Best Filters for Landscape Shooting

[joe_casey5]

<p>I recently acquired a Hasselblad H2 with a 50-110 zoom lens. I've picked up two filters, one linear polarized filter and one warming filter with a bit of an amber tint. They are both screw on filters. I've heard mixed reviews on shooting landscape shots (especially as sunset) with a polarized filter vs. ND. I'm just wandering what my best options are for landscape filters and which one(s) should I focus on using?</p>

[tim_ludwig2]

<p>ND is only for reducing the amount of light arriving at the film, so I don't see that as much help in landscape unless you are using very fast film and are wanting to reduce exposure for a very limited depth of field. The warming filter will be wonderful for skin tones and for situations where you are experiencing an abundance of UV (which will record as too much blue cast) in the scene such as in shade or on cloudy days. It will have little or no effect with Black and White film so save that one for color only.</p>

<p>The polarizer might become your favorite filter. It will work with both types of film and in landscapes, will help to deepen the tonality of the sky at certain angles relative to the sun (most effective at 90 degrees). In color this will result in very deep blue in the skies and (in both film types) greater separation between sky and clouds. Adding a yellow or red filter for black and white will result in much deeper sky tone and much brighter clouds (especially with the red and the polarizer) for very dramatic effects. The polarizer alone will also reduce glare on water surfaces and windows, depending on your angle to the subject.</p>

<p>The polarizer for shooting sunsets will likely have no effect since you are shooting directly at the sun and the polarizer has little, if any, effect on a direct sun axis either at the sun or directly away. In that case, a graduated half neutral density might be your best choice as it will leave full exposure for the foreground (clear) and reduce the exposure on the sky to bring them closer into exposure alignment for details in both. In any case, some bracketing is often a great idea for richer saturation in sunsets.</p>

<p>Remember that a polarizer is a thicker mount and if you add a second filter such as the red or yellow, thicker yet, so beware of corner vignetting on wider angle lenses.</p>

[luis_g]

<p> Seconding everything Tim said, but if you like blurred running water, wind-whipped branches, etc., the ND filters come into their own.</p>

<p> No matter how tempting it seems, you don't always want to crank the polarizer to the maximum point. I sometimes "bracket" the polarizer, to get a range of polarization.</p>

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[stp]

<p>Tim and Luis have covered everything I would want to offer -- there's good advice in their suggestions. Be very careful when using a polarizer on a wide angle lens when the sky is included in the photo. Because the amount of polarized light varies as the angle from the sun increases as you approach 90 degrees relative to the sun, a lens that includes these varying angles will show different degrees of reduced light, resulting in banding in the sky or portions of the sky with very different degrees of reduced illumination.</p>

[colin_elliott]

<p>Joe, See my response to your earlier posting</p>

[sumo_kun]

<p>If you bought a H2, then why are you still using screw in filters? You deserve better, especially for landscape. Treat yourself to a proper filter system like a Lee or something. Then get yourself a full set of ND grads. For sunsets you really want a grad, not just a normal ND or a polariser. The ND is certainly almost useless unless you want to extend the shutter speed for special effects. The PL will be useful if you are not shooting straight into the sun. Get a big one to mount on the front of the filter holder. A grad will darken the sky area only so you get deeper looking sunsets. I wouldn't bother with coloured grad filters, they just look cheesy. I have a bunch, used them and now I wish I never bought them. Warm ups and cool downs are nice to have.<br>

Even if you can't afford all this stuff up front (it gets quite expensive) you really owe it to yourself to build a kit up. I recommend Lee because they are a nice balance between price and performance. I hear Hitech are good too. Get the filter holder and a couple of grads to start with and slowly build from there. You will be amazed at what a simple 2 stop hard grad can do for you.<br>

Sorry if I sounded a bit arrogant but really, every serious landscaper should have a proper filter kit with ND grads in his bag. They come in handy for other stuff occasionally too :)</p>

[joe_casey5]

<p>Thank you to everyone. I really appreciate the helpful advice.</p>