Are filters obsolete with digital cameras?
Do color filters matter anymore with digital cameras? My digital camera (D80) has whitebalancing to adjust color and filter options for B&W photos. It even has built in skylight and warming filter adjustments. Does this mean screw on filters, like my 81a, are obsolete? Do I get the same image quality using the cameras internal filters settings as I would a physical screw on filter?
If it's the same, then I should start ebaying these B+W filters. :)
Re: Are filters obsolete with digital cameras?
Anything you put in front of the lens will affect the image.
Filters, even when super-multi-coated expensive ones, can cause extra reflections.
Polarising and neutral density filters are still useful.
UV filters may be used for protection from dust/fingers, but others I think are less useful.
BUT if you are shooting in JPEG and not RAW then adjusting the image afterwards reduces the quality and in that case you might still use filters when taking the picture.
JPEG only has 8 bits per colour, but RAW has 12 or 14 bits per colour giving you more scope to adjust the image before saving it as a JPEG.
Re: Are filters obsolete with digital cameras?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mongoose
Do color filters matter anymore with digital cameras? My digital camera (D80) has whitebalancing to adjust color and filter options for B&W photos. It even has built in skylight and warming filter adjustments. Does this mean screw on filters, like my 81a, are obsolete? Do I get the same image quality using the cameras internal filters settings as I would a physical screw on filter?
If it's the same, then I should start ebaying these B+W filters. :)
Color correction filters were used for film to fix mismatches in color temperature between the film and the scene. With digital, white balance allows you to control the color temperature on a frame by frame basis. CC filters are not needed.
A polarizer can't be duplicated in software. It's still a must.
Neutral density filters are still useful to slow down the shutter speed more than the camera alone can.
Grad ND filters can be used but I prefer merging mutiple images in software.
UV, Skylight, etc. filters are only useful if you are in an enviroment that has a lot of nasties floating around: sea salt spray, blowing sand, buckets of mud, etc. They do nothing to improve the image. Some people use them 100% of the time for "protection." I don't and never recommend that. Other opinions vary.
In all cases, buy the very best multi-coated filters you can (expensive) to limit the effect on your images. Never use two filters together unless you are looking for special effects.