OK, so I've got the Nikon D90, and will hopefully be going to Lichfield for a few days, probably at the end of next week.

Whilst there, I'm going to try and get out and take some landscapes, and hopefully some dusk&dawn type horizon(ny) type things.

I'm thinking about bringing out the reds and purples in the sky, or adding a bit more blue... Also, I've just realised that I'm not very good at explaining some things, so the question is...

Do I need filters and which would you guys and gals recommend?

Need? No. You can take perfectly good and inspiring images without the use of any sort of filters.
However, if you want to use filters then that's entirely your choice. You might find that using different white balance settings in the camera will give you varying degrees of success in what you want from your images.
There's nothing wrong at all in using filters, so please don't think I'm having a go at you, because I'm certainly not. I'm just saying that you can get great images without the use of them.

Mark

If you do go the filter route then make sure you choose a large size holder/filters and then get a step-up adaptor for your current lens.

If you set your camera to 'daylight' white balance, then you'll probably find that the sunset colours are vivid enough on their own, without any tweaking. However if you do want to darken the sky, a good circular polariser will do nicely (don't get a linear one as it messes up your AF).

Interesting thought: If you leave your camera set to auto white balance, and to stick a coloured filter on the lens, does the camera compensate for the colour?

I'm like Mark. I don't use filters, apart from a polariser and some neutral density things.

Depends how strong the filter is. If it filters out several wavelengths completely, the camera won't be able to compensate and the picture will look odd. If it just tints the picture, it should be able to compensate.

No danger of that Mark. If I ask a question here, I expect an honest answer, which is what I always get.



I popped into the camera shop after posting this, and the nice man there said much the same as you Heather.

Lichfield isn't a million miles away so I'll follow your advice and see how it goes.

Thanks for all of the replies and advice everyone. I'm sure there will be many more questions, as I get to know the new one.

You might want to try ND Grads to balance the difference in exposure between the sky and the ground. Without going to the expense of pro-grade Lee/Cokin Filters you could get a cheaper version e.g. Kood. They do the common square P size (84mm) and Z-Pro size (100mm). Coloured grads are also available if you want to be creative with colour.

P Type

Cokin P Series

Assuming I get paid tomorrow, (and obviously if I get my bonus that would be a... bonus ) I'll pop into Jacobs at lunchtime, as there prices seem quite good and, more importantly, the guys there seem to know what they are talking about and won't try and sell you the most expecsive kit, or try and rush you out of the door.

I was told I could get an HDMI lead for my WB500 by Jacobs. You cant. It doesnt support HDMI out. I'm not saying that represents Jacobs as a whole, and was obviously just an error by one sales rep, but I've always found Calumet better.

If anything I try to do as much research as possible and buy off t'internet.

Going off-topic just a little bit, it's good to know the Leicester stores aren't a one-off.