Filters for Digital Cameras

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/digital_filters.html' target='_blank'>http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/digital_filters.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"With film cameras filters have traditionally been used to modify both the spectral content (color) and intensity of light, as well as generating special effects like soft focus. Digital cameras operate somewhat differently with respect to color though. Color modification can easily be done "in camera", and that's what you're doing when you set white balance. So while for film warming and cooling filters, or filters which convert fluorescent light to look like daylight, may be required, digital can achieve the same effects by internal manipulation of the digital data. So the first type of filter you really don't need for digital is a color modification filter. These would be warming filters like the Hoya 81 series or the Tiffen 812, cooling filters like the 82 series and fluorescent-daylight conversion filters."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/filter.jpg" /><br /><br />As the article points out, there six different types of filters - Polarizer, UV filter, Graduated Neutral Density filter, Neutral Density filter, Filters for Infrared Effects, Special Effect Filters. This article talks about each one in some more detail and then concludes with recommendations on filters.