Camera filters selectively influence the light that hits the sensor. They help, for example, to reduce reflections, increase exposure time, or render colors more naturally – directly during the shot, without software post-processing.

• UV filters : Originally used to protect against UV light, today mostly used as protective glass to protect the lens from dust, scratches and impacts.
• ND filters (neutral density filters) : Reduce the amount of light. Ideal for long exposures during the day or large apertures in sunlight (e.g., for a blurred background).
• Polarizing filters (CPL) : Remove reflections on glass and water and enhance colors. Especially popular for landscape photography.
• Special filters : These include, for example, color filters, graduated filters or infrared filters – they create special effects and are usually intended for creative applications.

• In bright sunlight → use an ND filter for longer exposure times
• For water surfaces / glass → polarizing filter to reduce reflections
• For lens protection → Leave the UV filter permanently in front
• For more dramatic landscape photos → combine a polarizing filter or ND filter with a graduated filter

Yes, that's possible – so-called "filter stacking". For example, using an ND filter and a polarizing filter simultaneously. Caution: Too many filters stacked on top of each other can lead to vignetting (dark edges) – especially with wide-angle lenses.

Yes, ND filters are particularly useful when filming to keep the exposure time constant (e.g., 1/50 second at 25 fps), even in daylight. This makes movements in the video appear more natural.

This describes how much the light is reduced by the ND filter. The higher the number, the darker the filter. Example:

• ND8 ≈ 3 f-stops
• ND64 ≈ 6 f-stops
• ND1000 ≈ 10 f-stops

The higher the value, the longer you can expose – e.g. for “soft water” or “moving clouds”.

Graduated ND filters are darker at the top and clear at the bottom . They are often used in landscape photography to darken the sky without affecting the foreground – resulting in a more balanced image without an overexposed sky.

Slim filters have a particularly thin housing to prevent vignetting with wide-angle lenses . They are useful for focal lengths below 24 mm (full-frame).

Filters take effect during the shooting process and directly influence the image visually – this saves time in post-processing and often delivers more natural results. They also enable shots that would be impossible with software alone (e.g., long exposures in daylight).