filters and hoods

jdh313 · Mar 20, 2010

I finally got my Nikon d40 for my birthday:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
Since i am going on vacation next week i was looking at a few accessories. I have at most $70 and wanted to get a UV and a CPL. I was also looking at a lens hood but wasn't sure if it was needed. I plan on shooting through some glass and at the water so that was what the CPL was for and the UV was just as protection. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Love my new camera and can't wait to upload some pictures after vacation.

JeffieLove · Mar 20, 2010

You are going to be hard-pressed to find a GOOD CPL for only $70... I would shoot mainly for getting that and not worry about the UV for now... Hoods aren't totally necessary as you can just cup your hand over or around the lens as needed... They are also very inexpensive...

That's my $0.02 from what I've learned here

Bitter Jeweler · Mar 20, 2010

Hoods are great for protection, sans the UV.

Dwig · Mar 20, 2010

Bitter Jeweler said:
Hoods are great for protection, sans the UV.

Seconded. Skip the UV, buy a hood.

KmH · Mar 20, 2010

JeffieLove said:
You are going to be hard-pressed to find a GOOD CPL for only $70... I would shoot mainly for getting that and not worry about the UV for now... Hoods aren't totally necessary as you can just cup your hand over or around the lens as needed... They are also very inexpensive...

That's my $0.02 from what I've learned here

Hoods are very necessary.

They not only add contrast and minimize lens flare, they also provide a safety zone against most impacts for the front lens element.

The UV filter isn't necessary though some people do use them for 'protection', even though at best they have no influence on image quality cheap ones will kill image quality.

CPL filters are a necessary part of a basic photography kit, but not an area on which to scrim because like UV filters, a cheap CPL does more harm than good.

Get a good CPL and a lens hood. Most new Nikon lenses come with a lens hood :thumbup:

jdh313 · Mar 20, 2010

I was looking at a few different basics
B52CRPLGB Hoya 52mm Circular Polarizer Glass Filter
B52UVGB Hoya 52mm UV (Ultra Violet) Glass Filter
GIK52GB Hoya 52mm Introductory Filter Kit, UV, Circular Polarizer, 81A and Filter Wallet
LNHHB33 Adorama Dedicated Lens Hood for 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX Lens (HB-33)
Please, let me know what you think as i am only a beginner.

JeffieLove · Mar 20, 2010

hoya filters (from what I've heard) are definitely great filters...

If you want the professional look with your hoods, see if you can find the flower petal looking hoods.. Also, if you are going to be using the CPL, you might want to make sure the lens hood is a screw on hood and not one that just twists on...

rufus5150 · Mar 20, 2010

f you want the professional look with your hoods, see if you can find the flower petal looking hoods..

Get a lens hood that is made and shaped for the lens. if it comes in a petal shape, great, now you look "pro", but never buy camera gear based on how it looks. That's just silly. A petal hood on many normal or fixed-length telephoto lenses isn't particularly useful.

ghpham · Mar 21, 2010

hmm....I would have thought the lens already come with its own hood. Not sure why you would need to buy one.

JeffieLove · Mar 21, 2010

Some lenses don't come with hoods. I had to buy both of mine.

ghpham · Mar 21, 2010

JeffieLove said:
Some lenses don't come with hoods. I had to buy both of mine.

Hmm...I thought the hoods are made specific for certain lenses??

rufus5150 · Mar 21, 2010

The hoods for (most?) all of canon's non-L glass are sold separately. I don't know how the other companies work.

DerekSalem · Mar 21, 2010

Sigma almost always comes with them, Tamron usually does, the rest are all buy as you need.

I can definitely speak for Hoya filters, though. I have the Pro1 on my main lens (72mm) and it's fantastic. It's the UV but really does help (most of the time a UV filter will do very little or hinder the picture, but this thing actually improves the quality of the pictures generated).

Hamtastic · Mar 21, 2010

KmH said:
Hoods are very necessary.

They not only add contrast and minimize lens flare, they also provide a safety zone against most impacts for the front lens element.

The UV filter isn't necessary though some people do use them for 'protection', even though at best they have no influence on image quality cheap ones will kill image quality.

I agree 100%. I always use a lens hood. Every single time. I haven't used a UV filter since the early 90's.

Hamtastic · Mar 21, 2010

DerekSalem said:
I can definitely speak for Hoya filters...

I will second Hoya filters as an excellent choice balancing quality and cost. Hoya probably makes the filters for many other, more expensive brands (such as Nikon brand filters).