For example, if you are photographing a waterfall and your starting point is ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/2000 that results in good exposure, stopping down the lens to f/22 will only slow down the shutter speed to 1/30 of a second. This would be too fast to create a “foggy” look for the falling water. By using an 8 stop neutral density filter, you could slow down the shutter speed all the way to 2 seconds while keeping lens aperture at f/11 instead of f/22 (using apertures beyond f/11-f/16 in normal lenses decreases image quality due to diffraction). NIKON D3S + 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm, ISO 200, 6 sec, f/9.0 Multi-layer coatings that help reduce or eliminate optical aberrations such as chromatic aberration, flaring, color casting, etc. In some cases the maximum effect of polarization can result in an unnatural-looking dark blue sky as shown below: Protective UV Filter】 This UV filter reduces haze and minimizes ultraviolet (UV) rays while improving contrast. Perfect for capturing high altitude and snow photos without the bluish cast. Keep this filter on your lens to protect against dust, scratches, and bumps

My evaluation of the evidence is that there is no really compelling evidence either to use a filter or not, except in a very few situations when it is better not to use a filter to avoid in-focus ghost images.

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High-quality optical 58mm camera filter set for lens protection and image enhancement. Includes a padded protective pouch for safe storage and travel. Speaking of "scratching the lens"; It is first of all unlikely indeed, since glass is hard and you'll need to get a hard material onto the glass with some significant force. - On top of that, even IF you get scratches on the lens, it depends on how serious the scratches are and where. Shielding your lens from dust, moisture, and abrasions, you’ll have no worries bringing this scratch-resistant digital camera to any location — whether it’s the desert, beach, lake, or mountains.And because the Tiffen Filter provides a shield of defense against damage from drops and breaks, some users choose this filter as a lens cap alternative..

And you can say goodbye to damage concerns thanks to its built-in resistance to dirt, fingerprints, and scratches that can affect your fragile front lens element. And even better, it’s moisture resistant, so you can safely take photos around water. Where a Work is re-sold via the Gallery, Urth will receive 20% of the total re-sale price of the Work. Filters can be made from glass, plastic, resin, polyester and polycarbonate material. Glass filters are typically of the highest quality, but are very expensive and tend to easily break, especially of square or rectangular type. Specifically for filters, as there are a lot of options in the market, it is recommended that you consider high-quality products from reputable manufacturers. These are typically filters that incorporate two important things: Some people shy away from UV filters as they never want to degrade the light traveling through their expensive lenses. But while image degradation can be a problem with the cheapest UV filters, the best options can improve image quality in certain cases and provide essential lens protection.UV models are ideal for reducing haziness and adding crisp detail, while CPL filters are better for altering color balance on photos that may look washed out. Some experts use both protection filters depending on the task at hand. Rectangular filters– another popular choice, primarily among landscape photographers. Mounted just like square filters via a filter holder system. Because it is impractical for graduated neutral density filters to be circular (due to different sizes of high-contrast areas and composition), rectangular filters are the primary choice for landscape photography. Unlike square filters, they have more room to move up and down. The most popular size is 4×6, although larger and smaller filter sizes are also available. Urth is an authorised licensee of the Urth trade mark in Australia, which is owned by Gobe Corp UK Ltd. The good news is that you have a few options and you can either spend a lot, or not much at all to get some pretty similar looking results to the old ‘Softs’, but what does a good alternative look like? Stepping rings are useful if you have several lenses with different thread sizes, allowing photographers to use the same filter across multiple lenses.