Calling all Camera guru's

[bikinpunk 10+ year member]

I was thinking of getting my girl a lens for V-day and came across a bunch of sites saying that a must is a good set of filters for a DSLR. She has a Canon Digital Rebel XT with no lenses other than what came with it. I'm having trouble finding specs on filter size...I assume what I would need is 52mm? Also, can someone suggest what I should be looking for here? UV, polarized, etc, etc. This is not my area of expertise, so I need some advice here.

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[Heresy 10+ year member]

I was thinking of getting my girl a lens for V-day and came across a bunch of sites saying that a must is a good set of filters for a DSLR. She has a Canon Digital Rebel XT with no lenses other than what came with it. I'm having trouble finding specs on filter size...I assume what I would need is 52mm? Also, can someone suggest what I should be looking for here? UV, polarized, etc, etc. This is not my area of expertise, so I need some advice here.

The standard kits lens for Canons tends to be the EF 18mm-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM which fits 58mm filters. Personally, it isn't that great of a lens, but it works decently. At least if she wants to move up to something like the EF 85mm which is almost as sharp as the L-series lens, she can use the same filters. I would start looking at what Hoya and Quantaray offer.

A standard haze filter or UV filter is the first one you should buy if she doesn't already have one. They are mostly used to protect the glass of the lens, but that is what you want to start with. After you buy that one, you have to know what she photographs and in what context. A polarizing filter is used to eliminate glare on non-metallic surfaces like glass or water, and you want a circular polarizing one most likely since I am betting she uses the lens' auto-focus. Colored lenses have their place if you want to highlight one color or another without photoshopping too much. Infrared photography is really fun but it wouldn't serve a sports photographer very well.

I would suggest going to a photography store and asking the people behind the counter. Usually, the people who run the stores are avid photographers themselves who can steer you in the right direction. If you want to search online, B&H is great for stuff, or you can buy used from the Fred Miranda buy and sell forums (I buy almost all my lenses and equipment there because you can find some good deals there, 100s of pieces are listed every day, and the community is very helpful).

 

[bikinpunk 10+ year member]

I managed to find through tedious searching, that the camera filter size is 52mm. I ordered about 5 different kind: UV, Polarized, 80A, Neutral density, and spot. I wanted to get an assortment for her to tinker around with. I'm just hoping that I got the right size. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/uhoh.gif.c07307dd22ee7e63e22fc8e9c614d1fd.gif

 

[Heresy 10+ year member]

I managed to find through tedious searching, that the camera filter size is 52mm. I ordered about 5 different kind: UV, Polarized, 80A, Neutral density, and spot. I wanted to get an assortment for her to tinker around with. I'm just hoping that I got the right size. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/uhoh.gif.c07307dd22ee7e63e22fc8e9c614d1fd.gif

If it is a 52mm filter then it isn't the standard kit lens. The only ones that takes a 52mm filter that I can think of off the top of my head is the 50mm f/1.8 and the 35mm f/2. She might have bought it with an upgraded lens, but I know the EF-S 18mm-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM takes a 58mm filter size. (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelTechSpecsAct&fcategoryid=149&modelid=10512)

 

[GO-N DEF 10+ year member]

I'm pretty sure Heresy was right, it uses a 58mm Filter. Here is B&H Photo's Rebel XT and the lens that comes with it.

I have the Canon 30D and a Nikon N65. Most of my lenses use 58mm filters. And I keep a UV filter on every one. Its a lot less expensive to replace a scratched filter than a scratched lens! 58mm is pretty much the most common size for your standard lenses.

To add a little more on polarizers, they also can help make a blue sky a little more rich in color and, as you rotate them, they can make some clouds dissappear. That, and taking away glare as Hersey mentioned, has to do with the filter only allowing light to enter from one angle so it blocks out alot of extranious light. You can make water appear almost invisible or completely reflective. The same goes for glass (even with a a slight mirrorized tint)...

 

[bikinpunk 10+ year member]

Thanks. I just e-mailed the company I ordered from. I hope they can remedy my situation. If not, I'll have to cancel the order. Thank you very much for alerting me to this issue.

 

[GO-N DEF 10+ year member]

No problem. I forgot to mention that my brother has the Rebel XT also. All of his lenses, including the packaged one, use 58 mm also.

I have one lens that uses a 52 mm but its the only one I've ever seen and didn't know it when I bought it (off the internet). I also have a wide-angle that uses a 77 mm, but like I said, the most popular size for the average lens is the 58mm.

You could always just grab her lens and measure it, though...

 

[bikinpunk 10+ year member]

No way for me to get to it without her figuring something out...