Thoughts on filters

[Seven_Wishes]

I believe Tiffen do a variable 1 to 8 stop ND filter and they also do a range that cuts out IR light. From some of the results I have seen though they give a slight green cast (the opposite of magenta) ... having said that both the Lee 10 stop and Hitech tend to give a blue cast ... A Whibal white balance reference card or similar will allow for white balance correction with a couple of clicks in ACR, Lightroom, Photoshop and most other editing software applications.

[Tusker]

I do have the 'P' system, but with most of what I do there just isn't time to set up. I keep a CPL (thin) filter on most of my everyday lenses such as the 80/400 and 16/35, along with the 300's. Aperture and PS help a lot. I need to figure out how to do away with haze as I have noticed of late more and more of it. Even out West. Winter is the better time to shoot, but you cannot have it all.

[scoundrel1728]

Not sure what you can do about haze when shooting color, aside from repairs in postprocessing.  However, it is the shorter wavelengths of light that are most scattered.  If you shoot in black and white, a yellow, orange, or red filter can cut haze quite a bit.  If you want to go for infrared, that cuts the haze even more, besides all the other special effects that IR photography gives you.

[Seven_Wishes]

shooting with longer lenses will appear to intensify any haze already there (particularly if shooting something in the distance) and even if there is little haze; there is always the chance of introducing heat shimmer (again more pronounced with longer lenses) which can look like haze. A circular polariser should help in reducing the haze ... in editing and depending on how bad the haze is ... the high pass filter does quite a good job of adding clarity as does Unsharp Mask if you use the settings back to front ... a small amount setting and large radius setting ... the haze will still be there but less noticeable and the shot will appear much clearer.