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  #1  
Old 5th March 2012, 10:45 AM
Markuk Markuk is offline
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Default Filters, what to get?

Hey

I have been doing my own and printing my own shots for around a year now and I am thinking about getting some filters for my camera a minolta dynax 404si with the standard lens that comes with it.

However I do not know what size filter is required or whether they are just of a generic size. Any advice on what type of filters to get and when best to use as a guideline would be a great help.

Thanks

Mark
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Old 5th March 2012, 11:07 AM
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Hi Mark,

Have a look inside the lens cap, there is often a number moulded into it and that is usually the filter size. I would think it is possibly in the range 49 - 55 mm. Depends on the lens, zooms are sometimes larger.

The type of filters you get partly depends on budget. For the cheaper end buy a Cokin A or P adapter with the appropriate filter ring then you can buy slide in filters with the one holder.

The other way is to buy individual screw fit filters. These can be quite expensive. Hoya and B+W are top brands but there are others. I would suggest looking at a dealers web site to see what is available. There is also a firm called SRB Griturn (link in Links section, Photographic Retailers, Page 2, bottom) who make filters. For black and white you have the choice of Yellow, Orange, Red, Green and Neutral density depending on the strength or type of effect you are trying to achieve.

Hope this helps,

Bill
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Old 5th March 2012, 12:31 PM
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I would always go for a system, eg Cokin and minimum of P size. These are better if you are using filters such as graduated ones as you have more latitude for movement

What do you photograph? filter choices can be quite dependant on subject matter
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Old 5th March 2012, 01:51 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Check the size by the lens cap, I would guess around 49mm, but that is just a guess. as for what to get, I would suggest the cheapest in the long run would be the Cokin system, go for the P, that way you get a filter holder and set of filters, just need to get adapter rings for any extra lenses you get, but for the ultimate then you cannot beat a Glass screw in system such as the Hoya range, or the Kood range which is a budget range.
As for filters to get, If you are shooting black and white then I would start with a Yellow, which gives a naturel look, or for a more dramatic sky then an orange or red,
Richard
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Old 5th March 2012, 02:08 PM
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The size is 62mm and I have been looking into the Cokin P series. Just looking around on ebay at the moment to keep things as cheap as I can.

Ian - in terms of what I photograph I don't really have a specific genre. I just take my camera out e.g taking the dog for a walk so landscapes are a big feature, as I walk over Cannock Chase. However recently went to the national memorial arboretum (Lichfield) which is just up the road and got some great shots and these are all memorials. So really I suppse I am quite varied.

Thanks for the advice everyone.
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Old 5th March 2012, 02:25 PM
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For general out and about I take yellow, orange (sometimes red) and a couple of ND grads. additions for when I take a tri-pod are ND filters an polariser.
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Old 6th March 2012, 01:09 PM
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If you're doing also color neg you might find useful an 81B. It gives correction for bluish cast in open shadow and adds "kick" with overcast sky.

Cheers, M.
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Old 6th March 2012, 06:09 PM
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It is often seen as good practice to keep a filter an your lenses all the time. this protects the expensive front lens element.

Uv and skylight filters are common as they are clear. Some photographers shooting B&W often opt for yellow.
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Old 6th March 2012, 08:27 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is online now
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If you go for round screw-on glass filters then check on the smallest and biggest lens in your set based on diameter and get filters at the biggest size as well as a step-up ring from the smallest size to the biggest. That way you only need one set of filters.

If you have the smallest size lens on the camera and fancy using a polariser and red together for very dramatic skies then as the filters will then be much wider than the lens the chances of vignetting with two filters together are much reduced or even eliminated

Mike
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Old 6th March 2012, 10:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
If you go for round screw-on glass filters then check on the smallest and biggest lens in your set based on diameter and get filters at the biggest size as well as a step-up ring from the smallest size to the biggest. That way you only need one set of filters.

If you have the smallest size lens on the camera and fancy using a polariser and red together for very dramatic skies then as the filters will then be much wider than the lens the chances of vignetting with two filters together are much reduced or even eliminated

Mike
This has been my route as well, Mike.
Although my standard size is a whooping and shocking 105mm!
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