Choosing the right filter holder can transform the photos you capture and even change the way you approach your craft. There are filter systems that are designed particularly for various types of creators, from the detailed landscape photographer to the unconventional portrait enthusiast, but it’s not easy sifting through all the brands and options to determine which is the best for you.

Instead what you could do is follow a professional guide to steer you in the right direction and make a few suggestions along the way. Ultimately, you should look for a filter holder that offers superior features and targets all your photography needs while satisfying your personal preferences for the way you’d like to control a shoot.

Read on to learn more about what filter holders are and what capabilities they have.

What Are Filter Holders?

Cameras often need filters to augment the production of a shoot and to level up creativity even further, but the filters tend to need a little help at times. That’s where filter holders come into play. A good filter holder will aid in capturing spectacular moments with less effort while providing optimum light control. They simply snap on via a thread plate or adaptor ring onto your camera lens and will allow for the use of several different filters all at the same time. These will include the circular polarizer (CP) filter that fits directly in front of the camera lens and a choice of neutral density and gradient or graduated filters that sit inside the slots of the holder, which are typically square-shaped.

The more advanced and progressive filter holders are often designed with their own series of filters. What sets these filter systems apart from traditional filter holders is better overall functionality and streamlined features to optimize filter operation and control. This makes your day-to-day workflow a lot easier and keeps the run-and-gun photographer pretty organized.

How Are They Used?

If we were to discuss how these filter holders are used, we wouldn’t do justice if we didn’t focus on the newer upgraded filter systems and the type of performance these more sophisticated units can offer.

Case in point is our Summit Landscape filter system which unlike other filter holders is proprietary in its size and designed for optimal efficiency while still serving the same purpose as other holders, i.e. to facilitate the use of different filters at the same time so as to control several types of lighting scenarios.

Each filter that you use within a filter holder has its purpose, whether to reduce reflections, enhance color saturation and vibrancy the way the circular polarizer does, or balance the sky and ground exposure during sunset or sunrise the way gradient filters can do. The filter holder makes it possible and convenient to manipulate each of these filters simultaneously to achieve a required shot. From rotating the CP, and swapping out NDs to adjusting the gradient filter in the right position, all in one take so that you can tackle the different elements of light and the effect it has on different types of objects in a setting.

How To Choose The Best Types Of Filter Holders

To tap into the best features a filter holder has to offer, you should stay away from cheap models. Though cheaper in price, they generally don’t offer precision filter control that the more sophisticated units do. They also limit the dynamic range and eventually break sooner than later from wear and tear due to the cheap materials they’re manufactured from. A smart recommendation is to always go with a higher quality brand. The investment might leave a dent in your pocket, but one well worth making for the long run.

The best types of filter holders are the ones that allow you to use the filters you want without compromising the user experience. Just the added bulk and weight a holder can put on your camera will limit you significantly during those adventure type jobs. More specifically, they should accommodate the filters you need for the kind of work you do or which you simply enjoy using. A few must-have filter suggestions for any photographer are the circular polarizer, medium/hard edge & soft edge grad filters, and ND filters ranging from perhaps the 3-stop to 10-stop. These allow you to be pretty hands-on in numerous scenarios and settings.

So in essence, a good filter holder should incorporate a select variety of filters that can cleverly take on wide-ranging photography while opening possibilities you never knew you could achieve during your photography pursuits.

The Summit Landscape Filter System - The Ultimate Filter Holder

The Summit filter system is the ultimate solution for all your filter control needs. Apart from guaranteeing all the features the best type of filter holders can possibly provide, the Summit offers world-class innovation and optimized operation through its reinvented design.

The unit boasts a sleek yet robust assembly and is made of optically superior products complete with exclusive finishes that no other filter holder seems to have. Yes, it’s really one of the best-looking filter systems out there.

It has a lightweight aluminum construction that is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts and adventure-driven creators. All the filters of the Summit also have a lightweight aluminum encasing frame built onto the glass, which makes handling and swapping swapping out filters quite easy without the worry of leaving fingerprints on the surface of the filters.

The Summit offers precision light control for the most restrictive and complex lighting conditions for outdoor and landscape photography and is particularly practical for fine art, and long-exposure photographers.

Whether you choose from our category of filters in the Landscape or Artisan kit, or go with a custom kit, you will have access to an extensive range of filter options. You can also customize your own system by choosing the filters you need for a particular job or shoot. The unit allows for three different filters to be used at the same time, a circular polarizer that is rotatable and fixes onto the camera lens, a neutral density, and a gradient filter. The entire structure comprises the core, the hood, and comes with thread plates with the option to add step-up rings if needs be.

Not looking for a filter holder at this moment, browse more PolarPro Filters.