How to use slot-in filters

Adam Waring shows how a set of square slot-in filters can transform your scenic shots…

Get the lowdown on the filters you need

If you’re serious about landscape photography then a set of filters should be at the very top of your shopping list. These sheets of glass (or resin) sit in front of your lens, manipulating the light that strikes the sensor for creative effect. While there are all manner of trick filters, the main ones to consider are a polarizer, neutral density filter and graduated neutral density filter – or better still, a kit that contains the lot.

Filters come in two main types: ‘circular’ filters that screw into the front of your lens, or the ‘square’ variety that need a filter holder and are the most versatile, as you’re not restricted by the size of your lenses’ filter threads – you use the correct-sized ‘adaptor ring’ to attach the holder to the lens. Square filters are also less susceptible to vignetting, as they are typically much wider than your lenses, can be ‘stacked’ together in the holder’s slots, and can be slid up and down within the holder for precise positioning.

Anything that goes in front of the lens will have an effect on the light that passes through it, and so it’s crucial that you invest in a quality system. Most square filter systems are available in a kit form that includes the holder, a variety of attachment rings, as well as a selection of filters. We’re using the Nisi V6 Starter Kit Plus, which also has two strengths of ND filter, a 3-stop ND grad, a 3-stop ‘reverse’ ND grad and a polarizer, along with some nice extras such as a storage pouch, filter cleaners and an oversized lens cap.

We headed to Burnhamon-sea on the Somerset coast to put our filter kit through its paces.