Do you use filters?

[mjs1973]

I'm thinking about adding some filters to my photo gear and I'm wondering what everyone thinks about them. I'm thinking of going with a Cokin P series set up with a couple dif. sized adpt. rings so I can use them on several dif. lenses, both film and digital. That seems to me to be the most economical route to take, but I would like to know your thougths. Do you filters very often or do you use the computer to recreate the filter in post processing? What ones do you use? I have polorizers and UV filters already, but thats about it. I think I would start with some graduated nd filters, and maybe some softening filters but there are so many choices that it becomes a little overwhelming...

[DownByFive]

I think that with the exception of ND and Polarizers, just about any filter effect can be done in software pretty effectively...Of course, I'm no expert...

[Michael Fanelli]

I think that with the exception of ND and Polarizers, just about any filter effect can be done in software pretty effectively...Of course, I'm no expert...

Exactly. Also, forget about the UV, it does nothing other than degrade the image to some extent.

[another view]

My answer is going to depend on whether you're shooting digital, color neg, B&W or slide film...

In a lot of cases, Cokin's P system does a pretty good job and the holders/rings are used with some other high-end filters like Singh Ray. I also use my Cokin P filters with their gel filter holder with my Kodak Wratten 3x3 gels.

[anew]

I'm actually looking at getting some myself, and would love some feedback as to what to look for.

I do quite a lot of architectural photography which can be quite akward when balancing skies and buildings, overexposure and underexposure etc. I have worked with two exposures taken at the same time, taking reading of foreground/building for one and another off sky. It can be quite effective when brought into photoshop and worked up that way, as long as the subject is simple enough without too much detail, but i am really wanting to get into filter systems and was wondering what to get.

I've had a look at the Lee filter system, which looks to be a very good bet, however it's a little expensive, and was wondering if cokin is as good?

Also with wide angle lenses, do you have a problem with vignetting, and if so would i be better off with gelatin filters for the rear of the lens, (or with grads would that be a little limiting?)

I'm basically looking for a polariser and some nd grads, and was wondering what would be the best way for me to go...

...sorry i'm not contributing any help in this post..............

any thoughts much appreciated

anew.