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Hello all,
I just bought my first 55mm SLR a few weeks ago and I got 3 filters, a Neutral Density (ND2) a skylight 1A and a UV Haze filter per recommendation of my local photo shop. I have read several times about a polarizing filter being a necessity and a few other filters. I'm new to photography so I'm still playing around with things but I've always been a fan of taking photos of nature, signs, and animals. I'm starting to get interested in shooting local shops and people shopping in flea markets and things like that. Are there any filters you would suggest I get? Also do you have any tips on how to layer filters to get a good picture? I know that its the photographer that makes the picture but I also know that filters help with the perfection of it. Thanks for your suggestions.
Katerina

hi Katerina, my advice would be to study the (in my view) most important aspects of photography first - composition and correct exposure, with choosing DOF as a close third. Filters are important, but none nearly as much as the above. ND's and polarizers will both knock you down a couple of stops, the polarizer will also reduce glare on water and metal surfaces (also organic surfaces like leaves) and is most effective at 90 degrees from the source of the lighting. The 1A will help in protecting the glass of your lens from damage, but not a whole lot else. I will sometimes use ND's to extend the duration of my exposures, esp. around water scenes. Graduated NDs are great to darken the sky, while leaving the foreground uneffected, esp. durning sunsets. I would reccommend getting a good ($75-100) tripod, and a lens hood. And use them both. Always.

Hello:
In my understanding your filters will do the following.
ND2, will reduce the amount of light reaching the film, these are often used when a long exposure is required or a subject has such high luminosity normal exposure is not possible without reducing the light reaching the film plane.
Skylight 1A,& UV haze, will both reduce uv reaching the film and help reduce unwanted blue casts, moreover the skylight filter will warm up your pictures slightly.
I have a 1A fitted to most of my lenses mainly to protect the front element.
Polarizing filters are popular with land and seascape photographers. They brighten up colours darken skies and go some way to eliminating hard reflections off water.

Hope this is of some help to you.

Katerina,
1. At the beginning I recommend not to use filters. Each filter eat light. This meens longer exposure, but also less color and detail in resulting image. Without filters you can shot reflections, people and items reflecting from glass and other surfaces, learn exposure basics and composition, as previous guys adviced.
2.After you will be ready you can try to shot with filter(s) for speciffic effect you desire to get.
3. Shoting with film is a magic and I would say it's like creating something in blind. You will try different settings and get results back only after lab processed your film.
a) try record your settings while experimenting: Film maker, ISO, shutter speed, aperture (f stop).
b) lower ISO is less sensitive, but with smaller grain, Slide film is much better then print film(but cost much more to process)
c) Even having perfect exposure on film doesn't give you a waranty to get perfect print from lab. Ask them reprint if quality is bad.
4. Your camera is just a box with shutter holding film. Lenses are VERY important. Default lenses coming with most modern SLR cameras are slow. Slow in light performance. f/3.5 -5.6 for most default lenses mean that light amount reaching film is 3.5 to 5.6 less then initial.
Those lenses will be bad for interior shots, because they reduse already dim interior light. Buy 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 lens.
5. Actually will be grat to buy photography book with explanations for type of photography you would like to do.

There is some great advice here about lenses, filters and all, but there is something even more important that you need to do first. . .

READ AND LEARN YOUR INSTRUCTION BOOK

That little book, as hard as it will be to want to sit down and read, is THE most important thing you will ever read (where your photography is concerned).

Also, take notes. Stan suggested this in 3-a, and I would like to add my 2 cents on it. If you do this with each and every shot, you will have a point of reference when your film comes back from the lab. Look at the pictures and look at your notes. You will soon be able to look at a scene and get pretty close to a good exposure. It won't happen over night (or within a month or maybe even a year) but with time you will get better.

My only other suggestion would be to take lots of photos and have fun. If it isn't fun, it's work, and no one likes work.

David

Although I have several film camera bodies and few lenses, I do have 3 kind of lense:
1)UV for protection of my lenses
2)Skylight for protection of my lenses
3)CP for using them while the sun is out there
That's all.
Look at my photos in the following site which all of my images were from film camera, www.nfolio.net my name is Kambiz

Jan S.	a. S.	Radovan M.	Nigel W.	Darryl B.	Gustavo S.	o s.	aurora s.

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