Camera Filters: the only cheat sheet you’ll need for beautiful, balanced exposures

jmeyer | Landscape | Photography Tips | 28/02/2013 12:41pm

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Camera filters can be a bit of an enigma for many photographers, both new and experienced.

There are many types of camera filters, for starters, and knowing when and how to use them isn’t always so clear-cut.

Why use camera filters?

Different camera filters, especially circular polarizers and Neutral Density filters, can dramatically reduce the amount of light that enters the lens, and this will have a profound effect on the exposure setting.

The good news is that your digital camera’s internal light metering system – which measures light ‘through the lens’ – will automatically correct for camera filters in the vast majority of cases.

However, a little fine-tuning is often needed, so it’s best to review shots on your camera’s LCD screen, dial-in any Exposure Compensation required, then re-shoot your subject.

In our infographic below we’ve produced a handy cheat sheet that takes you four of the most common problem areas for photographers when it comes to using camera filters.

Our flow chart will show you how to choose the best ND grad filter; how to get perfect exposures with a solid ND filter; the secret to using a circular polariser and troubleshooting the common problems with camera filters.

To view the larger version of this cheat sheet, simply click on the infographic or drag and drop it to your desktop.

And don’t miss pages 2 and 3 of this article, where we discuss the camera filter options available to you and the old question of do you go with square or round filters?