Thin filters should be used on very wide angle lens. At 16mm and less, there is
a strong chance of vignetting, and anything on the front of your lens will
increase that chance. The thinner, the better.
Thin filters are made 2
ways, in the case of Heliopan they only make yhin UV, color, and B&W
filters. All have a front thread for stacking filters, adding a lens
hood or a snap-on cap. However Heliopan offers a choice of standard or
slim circular polarizers as their slim polarizers do not have front
threads. In the case of B+W thin filters there are no front threads.
The good news is that you should not stack a UV and a polarizer as the
polarizer will also cut UV. You might want to stack a Skylight filter
with other types as the Skylight is a warming filter. The UV does not
warm.
You also should be careful with extreme wide angle shots with a
polarizer as the sky has areas that are polarized. When you have a wide
expanse of sky that you use a polarizer on you can get banding from the
areas that are already polarized.
| Ultra Thin Filters |
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Protection Filters -
Ultraviolet Filters
Your camera won't allow you
to develop clear, crisp photos if your camera lens is
damaged or dirty. You can protect your thousand dollar lens
with a $20 filter if you use a UV or haze filter. These thin
glass filters are designed to screw onto the end of your
camera lens and you can just leave them on to protect your
lens. UV filters can help protect your lenses from dust,
moisture and scratches. If your lens is damaged it could
cost you quite a bit to repair or replace it. The filters
can also give you added benefits of correction for
Ultraviolet light which can show on your film as a bluish
cast and can sometimes distort distant details. UV filters
let you correct for the UV effect to varying degrees. They
are also useful if you are shooting mountain and marine
scenes, as the haze could affect the color and clarity of
the photos. UV filters can be bought for about $20.
Haze Filters Haze Filters
do just what they sound like, they filter out haze which is
created by minute particles of vapor and dust. Haze settles
in the atmosphere and can affect distant photographic
scenes. Haze forms when sunlight is scattered by minute
particles of matter that exist in the air. Atmospheric
conditions have an effect on the amount of haze in the air.
Mist, fog, smog, smoke and clouds are all different than
haze. Green and red light are scattered by haze, but not as
much as ultraviolet radiation, violet and blue light. If you
use filters to absorb scattered sunlight you can penetrate
the haze. Any filter that can absorb scattered sunlight can
be considered a haze filter.
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B+W 486 Digital UV/IR Blocking Glass Filter.
This B+W Interference Filter has a completely colorless glass carrier coated with a number of extremely thin, partially reflecting layers with precisely computed thicknesses, similar to MC coating. The B+W Filter 486 does not block by means of absorption, but by interference of the unwanted UV- and IR radiation that is repeatedly reflected between these layers, affecting the wavelengths on both sides of the visible spectrum with a steep cut-off. It is used mainly on digital- and video cameras with CCD sensors without an integrated IR protection filter, because the IR sensitivity of the CCD sensor would otherwise cause color changes and unsharpness. That unsharpness
results from the chromatic aberration of the lenses that are
only corrected for visible light. In the visible range, the
transmission curve is very high and straight. This filter is
completely clear and it requires no increase in exposure.
Its filter factor is 1. |
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Heliopan Skylight (KR1.5) Glass Filter.
Due to its light salmon color, the Heliopan 30.5mm Skylight (KR 1.5) Glass
Filter reduces the blue cast of daylight and produces a
pleasing, warmer picture tone. Also known as a Skylight (1A)
filter, it is a wise investment. It helps protect your lens
from dust, moisture and scratches, which can lead to costly
repairs. |
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Heliopan Skylight (KR1.5) SH-PMC (Super Multi-Coated) Glass Filter.
Due to its light salmon color, the Heliopan 72mm Skylight (KR 1.5) SH-PMC (Super Multi-Coated) Glass Filter reduces the blue cast of daylight and produces a pleasing, warmer picture tone. Also known as a Skylight (1A) filter, it is a wise investment. It helps protect your lens from dust, moisture and scratches, which can lead to costly repairs.
SH-PMC is Heliopan's 16 layer multi-coating for their filters • If desired they
can be left on at all times for protection |
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Thin Wide-Angle UV Protector Filtor. Tiffen, a leader in the filter industry, proudly makes its filters in the USA and backs up its products with a solid 10-year warranty.
This filter uses a Wide Angle (Low Profile) mount. Wide Angle filters are only 3mm thick and are specifically designed for use with wide angle lenses. In order to help eliminate vignetting
(darkening of the corners), it does not have a front thread.
• Eliminates some of the Ultraviolet (UV) light which can
register on film and videotape as a bluish cast that can
obscure distant details • If desired, it can be left on the
lens at all times for protection • Especially valuable as a
general lens protector • Guards against fingerprints and
scratches to the front element of your lens. |
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Polarizing Filters
These filters are used to reduce or eliminate reflections. They are ideal for photographing through glass or water as the glare from water tends to be white. Polarizing filters can also reduce the effects of haze and darken the blue sky image in black and white and color photography. There are various polarizing filters available to increase color saturation in a photo without altering the hues of image colors, but there are only two principal styles. One style fits over your camera lens, while the other is made to be used over the source of light. They don't affect color, that's why polarizing filters and screens are used in both black and white and color photography. There are two pieces to a polarizer. The front part rotates so you can change the angle of polarization. If you look at the blue sky through a polarizer and rotate it, the sky appears to get darker and then lighter. These filters range in price from about $15 to $800. They come in various sizes.
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Hoya Ultra Thin UV, Circular Polarizer.
Hoya's High Transmission Super-Multi-Coating minimizes
reflection at the filter surfaces which reduces flare and
ghosting. Hoya SMC Slim Polarizers are for wide-angle
lenses, are 5mm thick, and do not have a front thread. Note!
Circular polarizers are specifically designed for use with
auto-focus SLR cameras (They will also work on manual
systems without problems) • This filter eliminates
ultraviolet rays to remove haze from outdoor shots as well
as polarizing the light to remove reflections, and increase
color saturation, without affecting the overall color
balance • Removes unwanted reflections from non-metallic
surfaces such as water or glass • The effect can be seen
through the viewfinder and changed by rotating the filter •
The filter factor varies according to how the filter is
rotated and its orientation to the sun. |
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Hoya Ultra Thin Super HMC Circular Polarizer. Hoya SMC Slim Polarizers are for wide-angle lenses, are 5mm thick, and do not have a front thread.
Note! Circular polarizers are specifically designed for use with auto-focus SLR
cameras (They will also work on manual systems without
problems) • This filter eliminates ultraviolet rays to
remove haze from outdoor shots as well as polarizing the
light to remove reflections, and increase color saturation,
without affecting the overall color balance • Removes
unwanted reflections from non-metallic surfaces such as
water or glass • The effect can be seen through the
viewfinder and changed by rotating the filter • The filter
factor varies according to how the filter is rotated and its
orientation to the sun. |
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Singh-Ray (Thin Mount) LB
Warming Polarizing Filter. Singh-Ray thin mounts are
4.8mm thick and do not have front threads. Note! Circular
polarizers are specifically designed for use with auto-focus
SLR cameras (They will also work on manual systems without
problems). • "Lighter, brighter" density lets you choose
faster shutter speeds for sharper images or smaller lens
openings to add depth of field. |
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Singh-Ray LB Green
Intensifier Glass Filter (Thin Mount) |
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Neutral Density Filters
These filters are designed to reduce the amount of light coming through your camera lens without changing the color. Neutral density filters can reduce the assorted colors of light in the spectrum. White and colored light is transmitted through these filters and only the intensity of the light is affected. These filters are used with black and white and color film. If you have set your camera to its fastest shutter speed along with the smallest f/stop, but still can't take the photo without overexposing the film, you can use one of these filters to reduce the exposure further. The filters help to eliminate bright, washed out sections of a photo. Neutral density filters usually range in price from about $10 to $350. They are available in various sizes.
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Singh-Ray (Thin Mount) Vari-ND Variable Neutral Density Filter.
When used with a digital camera, you can effectively see how this filter works. After the initial exposure, you can check your LCD image and then make whatever change in exposure you feel you need to enhance your image. By rotating the ring, you can either increase or decrease the ND effect. This will be especially useful when trying to achieve "blurred" or "panned" shots.
The filter contains "index" points to help you mark your spot. They do not represent actual ND settings , i.e. non-calibrated - but are there to help you re-set your filter when you wish to recreate the effect.
Note! Singh-Ray cannot predict when vignetting may occur - especially with very
wide angle lenses. |
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Singh-Ray (Thin Mount)
Mor-Slo Neutral Density Filter. To stack the Mor-Slo filter with Vari-ND, at least one filter has to be a standard mount since two thin-mount filters will not stack
• Use the Mor-Slo by itself or with your other filters as a 5-stop neutral density filter
• Combine the Mor-Slo with your Vari-ND 1 |
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Color Conversion Filters
These filters are used to balance the color temperatures when you are using certain films under different light sources. An example of this would be using daylight film under tungsten lighting or vice versa.
Color conversion filters are designed to convert the temperature of the film to light or of the light to film. This will allow all the colors to fall in proper perspective and look natural. These filters are generally available in two series:
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| Warming Filters |
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Tiffen 812 Warming Digital
HT (High Transmission) Multi-Coated Glass Filter |
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Infrared Filters
Infrared filters are made to block mid infrared wavelengths while allowing visible light to pass through. They are sometimes referred to as heat absorbing filters and are ideal at cutting through haze. These types of filters are commonly used to prevent unnecessary heating in items which have bright incandescent light bulbs. Examples of such devices are slide projectors and overhead projectors. You can also get near infrared filters. These types of filters commonly are used in video cameras to compensate for the high sensitivity of the camera's sensors to near-infrared light. Infrared filters can range in price from about $20 to $450. They come in various sizes, styles and brands.
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Singh-Ray (Thin Mount) I-Ray
Infrared Filter. The Singh-Ray (Thin Mount) I-Ray Infrared Filter will help you open up a whole new world of photography. Use it on any format camera to achieve unusual and artistic results. To use it, merely compose your image in your camera's viewfinder, screw on the I-Ray filter and take your picture. |
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Filter Sets |
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Tiffen Wide Angle Filter Kit |
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