Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert !

JAG · 13-08-2007, 18:53

I've been searching the net for a polarisor filter after seeing some of the fantastic pictures on here, but I'm a bit confused. I've seen filters ranging from about £10 to about £80? I don't understand the differences, what should I be looking for and what should I avoid?

Many thanks,

Ian

**Dabhand16** · 13-08-2007, 19:07

The first thing that affects the price is the size. Not surprisingly, the bigger the filter, the dearer it is!

Then you have the quality issues. The best filters will be coated to reduce flare and refractions.

The Hoya Pro 77mm multi-coated polariser that would fit one of my lenses is priced at about £160. the Kood one I bought was £44. Probably not as good as the Hoya - but good enough for me!

***Dave*** · 13-08-2007, 19:34

Paid £26 for my Hoya 77mm Circular Polarizing Glass Filter new

(not as fancy as one Dabs is quoting I expect

)

silkstone · 13-08-2007, 19:39

Aye, Hoya do three grades of filters - green box, blue box and Pro1 in ascending order of quality and price, although I'm not sure if the polarisers are available in all of those.

The Pro1 are multicoated and thinner than standard - less chance of vignetting at wide angle - but you don't half pay for that! The standard Hoya or Kood are fine, and the Hama polarisers from 7dayshop are OK too although a little darker than most.

BTW for most autofocus cameras you need a circular polariser rather than a linear polariser.

**Dabhand16** · 13-08-2007, 20:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

Paid £26 for my Hoya 77mm Circular Polarizing Glass Filter new

(not as fancy as one Dabs is quoting I expect

)

No, the one I was quoting is the Pro top of the range one. I tried the Kood on the Sigma 10-20 before I bought it and it did not vignette. SRB recommended it.

water · 14-08-2007, 18:37

Hi JAG,be aware also that some of the 'more affordable' filters can give a slight colour cast rather than being 'neutral'.For digital that may not be a 'killer' but I once bought a cheapo from Jessops to use with Slide film and it was pretty awful.They were good about it and took it back and I got Hoya's cheapest offering and that was fine.

dogdots · 14-08-2007, 18:49

Does anyone know about Quantarary filters? Are these ok, not ok?

Anto Modded · 14-08-2007, 19:44

I bought a hama one cause it was cheap and handy to practice with. Seems ok to me but then again ive never tried an expensive one so it could be bad, maybe i just dont know it

Loddonjohn · 14-08-2007, 20:49

Do the Hama one's have that handy little lever attatchment that makes it easier to rotate when you have a lens hood attatched?

John

silkstone · 14-08-2007, 21:29

Yes, but whether that's a help or a hindrance depends on how closely the hood fits and whether there's room for the little lever. You can unscrew it though.

The lever also means that the filter won't fit in a circular box, if that matters.

Charlotte · 14-08-2007, 22:27

Looking at your camera gear Jag, you have the same kit lenses that I have. For those, I use Vanguard polarisers ... which were so cheap that I bought one for each lens, even tho' they're the same flter size, so that I don't have to shuffle a polariser back + forth between 2 lenses. The Vanguard polarisers are absolutely fine + do the job

I did go for the Hoya Pro1 Digital polariser for my macro lens + then had to shell out for a 2nd one for my ultra-wide lens (Sigma 10-20mm) because they're different filter sizes. I don't see much of a difference TBH between images using the Vanguard -vs- the expensive Hoya polarisers

However, the fact that the Pro1 Digital are slimline is most definitely a big advantage, especially if you intend to stack filters (use more than one at a time) on any focal length lens, not just ultra-wide angles, and they are also most useful for ultra-wide angle lenses. Even with the slimline filters on my Sigma lens, I still get vignetting at the widest angle when using polariser + UV together.

Price-wise, I got my Hoya's for a very reasonable price from a reputable HK Ebay seller, but you have to be prepared to wait for them, as the shipping can take a couple of weeks or more, but worth the wait if you want to make a saving, especially if you're buying more than one. I'm told that One-Stop Digital is now doing these, so it's worth having a look there, as they are very good price-wise too.

**Markulous** · 15-08-2007, 07:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogdots

Does anyone know about Quantarary filters? Are these ok, not ok?

Must admit that I'd never heard of Quantarary, but comments/feedback on the manufacturer seem to be OK!

I've got a linear polariser and tried it out to see how my camera would behave. Affected the autofocus (as expected) but was fine in all other respects - so I use it on my M42 lens. If you're prepared to manually focus it's a cheap and cheerful solution!

JAG · 15-08-2007, 17:38

Thanks for all your advice guys

A couple of clicks of a mouse button and hey presto! a Hoya circular polarisor drops through the mailbox

After the original annoyance of purchasing the supposedly wrong filter size (I had it back to front

) I thought I'd take a couple of test shots to see what the fuss is about. I now see what the fuss is about

dogdots · 16-08-2007, 03:01

Markulous was your linear polariser a Quantarary? I have found I have been having problems with my focus.

**Markulous** · 16-08-2007, 06:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAG

I

13-08-2007, 18:53	#1 (permalink)
JAG Getting Comfy Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Essex Posts: 227	Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! I've been searching the net for a polarisor filter after seeing some of the fantastic pictures on here, but I'm a bit confused. I've seen filters ranging from about £10 to about £80? I don't understand the differences, what should I be looking for and what should I avoid? Many thanks, Ian

13-08-2007, 19:07	#2 (permalink)
Dabhand16 Pixalo Crew Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Dunstable Bedfordshire UK Posts: 8,999	Re: Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! The first thing that affects the price is the size. Not surprisingly, the bigger the filter, the dearer it is! Then you have the quality issues. The best filters will be coated to reduce flare and refractions. The Hoya Pro 77mm multi-coated polariser that would fit one of my lenses is priced at about £160. the Kood one I bought was £44. Probably not as good as the Hoya - but good enough for me!

13-08-2007, 19:34	#3 (permalink)
*Dave* Pixalo Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 14,909	Re: Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! Paid £26 for my Hoya 77mm Circular Polarizing Glass Filter new (not as fancy as one Dabs is quoting I expect )

13-08-2007, 19:39	#4 (permalink)
silkstone Feet under the table Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Silkstone Common, Yorkshire, UK Posts: 3,415	Re: Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! Aye, Hoya do three grades of filters - green box, blue box and Pro1 in ascending order of quality and price, although I'm not sure if the polarisers are available in all of those. The Pro1 are multicoated and thinner than standard - less chance of vignetting at wide angle - but you don't half pay for that! The standard Hoya or Kood are fine, and the Hama polarisers from 7dayshop are OK too although a little darker than most. BTW for most autofocus cameras you need a circular polariser rather than a linear polariser.

14-08-2007, 18:37	#6 (permalink)
water Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Scotland Posts: 674	Re: Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! Hi JAG,be aware also that some of the 'more affordable' filters can give a slight colour cast rather than being 'neutral'.For digital that may not be a 'killer' but I once bought a cheapo from Jessops to use with Slide film and it was pretty awful.They were good about it and took it back and I got Hoya's cheapest offering and that was fine.

14-08-2007, 18:49	#7 (permalink)
dogdots Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Dakota Posts: 576	Re: Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! Does anyone know about Quantarary filters? Are these ok, not ok?

14-08-2007, 19:44	#8 (permalink)
Anto Modded Quite Chatty Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 52	Re: Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! I bought a hama one cause it was cheap and handy to practice with. Seems ok to me but then again ive never tried an expensive one so it could be bad, maybe i just dont know it

14-08-2007, 20:49	#9 (permalink)
Loddonjohn Getting Comfy Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Harrow. Middlesex. Posts: 166	Re: Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! Do the Hama one's have that handy little lever attatchment that makes it easier to rotate when you have a lens hood attatched? John

14-08-2007, 21:29	#10 (permalink)
silkstone Feet under the table Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Silkstone Common, Yorkshire, UK Posts: 3,415	Re: Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! Yes, but whether that's a help or a hindrance depends on how closely the hood fits and whether there's room for the little lever. You can unscrew it though. The lever also means that the filter won't fit in a circular box, if that matters.

14-08-2007, 22:27	#11 (permalink)
Charlotte Loves the place Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Romsey, Hampshire Posts: 5,797	Re: Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! Looking at your camera gear Jag, you have the same kit lenses that I have. For those, I use Vanguard polarisers ... which were so cheap that I bought one for each lens, even tho' they're the same flter size, so that I don't have to shuffle a polariser back + forth between 2 lenses. The Vanguard polarisers are absolutely fine + do the job I did go for the Hoya Pro1 Digital polariser for my macro lens + then had to shell out for a 2nd one for my ultra-wide lens (Sigma 10-20mm) because they're different filter sizes. I don't see much of a difference TBH between images using the Vanguard -vs- the expensive Hoya polarisers However, the fact that the Pro1 Digital are slimline is most definitely a big advantage, especially if you intend to stack filters (use more than one at a time) on any focal length lens, not just ultra-wide angles, and they are also most useful for ultra-wide angle lenses. Even with the slimline filters on my Sigma lens, I still get vignetting at the widest angle when using polariser + UV together. Price-wise, I got my Hoya's for a very reasonable price from a reputable HK Ebay seller, but you have to be prepared to wait for them, as the shipping can take a couple of weeks or more, but worth the wait if you want to make a saving, especially if you're buying more than one. I'm told that One-Stop Digital is now doing these, so it's worth having a look there, as they are very good price-wise too. __________________ Work Smarter, Not Harder

15-08-2007, 17:38	#13 (permalink)
JAG Getting Comfy Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Essex Posts: 227	Re: Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! Thanks for all your advice guys A couple of clicks of a mouse button and hey presto! a Hoya circular polarisor drops through the mailbox After the original annoyance of purchasing the supposedly wrong filter size (I had it back to front ) I thought I'd take a couple of test shots to see what the fuss is about. I now see what the fuss is about

16-08-2007, 03:01	#14 (permalink)
dogdots Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Dakota Posts: 576	Re: Polarisor Filter Question - Newbie Alert ! Markulous was your linear polariser a Quantarary? I have found I have been having problems with my focus.