DSLRUsers.com

Can anyone tell me the difference?

I want to improve my outdoor landscape shots, especially where Blue sky is involved.

Thanks!

For landscape pictures, a Circular Polariser will do wonders. Not sure what a Skylight filter is/does, but I think it's like a UV filter, which doesn't do much to the end result, not like the effect a CPL has.

EDIT: Links!
UV and Skylight filters;
http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCam/Us ... er-UV.html

CPL;
http://www.bhatt.id.au/blog/understandi ... g-filters/
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutor ... zers.shtml

Skylight filter is similar to a UV filter, instead, it is on a slight pink tone coating. This removes the excessive blue hue in the atmosphere, gives a better balance in picture between the red and blue tones.
The UV, Skylight and Haze filters works better with film which are more reactive/sensitive to UV lights and tonal changes (digital has its WB to be changed).



As said, polarisers polarise the scattered lights around the atmosphere, creating a high contrast image. Sometimes the effect is so high that the sky will appear dark blue (as seen in some wonderful landscapes).

It not just darken the sky and increase contrast, it also removes reflection from non-metallic surfaces. Specially with water.

Samples:

Without CPL:


With CPL:



Full polarised sky and contrast boost:

I thought skylights were used mainly in portrait work? I know that I do not like the effect on landscapes especially australian bush with a skylight

Justin wrote:I thought skylights were used mainly in portrait work? I know that I do not like the effect on landscapes especially australian bush with a skylight

Skylight works better up in the higher grounds where you see considerable more blue hue than on the lower horizons I think.

Skylight filters are a bit less useful on digital. Modern lenses and DSLRs filter UV (and IR) quite well. Also, Auto-WB will do it's best to cancel out and slight colour changes from the Skylight filter. Still, they can be good for protecting your lens.

xorl wrote:Skylight filters are a bit less useful on digital. Modern lenses and DSLRs filter UV (and IR) quite well. Also, Auto-WB will do it's best to cancel out and slight colour changes from the Skylight filter. Still, they can be good for protecting your lens.

Yes as said, DSLR has WB of its own to be adjusted, it does not actually matter much about the colour cast. But film is sensitive to UV and colour cast, it colour balance cannot be changed. Thats why you get to see more filters in a film shooter's bag than a digital shooter.