Eatock08 wrote:Hello
Can anyone help me! I'm getting myself all confused! What's the difference between a polarised filter and a UV filter?
If I wanted to take a photo that included the reflection in water, would I need a filter or a hood?
Thanks, Alison
I've just finished a photography course as I plan to go pro this/next year. As has been said a polorising filter cuts down glare so you would see things beneath the water (providing it's clear lol). most are circular polorising filters which means that you turn the ring on the filter - this either adds, or reduces the glare - also good for taking pictures of skies and clouds (skies are blue-er and clouds are whiter). The thing to remember is they are most effective if the sun is at 90 degrees to the subject you are photographing.
A UV filter does exactly what it says - filters out ultra-violet rays although most modern camera lenses have a UV coating on the front lens. I use one mainly to protect the lens in case of a drop or scratch - much cheaper to replace a UV filter than a lens. Same principle of a lens hood, added protection of the lens but are mainly used to cut lens flare (the decreasing circles of light that your lens can pick up) but used correctly lens flare can look quite arty
.
Make sure you select the correct hood for your lens - for example, if your lens end rotates as you zoom (most cheaper ones do) you'll need a 'round' hood to avoid vignetting (dark patches in the corners of your image), if it doesn't rotate when you zoom, you can get a 'petal' shaped hood.
Hope this helps and if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask
[edit] I don't know which model of DSLR you have but I've got a Canon 600D and there's a book called 'Snapshots to Great Shots' by a guy called Jeff Revell - different ones for different camera's and there is one for most DSLR's - have a look, a great book and some good advice. Cost is around £10-£15 from Amazon
[edit2] I forgot to mention, always buy the best filter you can afford, cheap filters are a waste of money - Hoya is a good brand name for filters but try to avoid ebay as there are lots of fakes around, expect to pay around £15-£20 for a good one.