Must-have lens filters for landscape photography on Canon 5D Mark IV?

Question

I am honestly so fed up with spending hours in front of my monitor trying to fix blown out skies in my landscape shots. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark IV and I always thought the dynamic range would be enough to handle it but no, every time I go out to the coast or the mountains I end up with these white-hot clouds or the foreground is basically pitch black. Pulling the shadows just makes everything look grainy and gross and I'm just over it.

My logic was that I could just bracket everything and do HDR in post but honestly it looks so fake and I hate the workflow. I am heading out to Zion National Park in two weeks and I really need to get my kit sorted before then because I cant keep doing this. I was thinking about getting a circular polarizer for the glare on the rocks and maybe some kind of ND filter but there are so many brands and I dont want to buy cheap glass that ruins the sharpness of my L-series lenses. I have about 400 bucks to drop on this right now so what are the actual must-haves that will save me time in post? Like do I really need a graduated ND or can I get away with just a solid one and move faster? I'm just tired of my photos looking like garbage because I cant get the exposure right in-camera...

Oliver · Accepted Answer

Honestly I totally feel you on the HDR thing. It usually ends up looking like a bad fever dream if you arent careful with the sliders. Zion is gorgeous but the light there is super harsh so you really need to cut that glare to get those deep reds and actually see the texture in the canyon walls. First thing, get a high quality CPL. It is basically non-negotiable for those red rocks and the river. I use the B+W 77mm Master Circular Polarizer MRC Nano on my main kit and the glass is top tier so it wont mess with your sharpness. It really helps with the saturation in the sky too without making things look fake. It basically fixes that white-hot cloud issue by bringing the sky down a couple notches while making the clouds pop. Regarding the graduated NDs... honestly they are a bit of a pain in the neck when you have mountains sticking up into the sky. You end up darkening the top of the peak and it looks weird. Id suggest grabbing a solid 6-stop filter instead. Something like the Breakthrough Photography 77mm X4 Fixed ND 6-Stop is great because it has zero color cast. You can still bracket if you really need to, but having the CPL and a solid ND will get you 90 percent of the way there in-camera. $400 is plenty for those two. Just check your lens thread size first because those L lenses vary between 77mm and 82mm usually... dont want to buy the wrong size right before your trip.

charlotte.stevens · Answer

I spent way too much money on overhyped glass before finding a setup that actually works well without breaking the bank. For Zion, you need speed because that light moves fast. I have been very satisfied with these:

Kase Wolverine Magnetic Circular Filter Entry Kit 77mm

NiSi V7 100mm Filter Holder Kit with True Color CPL The magnetic system is a total life saver. I switched last year and havent had any complaints about sharpness.

Edward · Answer

I have been very satisfied with a square filter system for these specific lighting challenges. Using these is a much more methodical way to work than messy bracketing.

Lee Filters 100mm Foundation Kit

Lee Filters 100x150mm Nano IR Soft Graduated ND 0.9 The soft edge works well for Zions uneven horizons. It keeps your L-series glass sharp while fixing that blown-out sky in-camera... saves me hours.