Filters for beginner at landscape photography?

ian-83

ian-83

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Ian
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Looking to get some filters to use with my Nikon D3000 and 16-85mm lens to get some landscape photography. All ready have a tripod.

Been looking at the Cokin P series and found a place that sells a kit with filter holder and lens adapter with 4 filters, (2 Soft Grads (ND2 + 4) and 2 ND filters (ND2 + 4). Would this be suitable for a beginner?
 
Long day at work! Forgot to say i got a circular polariser (Kenko one) that i got for £15 as i never used one before so thought i would get one to try before spending out an a more reputable one
 
Be aware that the Cokin ND's may introduce some degree of colour cast to your shots. If you are shooting in RAW then you can easily recover this in processing. Filters are available in a huge range of prices and the more up-market ones don't give this problem - nor should they at the price !!

A set of Cokins could be a good way to get some experience with the effects available and if you like the results you could move on to other systems later on.

Grad ND's are a really useful tool for landscapes to keep control of the sky / foreground balance.
 
For landscape, a polariser as already said, and if you like those long exposure effects with milky water and streaky clouds, a very dark ND filter (8 or 10 stops).

Another way of getting the grad effect is to use HDR technique (high dynamic range) and blend two exposures together in post processing. It is arguably better than you'll get with any grad, v easy, and free.
 
Theres a big debate over grads vs computers.

Personally I prefer using the real thing. For me, blending 2 exposures (on indeed 3 if you go down the HDR route) is too much time behind the computer and not enough behind the camera. I find I take less shots and less willingness to post process. It is all down to ones taste really. I have exposure blended before, I tend to think the results for me always end up more obvious that "the grad affect" as I find you have to be extra precise where the two exposures meet so you don't highlight you photoshop work.

Something else to consider though, which helped me out a lot and is totally free if you use lightroom is that it has an ND grad feature built in, advantage being you decide how much exposure you want to use precisely and at what grade. The only drawback is i'm not quite sure how much it degrades quality of image, but if shooting RAW it should be fine, mine certainly seem to be.

However like I said, I like to just use filters. Theres nothing better for me than to open up lightroom and be presented with an image thats almost ready to export.
 
Granty_ said:
Theres a big debate over grads vs computers.

Personally I prefer using the real thing. For me, blending 2 exposures (on indeed 3 if you go down the HDR route) is too much time behind the computer and not enough behind the camera. I find I take less shots and less willingness to post process. It is all down to ones taste really. I have exposure blended before, I tend to think the results for me always end up more obvious that "the grad affect" as I find you have to be extra precise where the two exposures meet so you don't highlight you photoshop work.

Something else to consider though, which helped me out a lot and is totally free if you use lightroom is that it has an ND grad feature built in, advantage being you decide how much exposure you want to use precisely and at what grade. The only drawback is i'm not quite sure how much it degrades quality of image, but if shooting RAW it should be fine, mine certainly seem to be.

However like I said, I like to just use filters. Theres nothing better for me than to open up lightroom and be presented with an image thats almost ready to export.
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Well that's debatable! ;) But without going over that argument, the problem with grads is that if a tree or building or some other part of the landscape breaks above the grad line, which it has to be said it very often does, then that gets unavoidably darkened along with the sky. It looks very obvious and, IMHO, naff.

Grads are a hang over from film :D
 
I only have a trial version of Photoshop elements at the moment so not really up to speed on using it but have been impressed so far so might purchase a full copy as it seems a good price compared to buying Photoshop CS.

I prefer to get the shot right in the camera though more than sitting at my PC editing images. Not really had a go at HDR stuff yet as one pic i tried using the kit lens was into direct sunlight the foreground came out lovely but the sky was blown out due to the sun so thats why i thought filters would be a good investment. Going to try my circular polarizer first and see how i get on.

The Cokin kit was £45 so not a massive outlay and with two of ND and ND grad's i am sure i can mix them in the holder together to get some good effects. Main thing i want to do was the milky water effect as whenever i see pics like this i just want to be able to achieve the same results myself.


ElegantSpoon said:
How much is that kit?
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Do you mean my D3000 and the 16-85mm lens? If so i brought the D3000 with the 18-55VR kit lens and got the 16-85mm separate as i wanted something over the kit lens to go a bit wider and a bit further and also the benefit of the front of the lens not rotating when focusing as the kit lens does so i could use filters.
 
ian-83 said:
I only have a trial version of Photoshop elements at the moment so not really up to speed on using it but have been impressed so far so might purchase a full copy as it seems a good price compared to buying Photoshop CS.

I prefer to get the shot right in the camera though more than sitting at my PC editing images. Not really had a go at HDR stuff yet as one pic i tried using the kit lens was into direct sunlight the foreground came out lovely but the sky was blown out due to the sun so thats why i thought filters would be a good investment. Going to try my circular polarizer first and see how i get on.

The Cokin kit was £45 so not a massive outlay and with two of ND and ND grad's i am sure i can mix them in the holder together to get some good effects. Main thing i want to do was the milky water effect as whenever i see pics like this i just want to be able to achieve the same results myself.
Click to expand...

Using a grad is also a form of HDR technique. Pros and cons ;)

The milky water thing. If it's waterfalls and fountains, with fast moving water, a lightish ND filter is ok. Even none at all if the light isn't too bright. Or most polarisers are about 2 stops of ND as well.

But if it's really long exposures you want, to get streaking clouds and to turn the sea to glass, then you're into several full seconds or more. Eight or ten stops of ND, very dark, and for that you must seal the filter against light leaking in behind which rules out all square filters except the Lee Big Stopper (which has a foam seal on the back). Tip: you must also cover the viewfinder, as light creeps in there too.
 
ian-83 said:
I only have a trial version of Photoshop elements at the moment
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Grads are also included in the latest ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) plugin... I would now say that you can process 100% just using the ACR plugin which means all your editing is non-destructive the same as using LR - which I've never managed to get on with, so i stick with ACR in CS5
 
hewhoknows said:
Ive been looking at those kits too, seems to be a good option for guys like us who are beginners with filters.

Was pointed this this site by another forum member who found these Kood ones were the cheapest he could find for the kits: http://www.premier-ink.co.uk/photographic/square-filters/p-type/-c-60_361_363.html

Im ordering mine this morning, cant wait to try them out
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That's the exact kit i was looking at listed in that link. Let me know how you get on with it and what the quality of the filters are like. Just re-looked at the advert i saw in a magazine and i presumed they were Cokin filters but i guess they are the Kood one's.
 
HoppyUK said:
Well that's debatable! ;) But without going over that argument, the problem with grads is that if a tree or building or some other part of the landscape breaks above the grad line, which it has to be said it very often does, then that gets unavoidably darkened along with the sky. It looks very obvious and, IMHO, naff.

Grads are a hang over from film :D
Click to expand...

Just for the benefit of the original poster, the problem mentioned above can be somewhat lessened by using 'soft' ND Grads, which have a smoother transition between the dark and light halves of the filter than the 'hard' ND Grads, which have a more definite transition.
 
I bought cokin P filter system but Hitec filters!! Great combination!
 
Granty_ said:
Something else to consider though, which helped me out a lot and is totally free if you use lightroom is that it has an ND grad feature built in, advantage being you decide how much exposure you want to use precisely and at what grade. The only drawback is i'm not quite sure how much it degrades quality of image, but if shooting RAW it should be fine, mine certainly seem to be.

However like I said, I like to just use filters. Theres nothing better for me than to open up lightroom and be presented with an image thats almost ready to export.
Click to expand...

Lightroom software grads are useful, but can only go up to 1-2 stops depending on exposure, ISO and camera model. I can't find the settings to control hardness either.
In real life, 3 stops or more may be needed. Only physical filters can do that at the moment. Lightroom is great for finetuning the results.
 
One thing to consider is buy once, buy right. I'm new to filters but being delivered this week are a set of 0.3, 0.6 & 0.9 hitech grads and nd's with adapter ring and holder, not Lee but didn't hav the patience to wait! Trouble with testing stuff it's dead money when you want to upgrade.
 
TheNissanMan said:
One thing to consider is buy once, buy right. I'm new to filters but being delivered this week are a set of 0.3, 0.6 & 0.9 hitech grads and nd's with adapter ring and holder, not Lee but didn't hav the patience to wait! Trouble with testing stuff it's dead money when you want to upgrade.
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You should get a fair amount back when you upgrade to Lee. I for one will be upgrading when I have the cash, Hitechs are great but colour casting when stacking is just a nuisance.
 
daugirdas said:
Lightroom software grads are useful, but can only go up to 1-2 stops depending on exposure, ISO and camera model. I can't find the settings to control hardness either.
In real life, 3 stops or more may be needed. Only physical filters can do that at the moment. Lightroom is great for finetuning the results.
Click to expand...

I wasn't aware that lightroom only did 2 stops, I always found it sufficient enough before I got grads, very rarely did I use it to the maximum unless the sky was majorly blown out.

However, your right you need a 0.9 more often than not I find...shame teamwork photo messed my order up and didn't send me this and ended up with a 1.2 instead. However, persuaded them to do me a special deal today :)
 
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