Is stacking order of filters important?

[EaZiE]

I'm wondering if it matters which filter you put on first or if its even o.k. to stack filters. Could I say, put a wide angle lens on top of a polarizing filter? Or a UV and Polarizing? Of course I could just test it out, but I wanted to find out if there is standard procedure.
Thanks

 

[Sideburns]

put the closeup filter or wide angle first...

 

[frXnz kafka]

I start to get some vignetting on one of my lenses once I start stacking. Just something to watch out for.

 

[Garbz]

Stack the darkest filter outside, that will reduce flaring on the rest of them.

 

[fmw]

I'm wondering if it matters which filter you put on first or if its even o.k. to stack filters. Could I say, put a wide angle lens on top of a polarizing filter? Or a UV and Polarizing? Of course I could just test it out, but I wanted to find out if there is standard procedure.
Thanks

Yes. Never stack filters.

 

[fightheheathens]

i think its fine to stack filters as long as you keep it limited.
UV filter is just there to protect the lens so as soon as you put on say a polarizer, take the UV off. I generally dont stack more then 2. Such as a Red filter and a Polarizing filter when i am shooting black and white film, and a Polarizing filter and a graduated ND when i am shooting slides.
but i have been known to stack say polarizing, red, and ND8...but i was going for long exposure in bright sun.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

If you are going to stack then use something like the Kodak filter holder/lens hood with gel filters.
Using screw in glass ones limits you to 2 or 3 - each one is a couple of millimetres deep so they quickly make a tube and you get vignetting. You can avoid this by using larger diameter filters and step-up rings.
But it is better to use gels wherever possible.
And you can combine glass filters with gels if you need to.

 

[Helen B]

I avoid stacking filters if I can, but when I do I try to avoid having them parallel. This is impossible to achieve with screw-in glass filters but it can be done with rigid glass or resin filters in a compendium holder, or by using a polyester or gelatin filter inside the glass one. I've used both methods.

The four parallel surfaces of two stacked screw-in filters will create the most trouble when there is a light source in the field of view. If you do have to use screw-in glass filters it will be a help if they are multi-coated.

The order may be important if a polariser is in use - some filters have an effect on the polarisation of the light. It is easy enough to check - just look through the combination of filters and check that the combination works as expected. If in doubt put the polariser on first. In other cases there should be no reason to stack them in any particular order.

Best,
Helen