Digital Camera Filters

Single lens reflex cameras, or SLR cameras, can all use filters. For digital cameras, filters are based on the lens, just as is true with 35mm film SLR cameras. The lens you have will dictate the size of filter you use on your camera, and the type of effect you want in your picture will determine the type of filter you use on your camera.

The size of your digital camera filters can be anywhere from 35.5mm to 58mm. Digital camera filter sets will often have different types of digital camera filters, like a polarizing filter for digital cameras or a UV filter. No matter what you filter size – and there are a lot of sizes, though the most common sizes are 37, 49, 55, and 52 mm digital camera filters – you will need to know what each type of filter does before you buy and use them.

• Polarizers protect your camera from glare and white-outs from bright reflections on water and other objects.
• Neutral Density (ND) filters allow for wider aperture and/or slower shutter speeds.
• Graduated Neutral Density (GND) filters reduce excess contrast in photographs.
• Color Filters are used for black and white photography. They block different colors like blue, red, and yellow.
• IR Pass and UV Pass filters allow for atmospheric clarity in photographs.
• UV Cut Filters are used to cut glare over water and in very high altitudes.

Not only are there a lot of different kinds of digital camera filters, there are even more ways to use them. The suggestions above are simply basic explanations of very complicated photography techniques. Most people who use and own SLR digital cameras use filters often and have experimented with them extensively.

There are almost as many different kinds of filters as there are brands of filters. For example, the Bower digital camera filters compete with companies like Hoya, Tiffen and B&H. Some people feel that certain filter brands are better than others. The only way to accurately assess this is to try different filter brands and compare the results.

If you don't own or use an SLR digital camera, filters are not needed. Cameras that take different lenses like SLR cameras are the only cameras that need or can use filters. If you have a compact digital or a point and shoot camera, your camera does not need and cannot use digital camera filters on the lens of the camera.