Kit planning

Lens filter size planner

Add your lenses and the filters you own. The planner finds the size that fits everything with step-up rings, and says which filters fit directly.

Filters you already own: 55 mm

Read the Ø number on the filter's rim. To pick several, tap each size on a phone, or hold Ctrl or Cmd as you click on a computer.

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3 lenses for the EOS R50

Buy 55 mm filters

They fit RF-S55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM directly, and the rest through 2 step-up rings.

49 mm55 mm
LensThreadYour 55 mm
Canon RF-S10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM49 mmWith a 49–55 mm ring
Canon RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM49 mmWith a 49–55 mm ring
Canon RF-S55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM55 mmFits directly

Every lens for the EOS R50 that takes 55 mm filters

ND filters: the shutter speed you need

Meter the scene without the filter, then choose the filter: the answer is the shutter speed to set with it on, at the same aperture and ISO.

Makers print the strength as an ND number, an optical density or stops; each line gives all three.

Metered at 1/125 s, with the ND1000

Expose for 8 s

It passes 1/1,000 of the light, about 10 stops, so the shutter stays open 1,000 times as long.

From about six stops the picture on the screen and in the viewfinder turns dark: frame and focus first, switch to manual focus, then fit the filter.

The same filter under its three labels, and what it does to 1/125 s
ND numberOptical densityStopsLight passed1/125 s becomes
ND20.311/21/63 s
ND40.621/41/31 s
ND80.931/81/16 s
ND161.241/161/8 s
ND321.551/321/4 s
ND641.861/640.5 s
ND1282.171/1281 s
ND2562.481/2562 s
ND4002.68.61/4003.2 s
ND10003.0101/1,0008 s
ND320004.5151/32,0004 min 16 s

How step-up rings work

A step-up ring screws into a smaller lens thread and takes a larger filter, so one set of filters fits several lenses. Rings only go up: a filter smaller than the lens thread would darken the corners. With a ring fitted, the lens's own hood usually will not fit, and a cap needs the filter's size.

Every lens by filter size

Facts from the makers' specification pages. How we check