Buying 1 large filter, getting adapters for smaller lenses - good idea? Any IQ loss?

[Treymac]

Hey guys. My idea is to get one large filter for my largest lens, then get this adapter (http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=380035753426&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=025).

Is this a good idea, or would I some how lose some image quality? Maybe by having to have the filter a little further away from the lens so that the adapter can slot in between it and the lens?

 

[tirediron]

I can't see eBay from work, so I'm not sure to what adaptor you refer, howeve there's nothing at all wrong with the basic idea. I wouldn't go too extreme; I wouldn't try and adapt a 77mm filter to a 52mm lens, but using my 67mm filters on my 62mm lens works just great.

 

[reg]

No more so than putting any particular filter in front of your lens in the first place.

 

[chris]

With a step-up ring on the front of a lens you would not be able to use the matched lens hood and that may result in some loss of image quality.

 

[Garbz]

Doubt you'd see any loss of quality other than larger glass = greater chance of surface defects.

One thing I mentioned in another very similar thread, but bear in mind I have no idea what equipment you are working with, but typical excellent quality filters often represent less than 10% of the cost of a lens. The smaller the front element the cheaper they get. A still excellent filter like the Hoya SHMC can be had on ebay for $25-40 depending on lens size. So I see little sense in saving up pennies on what I am going to assume is multi thousand dollar gear that it's going on.

The other problem you have is that when you change lenses, you need to change filters. Break one filter, now that filter will not be usable on any lens.

For a part so cheap in the grand scheme of things (unless you have your eye set on a complete collection of B+W or Linn filters which cost as much as a small beat-up car) I see no sense in this.

 

[reg]

With a step-up ring on the front of a lens you would not be able to use the matched lens hood and that may result in some loss of image quality.

Lens hoods don't inherently improve image quality.

 

[Alfred D.]

What filter(s) do you plan on getting, Treymac?
Wouldn't a Cokin system be what you need?

 

[Alfred D.]

Lens hoods don't inherently improve image quality.

Reducing flare does not "inherently improve image quality"?
Think again, reg.

 

[reg]

You seem to have a thing for following me around Alfred.

And lens hoods don't inherently improve IQ because you don't need to worry about flare unless you're shooting in the sun.

 

[Alfred D.]

You seem to have a thing for following me around Alfred.

Don't flatter yourself, reg...

And lens hoods don't inherently improve IQ because you don't need to worry about flare unless you're shooting in the sun.

I think you need to refresh on what flare actually is, reg: "When a bright light source is shining on the lens but not in its field of view, lens flare appears as a haze that washes out the image and reduces contrast. This can be avoided by shading the lens (the purpose for which lens hoods are designed)." (Wikipedia: lens flare).

Never shoot without a hood!

Have fun!

 

[reg]

Shooting in the sun = sun in or out of the field of view of the lens.

 

[notelliot]

 

[rmh159]

+1

 

[TamiyaGuy]

And + another 1 xD

On a serious note, though, there's nothing particularly wrong with getting one filter and step up rings to adapt it to everything else, in fact it's a great idea, and I've just done it with a circular polarizer. There's no image quality loss, and even if there is, it's on such a tiny, microscopic scale that not even the best person or machine could tell the difference.

However, if you don't have a lens with a 77mm filter thread or aren't virtually in the process of buying one, then don't get a 77mm filter. Just buy the biggest one you have and step-down rings for everything else.

 

[chris]

And lens hoods don't inherently improve IQ because you don't need to worry about flare unless you're shooting in the sun.

You don't have to shoot directly into the sun to get flare. The light source can be any bright surface or reflection. Putting a filter on the front of a lens exposes it to extraneous light from nearly 180 degrees. If you really want to get the best possible contrast in a shot use a bellows type hood which can be adjusted to give the maximum protection from stray light.