Calling all Landscape Photographers, filter advice needed

Rovers_Andy

Rovers_Andy

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Andy
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I've recently started doing more landscape photography and would like some advice on filters.

I'm using the Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 and the 14-24mm f/2.8.

I understand the 24-70 will take screw in filters but what about the 14-24mm? is there a filter kit to use for this? would there be a kit that i can use that would fit both lens?

What filters would people recommend?

Thanks for any help or advice

Andy
 
With the 14-24 mm you will need a 150mm filter system, there are a few makes, fotodiox wonderpana, Benro fh 150, nisi s5, rollei, there are 5 or 6 different makes. Google it
I just bought the nisi s5 for the pentax 15-30mm you can get an adapter to allow it to be used on smaller lenses .
None of them are cheap so be warned .
I just googled as many different reviews as I could find
All of them seem to come in specialised mounts, for the uwa ff lenses
 
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Derek897 said:
With the 14-24 mm you will need a 150mm filter system, there are a few makes, fotodiox wonderpana, Benro fh 150, nisi s5, rollei, there are 5 or 6 different makes. Google it
I just bought the nisi s5 for the pentax 15-30mm you can get an adapter to allow it to be used on smaller lenses .
None of them are cheap so be warned .
I just googled as many different reviews as I could find
All of them seem to come in specialised mounts, for the uwa ff lenses
Click to expand...
Thanks for the detailed reply :)

I'm considering the 150mm system you mentioned though maybe better to use the 24-70mm for when I want to use the slower shutter speeds during the day?

The main reason I'm considering filters is for sunset pics to remove some of the glare and get a more even exposure
 
DG Phototraining said:
I use the incredibly good 14-24 too :)

But NO filters of any kind, which is why I don't mind not having them for the quality the 14-24 gives me

If I did need any, then it'd only be the full NDs and they are stupidly expensive for this lens, so my Top Tip = don't bother

Dave
Click to expand...
Hi Dave,

Thanks for the feedback, so when you're using the 14-24 how do you handle scenes where you want to capture the sun in the image?

We're very lucky with great sunsets and I'm trying to get some images where I can keep the foreground exposure but also have the sun as a defined orb, I've seen similar images but not sure how they've been achieved
 
Rovers_Andy said:
Thanks for the feedback, so when you're using the 14-24 how do you handle scenes where you want to capture the sun in the image?
Click to expand...

Generally speaking I don't have the sun in my landscape photos as I don't like the white blob - and no filter is going to solve that one for you. I like it behind clouds or hidden by something else (trees or other structures), then you'll often get the sun-rays effect coming through too

If you're lucky at a sunset then I'd go the bracket exposures and blend method, it works better than any filter can and is cheaper too - in that it costs only a bit of time not money

Dave
 
Dave is absolutely correct in saying that bracketing will cover what the filters will do. To an extent.
You can't replicate a cpl in post though.

I'm no filter know it all I'm only starting out, I have a filter system and am waiting on filters to arrive . I only know what I have managed to learn from some research online.
I went for the large system as it can be used back down the line on other lenses, the smaller ones cannot be used on larger lenses. So in this way. Only 1 system is needed.

Decent filter systems are not cheap whether it's for the 14-24mm or the 24-70mm as glass filters are expensive.
Just do a bit of research yourself, so you don't end up 6 months from now still thinking about filters for the 14-24mm after buying for the 24-70mm .
 
Derek897 said:
Dave is absolutely correct in saying that bracketing will cover what the filters will do. To an extent.
You can't replicate a cpl in post though.

I'm no filter know it all I'm only starting out, I have a filter system and am waiting on filters to arrive . I only know what I have managed to learn from some research online.
I went for the large system as it can be used back down the line on other lenses, the smaller ones cannot be used on larger lenses. So in this way. Only 1 system is needed.

Decent filter systems are not cheap whether it's for the 14-24mm or the 24-70mm as glass filters are expensive.
Just do a bit of research yourself, so you don't end up 6 months from now still thinking about filters for the 14-24mm after buying for the 24-70mm .
Click to expand...
Thanks for taking the time to reply, it's appreciated.

I think you and Dave have both given sound advice so for now I will experiment with bracketing exposures and blending them to see if that gives tune desired results
 
DG Phototraining said:
Generally speaking I don't have the sun in my landscape photos as I don't like the white blob - and no filter is going to solve that one for you. I like it behind clouds or hidden by something else (trees or other structures), then you'll often get the sun-rays effect coming through too

If you're lucky at a sunset then I'd go the bracket exposures and blend method, it works better than any filter can and is cheaper too - in that it costs only a bit of time not money

Dave
Click to expand...
Thanks again Dave,

I'll certainly give this a try as we seem to have quite a few sunsets where the sun is filtered a bit by thin clouds giving it a nice orange colour and well defined but I couldn't keep the detail in the foreground
 
If your using a high resolution sensor i.e D800 or above, then I would avoid resin grads as they can degrade the image by 15-20%, if you're going to spend the kind of money required for a kit for the 14-24 (which you could then use on probably any other lens you're likely to own), you may as well get the best you can.
 
I've been very happy with the Hitech firecrest, although whilst they also do a 150mm kit I'm not sure they fit the 14-42mm. You can always ask them, been very helpful for me in the past.
 
First, what’s a ‘cpl’?

Then to answer the question. I’m not a fan of filters. I try to stick as little between the glass and the subject, so I take 7 bracketed exposures (I’m assuming that’s as easy to set up on your body as it is on the D700) and blend them together using an HDR program. It’s one of the things I like about a digital body, previously I took many less of these images, because, it was quite a bit more time consuming on film.
Here’s an example at random, I’ll find one with the sun in it when I’m back at home.

https://flic.kr/p/THS6D3
 
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Richard White said:
First, what’s a ‘cpl’?

Then to answer the question. I’m not a fan of filters. I try to stick as little between the glass and the subject, so I take 7 bracketed exposures (I’m assuming that’s as easy to set up on your body as it is on the D700) and blend them together using an HDR program. It’s one of the things I like about a digital body, previously I took many less of these images, because, it was quite a bit more time consuming on film.
Here’s an example at random, I’ll find one with the sun in it when I’m back at home.

https://flic.kr/p/THS6D3
Click to expand...

Thank you Richard, yes i just had a look and i can do upto 9 stops so i will give that a try today, which software do you use?
 
Rovers_Andy said:
Thank you Richard, yes i just had a look and i can do upto 9 stops so i will give that a try today, which software do you use?
Click to expand...

9! Umm. It’s worth remembering that you may be able to alter the manner of the bracketing. Stops, parts of stops, iso - off the top of my head. Think about the difference between the maximum and minimum exposure you will be using and adjust accordingly.

Have fun mucking about. Richard
 
Derek897 said:
Dave is absolutely correct in saying that bracketing will cover what the filters will do. To an extent.
You can't replicate a cpl in post though.

I'm no filter know it all I'm only starting out, I have a filter system and am waiting on filters to arrive . I only know what I have managed to learn from some research online.
I went for the large system as it can be used back down the line on other lenses, the smaller ones cannot be used on larger lenses. So in this way. Only 1 system is needed.

Decent filter systems are not cheap whether it's for the 14-24mm or the 24-70mm as glass filters are expensive.
Just do a bit of research yourself, so you don't end up 6 months from now still thinking about filters for the 14-24mm after buying for the 24-70mm .
Click to expand...

This the sort of shot i'm trying to get (and improve on) but so i can get more foreground detail, if its even possible?

Sunset4 by Andy, on Flickr
 
Hdr just isn't for me.
I'm not averse to pp by the way, some of my light trail stuff is cloned and mirrored all over
Just something about the tones or range just doesnt gel with me.
I have always tended to under expose and lift in post to try and balance range, but have gone down the filter route now
 
I do like using filters. I do like shooting landscape on the tripod. I find it slows me down & means I only bother taking an image when I know it's going to be worth taking :)

I have a CPL, ND0.9, ND3.0 also a HE 0.6NDGrad. I find that is all I need. Quite often I'll just use the CPL & pull the shadows from a single image, if I'm not sure I will be able to then I'll take a foreground exposure & a sky exposure to blend in PP - sometimes I'll even refocus for each shot too.

When I get the chance, I want to test my square grad for any IQ loss. One day.......
 
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