulting in a much slower shutter speed.

-ND filters: As you said, they are basically a neutral gray filter that will cut down on all colors evenly and reduce the amount of light. I don't see how these would be beneficial for tanks. I have a set of ND filters that I use in bright sunlight when photographing waterfalls so I can slow the shutter speed down to smooth the water. They are also useful in bright sunlight so you can use a larger f-stop to reduce DOF without overexposing the shot. I don't see how these would apply for tank photography but I find it useful for other things.

-Flourescent: I don't have any of these filters.

-UV: I generally keep a UV filter on but more for protection of the front element than anything.

-Macro filters: Fun and cheap to play with. They will allow you to focus much closer than without them, but they can distort and degrade an image pretty fast. The won't actually enlarge anything and are only useful if you can get closer to your subject. They can be had for like $20 on ebay, I wouldn't pay any more than that for them. In fact, I have a set of 55mm if you are interested that I'll never use (they were for an old Kodak P&S camera).

 

[jwedehase]

As Blazer mentioned as well, I also don't use any filters.

Polarizer: Useless in the aquarium. Sure, it would cut reflections on the glass, if you were to shoot through the glass at an angle, which is rule #1 in tank photography - Always shoot perpendicular to the glass. If you do, the polarizer is completely ineffective. I've experimented extensively with mine, to no avail. However, the polarizer is the only filter I own, as it's extremely useful outside of the aquarium.

ND - I can't think of any reason you'd want to dim down a tank. In the case where your shots are coming out overexposed, that's a function of the camera mis-metering the light. Try purposely underexposing a couple steps.

Fluorescent - Intended for film. We're in the digital age, and can do all the white balancing we want, IN THE CAMERA. You could go buy whichever K fluorescent filter, or just change your camera's auto white balance from the "sun" to the "fluorescent" icon. Or just custom white balance, which is what most of us do.

UV: As stated above, I have a UV filter on all my lenses, but I use it for protection, not filtration. I'd rather smudge and scratch a $20 filter than the front element on a $1200 lens.

And I've never used macro filters.

 

[MCary]

Are you talking film or digital?

Most filter effects with digital can now be duplicated with software.

As mentioned before the three hold overs are a polarizer, which cannot be duplicated, a uv which is mostly used as a glass layer of protection (protects you lens from dust and scratches) and a ND filter which some say you don't need.

I guess I just repeated what others have said.

Mike