Pros and Cons of Buying a Filter Kit
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photo by Oleh_Slobodeniuk via iStock
Lens filters for digital photography are extremely useful and can sometimes make the difference between getting an outstanding image and capturing one that is pretty good. The most useful filters for landscape photography are circular polarizer filters (C-POL), neutral density filters (ND), and graduated neutral density (GND) filters.
A good filter kit for landscape photography will include a couple of these filters or maybe more. A filter holder system is an excellent way to use these filters for landscape photography since in a filter holder system you can adjust the GND filters as needed and can use two or more filters together.
If you haven’t yet invested in a filter holder system, you are probably looking at a filter kit for landscape photography with two or more filters and the holder plus lens adapters and maybe a case. These filter kits are a pretty good idea for many photographers but there are pros and cons to consider.
Pros of Filter Kits
Convenience
One of the nice things about buying a filter kit is that you don’t have to piece together a starter kit based on salesman recommendations or our own guesswork. An excellent filter kit for landscape photography is the Haida M10 Enthusiast Kit II.
The Enthusiast Kit II comes complete with the M10 filter holder, four different size adapter rings for attaching to various lenses, a C-POL filter, and a 10 stop ND filter. With the exception of a GND filter, these are perhaps the most used filters for landscape photography.
Cost Efficiency
Filter holder systems are preferred by many photographers for the convenience of using one set of filters for multiple lenses which not only speeds up the landscape photography workflow but is also much more cost effective than single screw in filters for each lens filter size you have.
A filter kit for landscape photography will often be a little discounted than the total cost of each individual piece in the kit. Plus, filter kits like the Haida M10 Enthusiast Kit II also include a nice carrying case for storage and transport.
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Cons of Filter Kits
Limited Choice
While filter kits may make the process of buying your landscape photography filter kit a little easier, you are limited to what the manufacturer or retailer has decided to include in it.
Many filter kits for landscape photography will include a C-POL and an ND filter, but you may prefer to get a GND filter instead. In fact, you can pick and choose any variety of filter types and filter strengths for your own particular needs.
Filter kit manufacturers like Haida have scores of filters in various sizes and strengths for hundreds of possible combinations.
High Price
photo by sergeyryzhov via iStock
Even though a filter kit such as the Haida M10 Enthusiast Kit II is a good value based on the price of the individual pieces and especially the price of filters for each lens you own, it is still a fairly high price for an initial investment.
Compared to the price of an entry level digital camera and kit lens, the price of a filter kit for landscape photography could cause a little sticker shock, since it’s close to the same price as the entry level camera.
More Pros Than Cons
photo byboule13 via iStock
All things considered, the pros for buying a filter kit for landscape photography outweigh the cons. Granted, it is a fairly high initial investment, but once you get past that, a filter holder system is far more convenient and cost effective than individual screw in filters.
Check out some of our other articles to find out other great advantages to filter holder systems for landscape photography.
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