Filters - which brand to buy?

[Thaash]

So my question is:

How far do FIlters influence the quality of a picture.

I have the choice to buy a Hoya PRO1 or a Soligor Polar filter. I have a Sigma 17-70 DC lens. DO I need for this lense the Hoya polarizer or the cheaper Soligor will produce the same quality?

 

[ToMaNyToYsJf]

Make sure it's a circular polarizer not linear

 

[sobolik]

So my question is:

How far do Filters influence the quality of a picture.

I have the choice to buy a Hoya PRO1 or a Soligor Polar filter. I have a Sigma 17-70 sDC len. DO I need for this lense the Hoya polarizer or the cheaper Soligor will produce the same quality?

For one thing light has not changed since man invented the digital camera. So when you see this advertising rubbish ignore it:
"The SOLIGOR DHG-coated Filters are optimised especially for digital high- …" Soligor DHG Cir.Polarizing Filter 49mm Reviews

Most filter manufacturing now days results in great products. I had an exchange with a person on a forum over color casts by cheap filters. I bought the Cokin el-cheapo ND filter knock offs on eBay and took photos of my white car with the various brands. There was no color cast. Eventually at about 10x the white just got dark due to not enough light getting through. Even when I posted the photos the man refused to believe it. Opinions are entrenched and many refuse to change.

Make sure the circular polarizer is properly coated for flare etc.

The polarizer and ND filters along with the haze reducing UV are the only required filters for digital that can't be duplicated with software so a bit extra cost is not going to break the bank. But there is no need to buy the megabucks filters they are in my opinion just a whole lot of advertising shtick. Here is a link to support the going overboard on the image quality degradation shtick
Dirty lens article

Many people like to add the bragging list after their posts. Seldom are they the cheap gear. Almost always they love listing their big dollar items. They may never use it or use it to potential but they let the world know they have it. Like the guy with a 1972 Corvette that never drives over 65 mph.
If this is you then buy the most expensive and brag about it.

I did a wedding as the primary with a humble Nikon D50 and some rather poor Sigma lenses fitted with a budget SunPak polarizer. I noticed the beginners had outfitted themselves with all the big dollar items. They could afford it so it was no big deal. In conversation after one said he was taking notes as I did my thing and learned I was spinning the polarizer etc. After it was all said and done the wedding party said they liked mine the best. Humble gear in the hands of talent will trump the most expensive gear in the hands of the talent-less every time.

Buy what ever makes you happy and trips your trigger. You have to be comfortable with it.

 

[Thaash]

Thank you Sobolik. I also thought the same, just was curious about other opinions before purchasing a cheaper filter.

 

[peanut170]

Dirty lens article

great read

 

[DerekMellott]

I bought some no name ND filters from china.....garbage.

 

[sobolik]

I bought some no name ND filters from china.....garbage.

Why were they garbage?

 

[Josh66]

I have always used B+W filters, and I have not once been disappointed by them.

 

[Derrel]

I had a cheap polarizing filter once...it ruined some very important images...I witched to Nikon polarizers after that,and the improvement was SUBSTANTIAL...cheap polarizing filters are crap.

 

[table1349]

Singh-ray, Lee and B&W are all I use. Hoya makes some good filters as well out of good quality optical glass.

The best filters are made of top quality optical glass or optical polymer. Schott glass IMO is the best optical glass available to date.

You get what you pay for. In CP I only own two. One 77mm that fits all my lenses with the exceptions of my super telephotos and a 52mm drop-in for those. I hate single use items and the 77mm with step down rings allows it to work with all my normal glass. For my neutral density I only use 100X120mm filters. Again fits all my normal lenses with the addition of the necessary ring mounts for the filter holder.

 

[table1349]

I had a cheap polarizing filter once...it ruined some very important images...I witched to Nikon polarizers after that,and the improvement was SUBSTANTIAL...cheap polarizing filters are crap.

Yes Derrel, we all know that Halloween is tomorrow. You don't have to point it out to us in a subtle manner. I have a Snicker bar saved for you. Just come to the door and ring the bell. :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

Sorry Derrel, I just couldn't stop myself.

 

[KmH]

Inexpensive filters are usually not optically clear and soften the focus. They are usually mounted in cheap plastic or aluminum frames and have no coatings that aid light transmission and diminish lens flare.

The more expensive filters, like the ones from B+W, are optically clear, are in brass frames, and do have coatings that aid light transmission and reduce lens flair.

 

[Blake.Oney]

I have Sunpak CPL and UV filters and have had no problems with them at all.

 

[table1349]

I have Sunpak CPL and UV filters and have had no problems with them at all.

Are you sure? Have you taken a lens of this caliber and taken test shots with and with out the filter for comparison. That it the best way to get a true evaluation of the filter, putting it on top quality glass and then seeing what it does.

 

[Sep]

I personally use Hoya and that's what I would recommend. They have filters for different price ranges, and of course the quality of the glass and technologies used to create the filter reflect of it. ie. multilayer coatings. Anywho, I've bought cheap filters from them, and expensive ones. The build quality is always good. Depending on what kind of filter you're going after you'll obviously spend more for their higher stuff. But like I said the build quality has always left me satisfied and the filters have been great.