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Camera Filters - Do I need them? By Mike SwiechDo I need a Filter?
The simple answer to this is yes! There are various types of filters for different situations, but I am going to recommend some of the basics that a person starting out in Photography would need to have in their camera bag. There are some filters that you just can not replicate in imaging programs like Adobe Photoshop, Aperture, Lightroom, etc.. 
UV - Ultra-VioletIf there is only one filter to have that would be a UV or Ultra-Violet. Most people will use this as a protective filter so as to not damage the glass elements of your lens. These filters can be left on at all times as it is completely clear and will not change the color of your photos. It is easier to replace a $30.00 UV filter then it would be to replace a $1000,00 lens when you are walking around and you happen to bang or brush up against a hard surface.
Circular PolarizerThe second type of filter that I would not live with out and that is a polarizing filter. Reflections of water and other reflective surfaces, like glass, cause major havoc with your photos. Polarizing filters fix this issue, because they remove glare from non-metallic surfaces, ensuring a crisp, clear, more color saturated image. When you have reflections they tend to wash or blow out parts of your image, but polarizing filters help with this by producing deeper color saturation. If you do any type of outdoor photography then polarizing filters are a definite must.Polarizing filter would need to be rotated for desired effects and the results will produce dramatic blue skies and better contrast and color.
You do not what to go cheap when you are buying filters for your camera. You bother spending hundreds, possible thousand's of dollars on your lenses but you skimp out and put on a cheap Chinese knock-off onto your camera and your pictures that you work so hard to take will produce those horrible results, especially when you purchase a polarizing filter, or Neutral Density Graduated Filter (ND Grad). Spend the extra and you will reap the rewards with the quality of pictures that you will be able to produce. You will need to remember that not all filters will fit onto your camera lens as you will need to purchase a filter thread that is compatible with the thread written on your lens. Look on the front of you lens and you will see a set of numbers followed by MM where xxMM would be your thread size. Some of the more common sizes are as follows - 52, 58, 67, 72 and 77 MM. If you are unsure of your size you can consultant with your local camera store and they should be able to recommend you with the correct size. Here are some of the recommendations of brands of filters that I use, or other photography friends use along with the URL's: B+W - https://www.schneideroptics.com/ecommerce/catalogsubcategorydisplay.aspx?cid=57 Hoya - http://www.hoyafilter.com/ Lee Filter - http://www.leefilters.com/ Tiffen - http://www.tiffen.com/ Article by Mike Swiech
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