Filters

Q. How do I determine the correct filter size for my lens?
A.The filter size is the diameter of the threads (distance across) on the front of a lens. The size is often printed on the back side of a lens cap. Your owners manual will list these specifications. You can also measure the diameter with a metric ruler to find the filter size.

Q. What are some standard filter sizes?
A. Common sizes are: 46, 49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72 and 77mm.

Q. Is there a clear filter I can leave on my lens all the time to protect it?
A. Yes, a UV (ultra-violet) haze filter will do an excellent job of protecting your lens from smudges and scratches. It will also filter out ultra-violet haze when you are shooting landscape shots, but protecting the lens is its main job.

Q. How can I make colors more vibrant?
A. Use a polarizing filter. This neutral gray filter increases color saturation, so white clouds stand out more dramatically against the blue sky and foliage appears more lush. Polarizing filters have rotating mounts, so you can turn the filter until the optimum effect is reached, which you will be able to see in your SLRs viewfinder.

Q. I get a lot of glare and reflections when I am shooting around water and windows. What can I do?
A. Once again, use a polarizing filter. By blocking out the unpolarized light rays reflecting off glass, water and most other surfaces, a polarizing filter will dramatically improve these photos.

Q. There are two types of polarizing filters, linear and circular. What type should I buy?
A. Your camera instructions may give you a specific recommendation. If you have an autofocus SLR or if it has off-the-film metering (or both), then you need a circular polarizer to avoid interference between the filter and your cameras autofocus or metering system. If your camera is less sophisticated, then a linear polarizer will work. If in doubt, choose a circular polarizer since it will be compatible with all camera types.

Q. I was just given some filters that are too big for my lens. Is there a way to adapt them so they will fit?
A.Yes, a step-up filter adapter ring will do exactly that. Some photographers who own lenses with different filter sizes purchase all of their filters in the size to fit the largest-diameter lens, then use step-up rings to adapt this one set of filters to all of their lenses.

Q. How can I tell by the numbers printed on my adapter rings whether they are step-up or step-down adapters?
A. The first number is always the lens size, the second number is the filter size. If the first number is bigger, it is a step-down ring. If the first number is smaller, it is a step-up.

Q. How about using filters that are too small for my lens?
A. Step-down adapters will adapt filters to lenses having larger diameters. However, there is a chance that vignetting (dark edges) will occur because of the smaller diameter filters. It is best to use step-down rings only with normal or telephoto lenses and to only step-down one filter size to reduce the chance of vignetting.

Q. I want to darken the sky on some of my landscape pictures without changing the brightness of the foreground. Is there a filter that can do this?
A. Yes, a graduated neutral density filter is clear on one half, gradually becoming gray on the other. It is in a rotating mount, so you can darken one half of the picture without changing the exposure on the remainder.

Q. Is there a filter that will increase saturation of warm colors without changing neutral tones or cool colors?
A. Yes, Tiffens Enhancing filter will do exactly this. It is made of a special glass called didymium that improves yellow, orange, red and brown tones without having much effect on blue and green colors.

Q. Can I use filters from my 35mm SLR on my video camera?
A. Yes, many photo filters work equally well on camcorders. Your camcorder1s automatic iris and white balance controls may null out the effect you1re trying to create with colored and graduated filters, so set these controls manually if possible.