Decent filters?

Johnboy2978 · Mar 29, 2005

I was interested in getting some filters for my 35mm camera and I ran across this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15218&item=7503130986&rd=1

I am most interested in a polarizer, an FD filter and a few color filters, but this looks like a decent all-in-one beginner set. What do you all think?

mentos_007 · Mar 29, 2005

holy crap!! a lot of them!!! but are you sure that they are in a correct size? if so.. take them!!!

panocho · Mar 29, 2005

Mmmmm
I'd better give it a second thought. It is true that sometimes you can find real bargains and pay a lot less for something that really is good, but in general, you get what you pay for, and this applies especially to new items -bargains have to be found at second hand.
If you need the filters you mention, why not just go for them? Think that a filter is another glass in your lens. If you happen to have a good lens, you will lose quality by putting a low-quality filter on it.

My advice is to go step by step getting the filters. It will take you a lot of time and definitely much more money, but eventually you will have a good equipment and will be satisfied. Of course I don't know these filters, but believe me, they cannot be any good. Unless your camera is not good either, look elsewhere if you want quality images. Well... but if you only want to play a little with them to get to know the effects, and then buy good ones for those you're really going to use... that would be ok, I think

Christie Photo · Mar 29, 2005

ehhh... they'd be coming from India. Is that a shipping problem?

Johnboy2978 · Mar 29, 2005

eh, good eye there on the India issue as well as the commentary from panocho. After I got home, I realized that my primary lens (28-90 mm) requires a 58mm filter while the telephoto (70-300mm) requires a 62 mm filter. Is there a step up/down conversion ring for that issue? As panocho says you get what you pay for, but basically I am just looking for some filter glass to learn with, not something that I specifially want to build my equipment around. Other thoughts/commentary?

panocho · Mar 29, 2005

Johnboy2978 said:
basically I am just looking for some filter glass to learn with, not something that I specifially want to build my equipment around. Other thoughts/commentary?

Then just go ahead. If you only want to get to know the different filters, then it would be silly to spend money on it. These are the ones for you! (Well, attention to that shipping issue!)

As for the step-up/down ring, you will find them for very little money. Just buy the filters for the largest thread and then buy step-up rings for the smaller -in your case, this is 62mm filters and 58mm to 62mm step-up.

One last thing. I've read there are people selling... plastic filters! I don't know if that's true, but maybe it would be a good idea to ask the seller whether these are plastic or glass. Definitely go for glass! (Well, no idea about the plastic ones, but doesn's sound good...)