Filters and hoods

[Thebigbarkhouski]

Hey guys so just bought "cheaper" filter and a good for my Nikon d3300 kit. I want to know are there big downsides to using a cheaper fliter?? Should I get more expensive ones. I'm a newbie and just need some advice. Thanks guys

 

[dcbear78]

What type of filter?

The use of UV/Protection will open a can of worms between two opposing crowds.

As for any other filter like ND and polarisers then you get what you pay for. Cheap filters will definately degrade the quality of your image (same for ALL filters). They may even give an unwanted colour cast.

 

[Designer]

..are there big downsides to using a cheaper fliter??

The possible downside is a loss of image quality (IQ), including; chromatic aberration (CA), soft focus, flare, vignetting, distortion, etc.

It might not be a noticeable loss until you start to work in editing, or if some really picky person looks at it, but why put a cheap anything on the front of an expensive lens? The lens manufacturer has attempted to produce a fine product for a reasonable price.

What type of filter did you get? It isn't always necessary to put a filter on the front of your lens.

In case you are talking about a circular polarizer, then you're probably going to notice strange things happening to your photos.

 

[astroNikon]

Shouldn't you have asked that question before you bought anything?

as mentioned above cheap filters can have effects on the resulting image. It all depends if it is acceptable by you (and friends that look at the pictures).

Cheap ... about $5
Expensive .. about $200 (or a lot more)

a few interesting articles ==> LensRentals.com - Good Times with Bad Filters
==> LensRentals.com - The Glass in Front of Your Glass All About Filters

 

[Thebigbarkhouski]

Well I bought 6 uv filter of different shades for like $20....so pretty cheap I didn't think to research much into as I was looking more for something to protect my lens more than change the lighting of my shots. But now I'm thinking one good filter would have been better than 6 shitty ones.

 

[astroNikon]

Many ppl with cheap filters post problems with their images .. soft images, flare, focusing problems, weird color casts, etc. Then they take the filter off and it's a world of difference.

 

[IndianaYakFish]

I too have a Nikon D3300 and am new to this. I opted for a cheaper UV filter to put on the kit lens and it works fine for me right now. Until I get a better hang of all this stuff, cheap works for me. The more advanced I get, the more I'll want to spend the money on better stuff.

 

[Designer]

Well I bought 6 uv filter of different shades..

I was not aware that UV filters ever came in "shades". Sounds fishy to me.

 

[Thebigbarkhouski]

I have noticed this already with just one day of shooting with a cheap uv fliter I was getting a small amount of fog in-between the lens and filter. Mide you that may have been from leftover residue aftet a lens cleaning....I'm starting to think no fliters for me.....but what about scratchs?!?

 

[Thebigbarkhouski]

Lol maybe I didn't even get uz filters just shades for my camera......well my camera doesn't look any cooler with these shades

 

[480sparky40 40]

Well I bought 6 uv filter of different shades for like $20.........

I think you bought 6 pieces of über-crap filters and you're out twenty clams for your troubles.

UV filters don't come in 'shades'. What you most likely got is a 6-filter kit that includes one über-crap UV filter, one or two über-crap ND filters, a couple of useless über-crap color-correction filters (needed only if you shoot film) and a useless über-crap star filter.

And maybe an über-crap Close-Up diopter filter.

 

[Thebigbarkhouski]

.......for sale....6 uv filters comes in different shades! Only $15!!

 

[480sparky40 40]

.......for sale....6 "Photographer's Coasters" comes in different shades! Would make a great gift for the shutterbug in your life! Only $15!!

Fify.

 

[astroNikon]

Well I bought 6 uv filter of different shades..

I was not aware that UV filters ever came in "shades". Sounds fishy to me.

Those cheap sets are normally a UV, CPL, ND8(or something) and a Warming (or other filter) set.

 

[astroNikon]

I have noticed this already with just one day of shooting with a cheap uv fliter I was getting a small amount of fog in-between the lens and filter. Mide you that may have been from leftover residue aftet a lens cleaning....I'm starting to think no fliters for me.....but what about scratchs?!?

If you wear glasses ... look through your glasses at the clarity of the glass and something that you can see.

Then look through the filter at the clarity (or many times lack of clarity) of the plastic (good filters use glass, and not just any "glass" but really good optical stuff). When you look through a cheap filter it's usually kinda fuzzy / foggy.