Help with filter choice!

[bassman1231]

I just got my Digital Rebel and I am so in love. I am new to photography of this caliber. I've been doing point and shoot for years and am triing to absorb as much knowledge as I can. As far as filters go, what is a must-have in my arsenal. I am currently using the EF-S 18-55mm that came with the digital rebel kit. I know the filter size for that lens is 58mm. I just bought a lens shade/hood for it. Was that a waste or is it a practical option? Thanks for any replies. May God bless you!

[Jesper]

The lens hood was a very good idea and not a waste of money! I always use lens hoods, they help against flare.

With regard to filters: in my opinion there are no filters that are really a must-have. Some people will tell you that an UV or skylight filter is essential to protect your lens, others disagree. I don't use UV or skylight filters on my lenses.

The only other kind of filter that might be interesting is a circular polarizer. Here is an introduction that explains what a polarizer filter is useful for: Understanding Polarizers (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/polarizers.shtml)

[vfilby]

This is a question that I have been wanting to ask lately too, more specifically though. I want to know if lens hoods are less useful for wide angle lenses being as they look like pie plates and all.

Vince

[Jim_T]

Lens hoods are more important for wide angle lenses than others.

Because of the wide field of view, and the fact wide angle lenses usually have one big hunk of bulging glass for the forward element, light from the sides can be more of a problem. Flare is not an uncommon occurrence when shooting outoors with wide angle lenses.. It's something you have to be aware of.

A lens hood is a very useful option for WA lenses.

[DaveG]

I just got my Digital Rebel and I am so in love. I am new to photography of this caliber. I've been doing point and shoot for years and am triing to absorb as much knowledge as I can. As far as filters go, what is a must-have in my arsenal. I am currently using the EF-S 18-55mm that came with the digital rebel kit. I know the filter size for that lens is 58mm. I just bought a lens shade/hood for it. Was that a waste or is it a practical option? Thanks for any replies. May God bless you!

If you get a good quality UV/Skylight filter you will have no measurable degradation of your image. Something like a B&W or Canon filter will do the trick just fine. Of course after a couple of years the filter might end up a bit scratched or dinged and may need to be replaced. Of course EVERY scratch or ding on this discardable filter would have been on the front element of your lens, which you are unlikely to throw away. So you decide: Possible although unlikely image degradation with a good filter now, or certain image degradation (and much less resale value) of a scratched lens later.

A cheap filter is different though. I had one on an old 300 mm Nikkor f4.5 and it produced black and white negs whose contrast was about a full Kodak Polycontrast Filter grade less than what I got from my Nikkor 180mm ED. For a long time I thought it was just the lens until I did a few shots without the filter and then the negs from either lens produced the same contrast. The irony was that my bad filter LOOKED good on examination. Since then I've spent the extra $ and bought good quality filters.

A lens hood is a great idea. If you get really serious about shading your lens a bellows lens shade is the optimal choice. You want the bellows to be extended to just this side of vignetting, in order to give the best possible shading effect. The camera manufacturer's shades that come with the lens are just too short to do a good job. They are however better than nothing, and there are times where a bellows lens shade hanging off of the end of your lens isn't practicable, so use what you bought.