I didn't want to spend a fortune on filters, but...

eyetrip

eyetrip

eyetrip

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On 2 of my lenses, I currently have two Zeikos CPL filters, and it's hard for me to tell if they degrade picture quality noticeably.

But they are certainly cheap, and it kind of nags at me having cheap filters on expensive lenses...

Anyway, recently been trying to acquire a 43mm ( for the excellent 30mm pancake and awesome 45mm), as well as a 58mm (for the also brilliant 12-24mm).

First filters I got, one's thread was messed, and was not what was pictured anyway, so it's going back. The other (58mm) from Agfa photo has a huge section of missing coating. So both going back.

In mean time ordered to Polaroid CPL filters for both, but the 43mm degrades quality so badly, there is no way it's going on my lenses. The 58mm doesn't seem quite as bad... but the 43mm put me off keeping Polaroid.

Also, these things seem to block about two stops of light. Is that normal? The Zeikos ones don't seem to be that heavy in blocking light?

Anyway, I really don't want to spend a fortune on filters, but don't want rubbish in front of my lovely lenses, so what recommendations do you guys have?
 
I haven't had any issues using B+W filters. Singh-ray, Schneider and Heliopan are also very good.
Some people like Hoya but the lower Hoya filters are horrible, their pro 1 and HD are OK but I have had very bad experiences with these so don't recommend them.

At those small sizes even the high end filters are cheap. You should also just buy filters for your largest lens and buy cheap step down rings saving money.


And yes, CPLS rob about 2 stops of light. Some of the higher end CPL's are slightly more efficient.
 
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Hoya appear easy to find, but I'll avoid if you think they are rubbish DP.

The Samsung own brand are £40 for the 43mm and £60 for the 58mm. Given the quality of their lenses, I have no doubt that these would be good quality, but I am wondering what they are like price-wise?

I was originally hoping to spend less than £20 a filter - am I always going to land up with rubbish at that price?

Got a couple of rec's for photo sites to look for filters?
 
eyetrip said:
Hoya appear easy to find, but I'll avoid if you think they are rubbish DP.

The Samsung own brand are £40 for the 43mm and £60 for the 58mm. Given the quality of their lenses, I have no doubt that these would be good quality, but I am wondering what they are like price-wise?

I was originally hoping to spend less than £20 a filter - am I always going to land up with rubbish at that price?

Got a couple of rec's for photo sites to look for filters?
Click to expand...


The cheap Hoyas are nasty (image degradation, colour cast,poor quality glass, threads easily jammed, big fat ring often without inner threads to attach other filters). The high-end Hoya's are better, the HD and Pro 1D filters but they aren't great and I have had issue with both of them. I had a 77mm Hoya HD CPL shatter on the first day of use, my wife's Hoya Pro1D got jammed and crossed threads despite careful use.


Filters last a lifetime really if well looked after, so IMO you might as well pay for something decent from the start rather than wasting money and time on trying cheaper options to eventually upgrade anyway. As Raymond says, buy cheap by twice.

I use a CPL almost always when outside, I hope my B+W filter will last 15-20 year or more. Considering the hundreds of thousands of photos I will have taken over that period the 0.001 pence per a photo is really not significant to me.
 
Yeah, in my case it will be buy cheap, buy thrice...

I have learned my lesson now, and realise will have to spend a bit more.

Struggling to find a 43mm in those brands listed above.

May end up sticking with the Samsung for that if no luck.

Or, I have read good things about Marumi filters - anyone got experience? Apparently comparably to B+W, can get from one of my usual places, and are nice and slim too. And brass (I think)

58mm is quite easy to find though. I will use step-down ring to adapt a 58mm to 52mm.

Will upgrade the 67mm some time down the line - that lens doesn't have the best optics anyway :)
 
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The pro 1s are pretty good and have the benefit of being more efficient than most, they re measured to only reduce exposures by one stop. On the other hand both hoya CPLs I've had have fallen apart... Once I put the ring back in they didn't have a problem...

There is a good review of a lot of the filters floating around that is worth a look, bug as Sid avoid the cheaper end hoya and other no names (Polaroid bring a no name as well)
 
I think this is the CPL round up that most people remeber it is certainly worth a read http://www.lenstip.com/115.1-article-Polarizing_filters_test.html

I previously had a Hoya CPL on my old sigma 17-70mm but I passed it on with the lens and picked up a Marumi DHG CPL for my replacement Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 (I went full frame) and I really can't fault it excellent performance and great build quality with no noticeable degredation of images. Marumi's CPL's always seem to do well in reviews and are not stupidly expensive.

Be careful when buying step down rings I went through a few pieces of crap before finding ones that were well made and had nice free flowing threads.
 
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I avoid Hoya now. Used to use their filters on my D40 but i recently bought a red, yellow and ND filter for my film SLR and they're atrocious. Image degradation quite visible to the naked eye and in some cases caused horrible artifacts.

Won't touch them again and will re-buy what i need from B+W or Tiffen.
 
Well, the Marumi Super's arrived.

Had a quick check, and my very unscientific test showed that there is no noticeable degradation with the filter on.

Thanks for the roundup a1ex - makes me feel better about my purchase :)

Now I just need to get out this weekend and take some blimmin photos!
 
Does anyone know any shops that can be mentioned that sell a wide variety of filters? I'm talking Yellow, Red, Deep Red etc. I can't find anywhere that has stock of anything like that made by a decent (not Hoya) make.
 
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