Cheap Filters
The price of filters can be expensive, but The Filter I got from Ebay Photo -R Professional CIR POL one was top quality where are you going to get a CIR POl filter 77mm for £8.95 including shipping .In fact I cannot see any optical or other quality issues comparing it to a Hoya filter they both worked exactly the same as each other.
There is a twist look at some of the lenses filters ETC what ever brand are these days Made in China ( that goes for some lenses as well. The depth of polarization from The Hoya to The Photo-R was identical so I must say as regards to the images are good from both filters.
So how much is a filter like this cost if it was branded Hoya Pro CIR POL 77 mm filter tread I must be more than £8.95 I would probably have a heart attack
There is a twist look at some of the lenses filters ETC what ever brand are these days Made in China ( that goes for some lenses as well. The depth of polarization from The Hoya to The Photo-R was identical so I must say as regards to the images are good from both filters.
So how much is a filter like this cost if it was branded Hoya Pro CIR POL 77 mm filter tread I must be more than £8.95 I would probably have a heart attack
I was using a Sigma SD15 camera for Infrared work which needed a IR filter over the lens. I tried several makes and strengths and found that Zomei were very good. I compared them with Hoya and could find no difference.
I have also used various other makes of ND filter with Nikon and Pentax DSLR, including borrowing some very expensive ones and for the price Zomei were still very good. But if using very long exposures the expensive filters are probably well worth the money.
I have also used various other makes of ND filter with Nikon and Pentax DSLR, including borrowing some very expensive ones and for the price Zomei were still very good. But if using very long exposures the expensive filters are probably well worth the money.
I think it also depends somewhat on what you want for your money. For example, when using neutral density grad filters single one off filters are not really an option and usually you need to buy into a filter system. I wasted a fortune or buying systems from cheaper brands for years experiencing horrific colour casts and poor durability before a moving to Lee. Although Lee are very expensive, they made a significant difference to my photography and the quality of the images I was able to produce, and the filters I bought years ago are still in use today. These days there are other brands with unique selling points such as scratch resistant and water resistant coatings (great for sea spray), and innovative mounting systems. Often these are made out of glass as opposed to resin and are optically superior when used on ultra-high resolution camera bodies that will show every optical flaw. They are expensive but they do have their place within the market.
i have bought a few "varieties" of filter over the years, yes, some models have superior scratch resistance, better light transmission and more accurate colour tinting, but if you cannot see the difference then the only difference is price. I do have a few cheaper ND filters which to be honest give a brown rather than neutral darkening but thats easy to modify with a colour correction it depends upon time too, granted the ones I have bought that are not up to the job get replaced with better ones
I always find this subject extremely confusing. The lens on your camera, and the lenses in your camera have had much research and much work to produce the best possible glass to give the photographer the best possible optics for your task - for which you have paid a great deal of money. And then you add a cheap filter. Why? I tested my own thoughts many years back taking the same image - same settings etc. with and without filter. All of them were better without a filter (hoya - not the most expensive but considered decent). I think there are some occasions when a certain effect is needed - such as Neutral density or Infra red - but I would say trust your skill and your camera and its manufacturers.
One guru told me that, with expensive kit such as Zeiss or Leica lenses, we're paying a lot for the individual testing and quality control to ensure that every copy that leaves the factory is up to standard. Lesser makers might only do batch testing so, with these, the quality is a matter of pot luck. It's possible for a cheapie to be every bit as good as an expensive example, just unlikely.
When we're making a living from our cameras, isn't it a good idea to ensure that our kit is up to scratch?
I was taught to do a goods-inwards test with all my kit and, on one occasion about 30 years ago, found that the shutter of a newly arrived Hasselblad lens wasn't opening on 1/15 sec. I was using it for a job the following day before sending it back to Wembley to be fixed but didn't use the offending shutter speed.
Even the best kit can go wrong!
When we're making a living from our cameras, isn't it a good idea to ensure that our kit is up to scratch?
I was taught to do a goods-inwards test with all my kit and, on one occasion about 30 years ago, found that the shutter of a newly arrived Hasselblad lens wasn't opening on 1/15 sec. I was using it for a job the following day before sending it back to Wembley to be fixed but didn't use the offending shutter speed.
Even the best kit can go wrong!
For circular polarizers all i could see helping was better light transmission to keep faster shutter speeds.
Filters costing less than £10 are often plastic of dubious suitability or window glass rather than optical grade - usually causing some image softening.
On the other hand the retailers mark-up on a decent filter is often several hundred percent.
Some retailers try a "con trick" by trying to sell a UV filter to increase their profit when selling a lens - even though film ceased to be affected by uv light over 25 years ago - digital cameras incorporate UV filtration - and many optical glasses and especially the cements used to bind groups of elements together incorporate UV filtration.
Pols work by removing polarised light when there is polarised light around and inevitably transmit less light through a lens.
On the other hand the retailers mark-up on a decent filter is often several hundred percent.
Some retailers try a "con trick" by trying to sell a UV filter to increase their profit when selling a lens - even though film ceased to be affected by uv light over 25 years ago - digital cameras incorporate UV filtration - and many optical glasses and especially the cements used to bind groups of elements together incorporate UV filtration.
Pols work by removing polarised light when there is polarised light around and inevitably transmit less light through a lens.
I bought a cheap UV filter some years ago - a throw back to my film days.
Then wondered my I was getting horrible images.
Took filter off, picture quality back.
Don't really need them on modern lenses and now don't own a single filter.
(Although I do like polarising filters to clear reflections and clarify light path on water surfaces.)
Then wondered my I was getting horrible images.
Took filter off, picture quality back.
Don't really need them on modern lenses and now don't own a single filter.
(Although I do like polarising filters to clear reflections and clarify light path on water surfaces.)
The choice of filter make is entirely up to you and how much money you want to spend - I use a CIR POL,UVO, and a set of ND filters which are not mainstream manufacturers but I make sure that they are glass not resin, I have not had any issues on the Chinese Made Filters as to the comments on this thread may suggest.
