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These are the filters you need for landscape photography


Here’s a brief overview of why you need filters for landscape photography, a comparison of the different types of systems you may encounter, and a breakdown of which setup is right for you.

Whether you’re just starting your photography journey, just starting to learn landscape photography, or looking to upgrade your filter system, there’s definitely something here for you. Decision fatigue is a real thing, especially when it comes to the world of photography. Trying to decide which brand to buy, which lens is right for you, integer vs zoom, full frame vs mirrorless, feels like endless. The filters made no difference and I clearly remember being so overwhelmed when I first started that I just avoided them altogether.

My goal for this article is to get your feet wet and to provide additional resources for exactly what you might need for the place you’re working. Let’s start with the basics.

Why do you need a filter?

There are two main reasons to use filters. The first is to create movement in your image by adjusting the shutter speed (think water or clouds in motion). This is done using what is known as a neutral density (ND) filter. basically block the light from your camera. The standard values ​​you most often see are 3, 6, and 10 stops of light.

Another very important task a filter can do is to physically manipulate light, which is just a fancy way of describing the purpose of a circular polarizer (CPL), which is to remove reflections of light. on your subject or in the atmosphere. This is the most important filter you will have in your luggage as a landscape photographer and if you are wondering what it can do, check out article that explains everything you want to know about CPL.

Finally, filters can control your exposure in specific areas of your image, which is what you do with a graduated neutral density (GND) filter. These usually darken the edges of your frames and gradually lighten them. You’ll see a number called “soft” and “hard,” which just describes the speed at which dark-to-light transitions are made. Other filters exist to add “fog” or special effects to your images that I don’t even take into account options, but they do exist.

Square filter system

You are probably familiar with circular filters, as they have been around for almost as long as photography. Square filters are a bit more unique and only really come into play in landscape or architecture photography. Unlike circular filters that screw into the threads at the end of your lens, these square filters require some sort of system to communicate and attach to your lens.

There are many options for systems, but they all work similarly, usually with a large circular polarizer closest to the lens and then some sort of device that communicates with a square filter. This allows you to do some things that you can’t do with circular filters. Most importantly, it allows you to use graduated filters so you can adjust the exposure of something like your sky without affecting your foreground. For decades it also allowed you to stack ND filters much more easily than circular ones, but that has changed a bit with modern circular filters (more on that later). this).

The great benefit of square filters over circular filters is their size. One problem you can run into when using circular filters is blurring at wide angles, especially if you’re trying to stack filters. This does not happen when you are using these 100mm x 100mm square filters. It also means you can use them in different lens sizes without issue, making them a bit more versatile for your lens choices.

Wait…

Okay, this means you should go out and buy a square filter system right away, right? Not necessarily. Many photographers consider the use of square filters to be obsolete in modern photography. Graded filters are one of the main reasons to use these kits, but with modern cameras a greater dynamic range than ever is combined with the use of techniques like Exposureyou can take away without using them.

On top of that, magnetic circular filters were introduced a few years ago, and they changed everything about the filter system. In the past, if you had to screw on a circular polarizer or set up a square system, the setup times weren’t very different, so the opportunity cost of using one over the other was minimal. Now, with magnetic filters, you can add a polarizer and an ND in less than 10 seconds. Factor in the size and weight difference between the two and you’re stuck wondering why you’re using a square filter.

The truth is that most of the time, I don’t want to use the filter at all if I can get away with it. If a scene needs a filter, I want it to take as little time as possible. Like many tools in photography, if it feels like it’s hindering me more than it benefits me, I’ll probably never use it again. So, if all of this is true, why do I still own a kit?

I own a similar kit for the reason people keep filming. It slows me down, makes me more deliberate in my compositions, and connects me to the photographic process a little more. So when I have the time and reason to use stacked ND with a polarizer or graduated filter that can help balance my sky, they’ll be there. Just because modern technology and editing has made the graduated filter less important doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to get the scene in one exposure. There are also times when my circle filters cause too much vignetting and having those larger square filters is quite important.

What is right for you?

There are a lot of options out there, and the reality is that everyone’s situation is different. For example, I would never suggest square filter system I use that if you don’t already have a circular polarizer that you can quickly access. If you live somewhere with lots of waterfalls or ocean views, you may need more ND options than I usually carry. I’ve pointed out that many photographers recommend just exposure bracketing so you don’t have to use graduated filters anymore, but if you’re not comfortable with the retouching techniques used to blend what about exposure? What if you wanted to get everything in one exposure? In those situations a graduated filter is required.

If you are just starting out, all you need is a magnetic circular polarizer. They are super easy to manage and never get in the way of your creativity. Best of all, no matter where you find yourself in the next few years, a standalone CPL will always be worth using. If you often shoot scenes with water, throw in the magnetic 6-stop ND, and you’ll cover most of your bases. Here are a few brands you can’t go wrong with:

  1. Haida NanoPro Magnetic Filter
  2. Freewell Magnetic Filter
  3. Kase . Magnetic Filter

If you’re looking to slow down a bit and feel a little closer to the photographic process, the filter system might be right for you. Just know why you want one and what you will use it for; otherwise, you may find yourself never taking it out of your pocket.

  1. Fstopper’s Elia Lacardi made an entire series about Nisi V7 . Filtration System there is a lot of information.
  2. Polar Pro’s Summit System
  3. H&Y . Magnetic System





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