Top three essential filters for Nikon landscape photography?

Unfortunately, trying to kit out a high-res Z7ii for under 300 bucks is a real struggle. Ive had issues with budget glass before and it basically ruins the sharpness you paid for. You definitely dont need a GND... bracketing is way more precise anyway. Stick to the basics. You need a CPL for the glare on all that PNW moss and wet rock. I suggest the Hoya 77mm Fusion One Next Circular Polarizer because it is solid, even though Ive found cheaper coatings sometimes flake off. For the waterfalls, you need a 10-stop ND like the B+W 77mm Master 110 Solid Neutral Density 3.0 Filter. Sadly, most variable NDs are not as good as expected, so stick to fixed ones. If you must have a third, maybe a Tiffen 77mm Neutral Density 0.9 Filter for faster streams when the 10-stop is too dark. Honestly though, cheaper filters are just disappointing... you get what you pay for.

This is exactly what I needed to hear. Youre a lifesaver honestly.

Honestly, you really gotta be careful with budget glass on a high-res sensor like the Z7ii. If the glass isnt top tier, youll see a massive drop in sharpness and probably some nasty purple or green color casts that are a total nightmare to fix in post. Since you're going to Olympic, remember its gonna be super wet and misty. Moisture gets trapped easily, so you really want something with solid oil and water-resistant coatings or youll be spending the whole hike just scrubbing smudges. Instead of a GND, maybe think about getting two different strengths of solid ND filters. A 6-stop is basically perfect for that milky water look in the forest without making the exposure take ages. Just a heads up—avoid those cheap Variable ND filters. They usually cause a weird dark 'X' pattern on wide-angle lenses which would totally ruin your landscape shots. Stick to solid glass for the best results.

Building on the earlier suggestion, I'm actually gonna go against the grain a bit. I remember trekking through the Sol Duc area years ago with a bag full of glass I barely touched and honestly, I think you're better off buying two high-quality pieces than trying to force a third one into that budget just for the sake of it.

• I'm not 100 percent sure if this is still the case with the newest coatings, but IIRC, stacking even two mediocre filters can really kill the Z7ii's resolution and leave you with some weird ghosting.
• Not sure if I heard this right, but someone told me that the mist at Olympic is so fine it gets behind filter holders easily, so maybe stick to screw-ins for this trip.
• You probably dont need a third landscape filter... I'd just put that extra money into a better polarizer since that'll be on your lens 90 percent of the time anyway. In my experience, you'll be so busy fighting the rain and the mud that you wont want to swap glass constantly. Just get one really solid circular polarizer for the greens and one 6-stop for the waterfalls. Sometimes less is more when you're hiking through a rainforest... just a thought.