7. Accessorizing

Accessories are the ancillary tools that work in concert with your new gear. There’s an entire industry built on proprietary and third-party accessories. Do you need them? Maybe, maybe not. It’s inevitable that we’ll pick up certain gadgets that help us make pictures along the way, and some of these gadgets are made specifically for your lens(es).

This chapter highlights some of the most popular lens accessories. There is a world of niche accessories not explored here; you can find more-obscure and lesser-used tools for your lenses in any camera store or online retailer. What are perhaps the most important accessories of all—hoods, lens caps, and cleaning supplies—are covered in the next chapter.

Using an extender is an excellent way to go long without needing to acquire another lens. I often carry a one-four or two-X with me when I travel and need to keep the amount of lenses I pack to a minimum. However, they are also popular with wildlife and sports photographers who already use extremely long focal lengths. A 400mm lens quickly becomes a 560mm lens with the one-four, and 800mm with the two-X. Talk about versatility in a small package (Figures 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4)! Bird and other wildlife photographers love converters since controlling their subject matter’s distance from the lens is often impossible or comes at great risk (think grizzly bears).

First, both the one-four and the two-X only work with certain Canon lenses. According to the manufacturer, they work only with prime L-series lenses at and longer-than-135mm, as well as the L-series 70–200mm models (both f/2.8 and f/4) and the EF 100–400 f/4.5–5.6L. These lenses have rear elements that are deep enough within their construction that the converting optics in the extender can fit snuggly inside (Figure 7.5).

The second issue to consider is the effect extenders have on maximum aperture. Using a one-four extender will cost you one stop of aperture, and the two-X will cost you two. For example, if you are using a lens that opens up to f/2.8 and you slap a one-four on it, you can only open the aperture to f/4. With a two-X, the maximum aperture would be f/5.6. This issue alone might keep some folks from investing in an extender. I love using my EF 300mm f/4L IS, but after attaching it to a two-X extender, I can only open up to f/8. This isn’t necessarily an issue when it comes to depth of field, but in losing two stops of aperture, I lose two stops of light and am forced to shoot with a much slower shutter speed (two stops slower) or bump my ISO up two stops (which increases the noise in the image).

Third, extenders can slow down or eliminate autofocus capabilities. A camera’s autofocus system needs light for it to detect contrast and find focus. By putting an extender between the camera and lens, and reducing the maximum aperture of said lens, you are essentially reducing the amount of light let in through the lens and detected by the autofocus sensor. The greater the reduction in maximum aperture, the slower the autofocus becomes. Imagine shooting a fast-paced sports game with a sluggish autofocus system. But where does it fail completely? Anywhere past f/8. At f/8 (a combination of an f/5.6 lens and a one-four extender, or an f/4 lens and a two-X extender), autofocus is typically sluggish. Combine a two-X converter with an f/5.6 lens (f/11 maximum aperture) and say goodbye to autofocus.

Re-emphasizing a point made in Chapter 5, the fourth issue to consider is what extending the focal length means for your minimum sustaining shutter speed. Using an extender may necessitate putting the camera on a tripod or monopod to accommodate the longer focal length and the increase in sensitivity to any lens movement.

Fifth, some photographers claim that extenders degrade image quality. It’s true that putting another piece(s) of glass between your lens and camera might introduce certain deficiencies. It’s hard to detect, but extenders can magnify the effect of a lens’s chromatic aberration and some vignetting. Canon’s newly designed extenders work hard to mitigate the negative effects. Older versions of the Canon two-X had a softening effect, but the most current iteration is much improved. I have heard nothing but praise for the one-four extender; I’ve yet to see any visible degradation.

Finally, even though extenders are cheaper than new telephoto lenses, they’re still not cheap. Even with rebates, both extenders are somewhere north of US$400.

You can purchase extension tubes individually or as a package of three. They come in various sizes; the longer the tube, the tighter you can push in on a subject. I usually advise purchasing proprietary gear when you choose a camera system, but I use Kenko extension tubes (Figure 7.7). For just over the price of one Canon tube, you can purchase a set of three Kenko tubes that retain autofocus, transmit data electronically from the lens to the camera, and fit both EF and EF-S lens mounts. For around US$180, you can convert just about any lens you own into a close-focusing macro lens. Since the tubes don’t include glass, you don’t need to worry about them degrading the optical quality of a lens. Some vignetting may occur, and if all three tubes are used in conjunction with your lens, some light may drop off, but sharpness is not a concern.

Also, become comfortable with manual focus. Even though Canon and Kenko extension tubes allow you to use autofocus, in many macro settings autofocus can get in the way. Using the lens’s zoom ring as a focus pull gives you much more nuanced control over the focal plane, especially when you have your composition just right and need to tweak focus just a bit (Figure 7.9).

Last, have fun and experiment. As I said in the last chapter, I enjoy the stress- relieving qualities of shooting macro. Be patient and methodically try out different compositions, using one, two, or three of the extension tubes in tandem. Becoming comfortable with how the tubes work will result in some interesting images (Figure 7.10).

Keep in mind that, like with macro lenses, using a shallow depth of field may result in an image that either misses focus on the primary subject or one that renders the subject “unreadable” (Figure 7.11).

There is a large variety of filters out there. The following sections highlight three of the most popular types. Like most camera gear, filters come at several different price points via several manufacturers. They are also manufactured out of different materials, such as glass, plastic, and a high-quality resin. While filters do get expensive, it is in the buyer’s best interest to not go cheap. That doesn’t mean you must buy the priciest filters available, but it does mean do your research. I try to avoid plastic filters altogether.

UV filters still do what they have always done, but since digital sensors are not affected by UV rays, these filters are less relevant now. It’s hard to detect the lens’s effect (Figures 7.13 and 7.14). They do come in handy where UV rays are prevalent, such as at higher altitudes. However, these days many folks simply fix any issues in postprocessing.

Why even consider buying a UV filter? One very important reason: to protect the front element (Figure 7.15). Imagine dropping your lens and the front element hits something jagged or hard. Having a good UV filter in front of that element is like having an extra insurance policy on it as you go banging through the streets. And, if it prevents any negative effects of UV rays along the way, all the better. This is also why I always use my lens hood—to reduce the chance that my front element ever comes in contact with anything.

With this protection comes a risk of decreased image fidelity, which is why I don’t use a UV filter often. (It is worth pointing out that any filter will degrade the quality of the image.) That being said, many photographers claim that good UV filters don’t negatively impact image quality.

Compared to other types of filters, UV filters are relatively inexpensive. And they are the type of filter you can leave on your lens all the time. Make sure you purchase a multicoated glass filter that is less prone to greasy smudges and scratches.

Practically speaking, colors become more saturated and reflections disappear when you bar some light with a polarizing filter. As you rotate the filter, the angle of light allowed through changes, enabling you to take advantage of polarized light waves entering the lens at many different angles (Figures 7.17, 7.18, 7.19, and 7.20). You can see this change take place through the viewfinder or Live View display as you rotate the filter. It is very difficult, if all but impossible, to replicate this type of physical effect through postprocessing.

Note that the effect of the filter is strongest at 90-degree angles from the direction of the sun, and it lessens the more you point toward the sun or directly away from it. For example, since the sun rises in the east, you would need to point your camera either north or south to see the effect of the filter, as opposed to due west.

Be careful not to oversaturate. If the sky appears very dark (note that the higher in elevation you go, the darker the sky), it might not fit with the foreground exposure or content, producing an unrealistic-looking image (Figure 7.23). After making a few images of a sky at what seems like the correct level of color, rotate the filter back just to be sure you haven’t gone too far (Figure 7.24).

Polarizers sometimes stand out when used in conjunction with wide-angle focal lengths. Since such focal lengths have wide angles of view, the field of view captured in the frame may include areas of the sky that are not at 90-degree angles from the sun. The result is a band of saturation that will appear close to that 90-degree mark but nowhere else (Figure 7.25). It is awkward to have this band of color move through the frame with two areas of nonsaturated color on both sides of it in the sky.

The same technique applies to reflections on highly specular surfaces, such as water, oily roads, and just about any shiny surface that is mostly horizontal to your position. Instead of being blinded by the light reflecting off water (Figures 7.28 and 7.29), use a circular polarizer to cut through such reflections. If the water is clear enough, you can see what lies below its surface (Figure 7.30).

Finally, polarizers are great in reducing the light reflections on some vegetation. I like overcast days for shooting plant life, but a sunny day is not necessarily reason to quit shooting as long as you have a polarizing filter. For a lot of green vegetation with reflective leaves, you can reduce the brightness and reveal detail in the leaves and plant surfaces in the image (Figures 7.31 and 7.32). The polarizer reduces contrast (much like the overcast sky does) and helps bring out colors in the vegetation.

First, you must take into account the drop in exposure caused by a polarizer. When a polarizer blocks certain light waves from passing through, it also reduces the amount of exposure by up to two stops. Be sure to compensate for this drop in exposure by slowing down your shutter speed. But note that if you open up your aperture to make this compensation, you also change the image’s depth of field.

Second, be aware of what is called birefringence when pointing a polarizing filter toward surfaces like LCD monitors, tinted windows, and certain translucent plastics such as those that cover some smartphones (Figure 7.33). If you wear polarized sunglasses, you know exactly what this is. Birefringence shows itself as a rainbow effect on some surfaces. Although this psychedelic effect can be interesting, many people frown upon it. Note that if you rotate the circular polarizer enough, you can block all light emitted from these types of surfaces, especially computer LCDs.

Third, it’s not a good idea to use a polarizer at night or in dark interiors. It’s hard to see through them when there is not much light. Remember that, depending on its rotation, a polarizer can reduce the light coming through by two stops. And since an abundance of light is what makes the polarizer sing, it’s just not worth keeping it on when it gets dark.

By reducing the amount of light passing through the filter, the camera must expose much longer to compensate for that drop. This means using slower shutter speeds, and the resulting effect of such speeds on dynamic subject matter like water can be drastic (Figures 7.36, 7.37, and 7.38). We all enjoy using long shutter speeds on waterfalls, but with the help of an ND filter, the smoothing effect becomes that much stronger.

Many cameras have a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 of a second. While this is fairly fast, opening a fast prime lens’s aperture up to, say, f/1.4, even while using a very low ISO, may necessitate a faster shutter speed usually reserved for higher-end cameras. It will force you to close down your aperture and gain depth of field. If this is not the look you are going for, throw on a one- or two-stop ND filter, and you can then open your aperture back up (Figures 7.39 and 7.40).

ND filters are especially useful for portrait photographers using artificial light. Many cameras paired with speed lights or studio flash systems sync with the lights at 1/200, 1/250, or 1/300 of a second, which are not fast shutter speeds when you want to open up an aperture to f/1.8 (Figures 7.41 and 7.42). Using an ND filter will knock the ambient light down enough in many cases that you can slow your shutter speed to an adequate sync speed and achieve the look you want.

Likewise, ND filters work in a studio setting, especially when a drop in depth of field is necessary but difficult to achieve given the intensity of many standard studio flash systems (Figures 7.43, 7.44, and 7.45).

A graduated filter set to where the areas transition or close to the horizon in the frame will allow the photographer to meter on the ground yet subdue the bright sky and maintain detail in both areas (Figures 7.49 and 7.50).

Graduated ND filters, like their nongraduated brethren, come in various levels of darkening strength. The most popular graduated ND filters are those you can simply drop into a filter holder attached to the end of the lens (Figure 7.51), as opposed to screwing the filter itself to the lens. A filter-holder system like this makes using graduated ND filters an efficient process (you can use several filters together), and it also allows the photographer more precision on where the filter’s graduation appears in the frame. Other types of filters, including polarizers, are often manufactured as rectangle or square drop-in filters and can be used with such a system. The entire toolset may look complicated, but it really is quite simple and useful.

The effect graduated ND filters create can be replicated in postprocessing with software like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop (Figure 7.52), and some photographers choose to bypass purchasing ND filters. However, using graduated ND filters in the field can often save you time on the computer later. Even though software programs have strong processing engines, I still haven’t seen one bring back completely overexposed highlights like a graduated ND filter can.

Are individual neoprene cases and covers necessary? Maybe not. It depends on the level of security you wish your lenses to have. I don’t use them. When I don’t need a lens in hand, mine goes right back to its bag (some of which have neoprene components). However, LensCoat’s neoprene covers are worth considering for protecting expensive telephoto lenses. They also help reduce the public visibility of such lenses, allowing you to remain more inconspicuous.

LensCoat makes several neoprene covers that are camouflaged with popular patterns, and for around US$100, you can get a lens cover that protects and blends into the environment. Not a bad deal. However, there are other options. My favorite is simply wrapping my lens with a camouflage fabric stretch wrap (Figure 7.53). You can pick up a 4-yard roll at a sporting-goods store for around US$8. It is thin, easily wrapped around a lens, and it stays put (Figure 7.54). Be sure to get a type of stretch wrap that does not leave any adhesive residue on your lens. More than likely, it is reusable in case you need to remove it and put it back on.

These covers fit securely around a lens’s hood, and the cover encloses the camera body as well, with an opening in the rear for you to see through the viewfinder while protected from the elements. Many of the more expensive rain covers are tailored for a particular range of lenses, but other affordable options are made for general use.

To save money, grab a plastic trash bag and a rubber band large enough to fit snuggly around a lens hood. After unfolding the bag, use scissors to cut the bottom out. Place the camera and lens in the bag, using the rubber band to fit one opening around the lens hood. The other opening is an entrance for you to access the camera (Figure 7.56). You can customize the bag to fit more securely or to fit around a monopod or tripod. I usually carry a few large plastic trash bags in my camera bag for this reason. Here’s a tip: Spend the extra US$2 for good-quality Hefty bags for increased protection.

Go macro with extensions

If you’re into macro photography, extension tubes offer a very affordable way to get in close without breaking the bank. Most extension-tube manufacturers, like Kenko, offer an option to buy three together, and they can be used individually or in conjunction. Start with the thinnest tube between the camera and lens (make sure it is a lens that will reach past 85mm to get the best macro effect). See how close you can focus, paying attention to how you can fine-tune focus with the lens’s zoom ring.

Make a few pictures of your subject, changing your composition as you get used to how the tubes affect the frame’s content. Add an additional tube. Repeat the process, but just a bit tighter, exploring in more detail. Add the last tube to see how the ambient light drops a bit and how getting in even closer affects your composition. Notice how the depth of field decreases with every extension tube you add.

Polarize the world

A polarizing filter’s effect is the only effect that postprocessing-software applications cannot replicate. Spend a morning shooting with just your circular polarizer on a standard zoom lens. Get a feel for how it works in a number of scenarios, keeping in mind that the filter’s effect is most prominent when you point the lens 90 degrees from the sun’s rays. Shoot wide, including the sky, to see how saturated you can make the blues, noting how the changes convey different moods.

Go window shopping on a commercial street and learn how you can eliminate reflections in shop windows by turning the polarizer. Near a lake instead of a downtown? Shoot long exposures of the lake with the polarizer to minimize distracting reflections and see through the top of the water.

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