Nikon SLR Cameras

Best filters for Nikon 5300.18-140, 67mm filter?

Thiyagu
12.11.2015
Thiyagu

I got a new dslr mentioned above,
what filter should i use. I don't want the image to be too dim by the using of polarized filters, tell me two filters to use in sun light which is polorised, and a normal filter for all time use, and it should be scratch and other resistant.

BriaR
12.11.2015
BriaR

Apart from a polarising filter that I use when needed I don't use any filter at all.
If you want a protective filter then the normal choice would be a UV filter.

There's no such thing as "sunlight which is polarised". Light reflected from glossy surfaces (such as paint, glass, water, foliage) is polarised but not direct sunlight.

Frank
12.11.2015
Frank

The image won't be too dim by the use of a polarizing filter. The camera senses the light coming through the filter, through the lens and onto a light meter. Therefore, the camera will automatically adjust for the 2-stops of light that you loose with the use of polarizing filter. If two stops is too much for you, there are several polarizer filters that only cut the light by 1 stop, but they're very expensive.

I had a lens like yours, I would get a circular polarizer from either Tiffen or Hoya which are two of the better brands. The absolute best filters are made in Germany from companies like B+W and Heliopan. Buying a cheap polarizer is a bad idea. A low-quality polarizer won't remove the glare evenly and you will end up with a sky that's blue in one area, purple in another, and possibly green in another. I had this happen with a cheap Chinese filter.

You may want to get a UV filter just for protecting the front element of the lens. But most will argue it's a waste of money. However, if you drop the camera, the filter may had some protection to the filter thread front element of the lens. I dropped a lens once, a Canon 70-200 f/2.8L (go figure), and had I not had a UV filter on it, the front edge of the barrel with the filter threads would have been bent. To use one or not is your option.

The other type of filter you may want is called a neutral density filter. All it does is cut the light down by some degree. And filters come in various levels of density ranging from 2-10 stops. They're used to cut the light down allowing for the use of longer shutter speeds. You want to make a 1 minute exposure in the middle of the day? You'll need an and filter.
Want to shoot at f/1.8 in the middle of the day? Without an and filter, your shutter speeds needed would exceed the capabilities of your camera. You can buy filters fixed at a specific density such as 10 stops, which I recommend, or a variable filter that as you turn the filter the density increases or decreases. Again, Tiffen and Hoya are great brands for the and filter, as are B+W and Heliopan. However, using them can be problematic in that you can't see anything with a 10-stop filter on the lens. Lee filters are unique in that they are plastic or glass (can't remember which) rectangular filters that you slide in/out of a filter holder that screws into the front of your lens. This makes it far more quicker to use and filters than having to screw it in, and unscrew it off between shoots when you need to recompose.

The polarize and and filter, and maybe a UV is all you need. Everything else can be duplicated with software such as Lightroom.

keerok
12.11.2015
keerok

Filters cut (lessen) light. You normally wouldn't want one permanently attached unless it's a UV filter which is used nowadays to protect the front end of the lens physically.

Polarizers cut light by half. It will make your pictures darker. Before using filters, make sure you know what they do first.