While they are regularly used by enthusiasts and professional photogra phers, filters tend to be ignored by casual shutterbugs. The most common response I get when I recommend them is "I'll do it in Photoshop".
While I completely support the use of Adobe's magical photo application to fine-tune your pictures, a camera filter can make a lot of difference to the quality of your compositions. With filters, the biggest advantage is that you can get your desired effect without the loss in quality that comes with post processing.
Filters are cheap compared to a lot of other camera accessories and they are easy to carry around. We'll make it easy for you to decide on the filters that you simply must own - and those that can wait.
UV filter
If you own a D-SLR or a superzoom camera, this filter is an absolute necessity With these cameras, . the only protection your lens may have from scratches, fingerprints and other greasy smudges, is a pop-open lens cap (the kind that's easy to misplace or forget to replace, leaving your lens open for long periods).
The UV filter is a clear filter, with the basic function of cutting out ultra-violet interference from sunlight on outdoor shoots. Being a clear filter it's ideal to mount on your lens at all times without losing quality or affecting the camera's performance.
If you have multiple lenses for your D-SLR, it's recommended you get a separate UV filter screwed onto each of these lenses. UV filters are cheap (about Rs 100 each) and expendable, which is why they are considered mandatory to protect fragile lenses.
Circular polariser
This dual-layered dark filter is ideal for outdoor shots, primarily because it's a dual-layered dark filter that cuts down the amount of light reflection that hits your lens.
Because of this, the sky appears bluer, water reflection can be cut down to the extent that you can spot objects inside, and overall, colours appear a lot deeper and more real.
A circular polariser is the...