Question on filter and polariser

[namaste]

Hi to all experienced photographers,

I am a newbie in to photography and have minimum knowledge of the use of polariser and filter. I am thinking of purchasing some filter and polariser for my digicam Canon A70 on my coming holiday to India. I think that most of the time, I will taking potrait and landscape shots. I thought of getting the following filters or polariser. Pls advice on its necessities.

1) UV filter - to protect the lens
2) circular polarizer - to darken the blue of the sky, highlight clouds, suppress unwanted highlights and improve general color saturation
3) ND Gradual filter - to create deep blue skies in landscape shots
4) ND filter - ??? what is it usually used for

Where can I can buy these filter(if necessary) in singapore at a good price and reputable shop

Can provide with a rough guide abt the price and brand of each filters.

THanks for advice. Deeply appreciated.

namaste!

 

[showtime]

the ND filter is used to allow for slower shutter speeds even though the available light is high...

for example if you want to delibrately induce motion blur. if your meter reads 1/4 seconds at smallest apperture, there is no way to slowdown your shutter speed other than to use a lower iso rating or to use a 2 stop nd filter to bring the shutter speed to 1 second. (provided 1 second is slow enought for you)



cathay photo might be a good place to start hunting... cheers

 

[blizzy]

grad nd filter.... i assume u mean the gray one. the top half is grey, 2-3 stops lower than the clear bottom half. It allows for more accurate exposure of the sky and the foreground, as it reduces the brightness difference between the 2.

for hoya brands...

half nd 4 is 31 bucks
nd filter is 13, or issit 12.
could be lower, since mine are 58mm.

of cos u could get cokin filters....

 

[namaste]

thanks showtime and blizzy for ur advice

Is there any reputable shop that sell these filter/polarizer? I know about AP/CP/Ms color. Can give the brand and price of the product u reccomended. This is help me when i go to the shop and buy the thing.

One last question, is a circular polarizer useful. In what situation, is it usually used.

 

[showtime]

you can use the cir pol to minimise reflections of surfaces. i use mine when shooting around water and if in any event you need to shoot through a window, having the cir pol will def help...

nice to play with, because turning the sleeve will allow you to alter the colours of the image from a warmish tone to a slight cool...

 

[blizzy]

i got mine from john 3:16. 3rd floor at funan centre. friendly people. helped me order the half nd 4. its not a common filter.