Cheap/expensive filter???

lee_M · Dec 23, 2006

Hello, looking at getting some filters! NOW i have seen them really cheap at like £18.00 or do i get the £110 canon one?
Link below!

http://www.cameraking.co.uk/ViewProdDetails.asp?prod_code=PON06K000187&Prod_name=Canon%2067mm%20Circular%20Polarizing%20Filter%20PL-C&CAT_CODE=1&categoryname=Filters&subcat_code=176

So need some advice!:thumbup:

thanks

The_Traveler · Dec 23, 2006

Why put a cheap piece of glass in front of your expensive piece of glass?

The most expensive filter may be overkill but there are good name brands somewhehe in the middle.

darin3200 · Dec 23, 2006

£18.00 is a bit on the cheaper end, but £110 for a 67mm polarizer is overkill. Canon probably just jacks up the prices so people who want 'all genuine canon' gear will have to pay. Look for something in the middle from a reputable maker like Hoya.

lee_M · Dec 23, 2006

darin3200 said:
£18.00 is a bit on the cheaper end, but £110 for a 67mm polarizer is overkill. Canon probably just jacks up the prices so people who want 'all genuine canon' gear will have to pay. Look for something in the middle from a reputable maker like Hoya.

Yeah thats what i thought!
What about this one? its on E-bay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=013&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=230025076636&rd=1&rd=1

JonK · Dec 23, 2006

Is this the same one at Jessops for £52? Not sure...this one may be a lesser quality but still good enough

http://www.jessops.com/Store/s11480...m/details.aspx?&IsSearch=y&pageindex=2&comp=n

always check the store price before buying on ebay...not everything is a deal there

JonK · Dec 23, 2006

hmmmm...found the Pro-1 version at Jessops for £88......so the ebay price is a good deal

ahelg · Dec 23, 2006

Apparently jessops sells some good ones for around £30 but I've never tried them myself, so don't take my word for it.

Groupcaptainbonzo · Dec 24, 2006

You will find that Photography shares a few truths with other disciplines. ie Cheap is cheap. Top price is like the designer white T-Shirt which sells at £500. and is made on the same production line as the "Asda /Wall mart version for £5.00p....

The quality USUALLY gets better as you go up the piice range.. But the most expensive is mainly mark up 'cause of the "Lable"... Stick to a good and reliable name you know. If you can, compare the products in the camera shop. If you have the money then split the available price range into four sections, 1 being the cheapest and 4 being the most expensive. MOST (But by no means all) of the best value ones will be in and around group Three.
As you are in the U.K. you could do a lot worse than Jessops own brand. The Polorizer has had VERY good reviews against many top priced brands..

Alex_B · Dec 24, 2006

well, Canon does not produce the best filters, whatever you pay for them ... you pay for the brand.

there are some very good producers of filters out there, with B + W being my personal favourite, but paying that much money is not always necessary. E.g. for 95% of all applications a neutral density filter does not need to be 100% neutral (meaning 100% true grey) throughout the spectrum. However, I would also not got for the very cheap ones as often you then buy serious problems such as unwanted reflections/flare in difficult light.

fmw · Dec 24, 2006

The_Traveler said:
Why put a cheap piece of glass in front of your expensive piece of glass?

Because it doesn't matter. Filters are flat ground optical glass. Making flat ground optical glass is trivial for a filter manufacturer. They are all the same optically. The better ones have better rings and that's a good thing. But don't spend any time worrying about the optical performance of a filter.

lee_M · Dec 24, 2006

OK thanks lads!
I'm still not sure on which one to buy! BUT i think i'll just get it over with and buy the HOYA Pro1

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=013&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=230025076636&rd=1&rd=1

What do you think YES!!?? NO!!??

Alex_B · Dec 24, 2006

fmw said:
Because it doesn't matter. Filters are flat ground optical glass. Making flat ground optical glass is trivial for a filter manufacturer. They are all the same optically. The better ones have better rings and that's a good thing. But don't spend any time worrying about the optical performance of a filter.

coatings and reflections can be an issue where differences occur ...

dsp921 · Dec 24, 2006

This comes up all the time. Filter vs. no filter, cheap vs. expensive. I've said in other threads that all glass is not equal and all filters are not the same, some filters aren't even glass. I've worked with optics for more than 20 years (laser applications mainly), but I don't expect that to matter to anyone, I'm just another screen name on the internet. There are people with a lot of internet credibility that have written about this, do some research and decide for yourself. Here's a start:
http://www.bythom.com/filters.htm

fmw · Dec 24, 2006

dsp921 said:
This comes up all the time. Filter vs. no filter, cheap vs. expensive. I've said in other threads that all glass is not equal and all filters are not the same, some filters aren't even glass. I've worked with optics for more than 20 years (laser applications mainly), but I don't expect that to matter to anyone, I'm just another screen name on the internet. There are people with a lot of internet credibility that have written about this, do some research and decide for yourself. Here's a start:
http://www.bythom.com/filters.htm

I have actually run the tests, however. Flat glass is flat glass. Filters can cause ghosting. I've never been able to get them to cause flare. It is impossible for a panel of professionsl photographers viewing their own images to tell a cheap filter from an expensive one. Sorry, this is not opinion, this is the result of testing. The person to whose article you link is stating opinion. I won't bore you with the details but the brand and price of a modern filter is irrelevent optically and, yes, this includes plastic filters that are flat and not scratched.

The_Traveler · Dec 24, 2006

fmw said:
I have actually run the tests, however. Flat glass is flat glass. Filters can cause ghosting. I've never been able to get them to cause flare. It is impossible for a panel of professionsl photographers viewing their own images to tell a cheap filter from an expensive one. Sorry, this is not opinion, this is the result of testing. The person to whose article you link is stating opinion. I won't bore you with the details but the brand and price of a modern filter is irrelevent optically and, yes, this includes plastic filters that are flat and not scratched.

Actually it wouldn't bore me to read the articles. I have a doctorate in material science. Post references please.