Digital Camera Filters--Should You Use Them?

When I first started out in photography, having a complete collection of filters was nearly as important as owning the right lenses. A full range of interesting and beautiful effects could be achieved by using a couple of filters screwed onto the front of the camera lens. Today, there is debate over whether filters are even needed at all. In any case, the use of filters for digital photography is mostly restricted to high-end digital SLRs. The following article discusses the pros and cons of using filters for digital photos and proposes a few basic filters you might want to consider adding to your kit.

Although filters used to be a given for any serious photography, many of today’s digital crowd question the need for external filters. They claim that almost any effect you want to achieve with a digital photo can be achieved after the shot by using photo editing software. To a large extent they are correct. However, there are some functions filters provide that can’t be duplicated on a computer. For example, a polarizing filter can be used to remove reflections from glass or water. That can only be done when the shot is taken.

Even if you are interested in trying out filters for digital photography, you are pretty much limited to using the more expensive digital single-lens-reflex cameras (DLSRs). These cameras use interchangeable lenses. Lens filters are available in several sizes that mate with the front of these lenses. As you can see just by looking at the lens of your typical digital point-and-shoot camera, it would be almost impossible to add an optical filter. That being said, there are some generic filters that are made for compact cameras. You’ll simply need to do some research on available filters if this is something that interests you.

Even die-hard filter-less photographers sometimes grudgingly admit the value of putting a UV (ultra-violet) filter on the front of a lens. It may not provide any addition optical function (most DLSRs filter UV light already), but it does provide some measure of protection against dirt and scratches. But make sure you get a high-quality filter. There’s no sense in putting a bad filter over a good lens.