Buying Filters

I am in the market to buy a filter for my camera for the first time, and I know that I want to buy a polarizing filter as my first purchase. What I don't know is what brand should I look at, does it matter? Does it matter what brand to use based on your camera? Can anyone help me?

Everyone has their own opinions on what brand to get. I'm extremely happy with B&W and Hoya filters. Tiffen is not a bad brand either.

2Filter (http://www.2filter.com) has some information about filters and is very competitive pricing but I would check with Ebay first.

I'm just gonna give a reminder that you check you buy a CIRCULAR Polarizer when you buy one. That has nothing to do with it being the shape of a circle but it being a new way of doing it ;)

I have a set of 72mm Tiffen filters (polarizer, UV/protective, and an 812 warming) that are pretty nice, they ran me around $110 for the set. Definately not the most expensive out there, but they suit me fine. B&W and Hoya are great as well.

I'm just gonna give a reminder that you check you buy a CIRCULAR Polarizer when you buy one. That has nothing to do with it being the shape of a circle but it being a new way of doing it ;)

Hey Erik not sure what you mean by this.


My CP is a Hoya, I'm please with it. I have a TIffen UV on all the time (had my 80-200 do a nose dive into sand once, lost my CP but lens was ok) With filter I think it is a matter of you get what you pay for.

What do you have for a camera and lens.

What I meant was that before, Polarisers was also made in another way, with todays digital cameras, the new technique when they make them is circular. I don't know precisly what that means and all but I have heard it many times that you should make sure you buy a circular polarizer, cause the old way doesn't work too well with digital.

Brands: Singh-Ray, B+W, Hoya all offer quality products. Avoid going for the cheapest one you can find...the optical quality of the glass, the coatings used, and the build are all important factors in a good quality filter.

What I meant was that before, Polarisers was also made in another way, with todays digital cameras, the new technique when they make them is circular. I don't know precisly what that means and all but I have heard it many times that you should make sure you buy a circular polarizer, cause the old way doesn't work too well with digital.

Not exactly....correct that a circular polarizer should be used. It has nothing to do with being a digital camera though. The reason you want to use a circular polarizer rather than a linear polarizer has to do with automatic focus used in SLR cameras. Below is a technical explanation ... but bottom line is that you should use a circular polarizer with your SLR camera.

LINEAR
Produces deeper colored blue skies, which at the same time creates a striking contrast with white clouds. Minimizes light reflections from glass and water Reduces glare from non-metallic surfaces. Provides a general color saturation to both cool and warm tones. Can be used in extremely bright light situations to reduce the amount of light entering the camera; this enables more selective depth of field control. Manufactured in self-rotating and drop-in formats. Note: using a Linear Polarizer on an auto focus camera with a beam-splitting meter will result in under-exposure of approximately 2-3 f:stops. Light is polarized by both the filter and the beam-splitting meter which results in double polarization. However, Linear Polarizers can be used with both non-auto focus and auto focus video cameras.
Light Loss: 2 f:stops

CIRCULAR POLARIZER
Provides the same filter effects as a Linear Polarizer, but is designed to work with auto focus cameras with beam splitting metering. The Circular Polarizer has linear polarizer construction plus a built-in "Wave Retardant" to ensure proper exposure. The linear element polarizes the light, and the wave retardant de-polarizes it, and then the beam-splitting meter polarizes the light again for proper exposure. The use of a Linear Polarizer with a beam-splitting meter will result in underexposure. Also used in video for video assist. (video tap).

Not got round to using polarisers yet but I think you may need to be aware of whether the front element of your lens(es) rotates as it focuses which will mean your polariser (setting) changes with your focus. I'd imagine using one-shot focussing then setting your polariser rotation would be the way forward in that case.

I *am* correct in thinking the whole point of a polariser is that you rotate it to allow only the particular polarisation of light you want, regardless of whether it's a 58mm screw-in or not? (Do screw-ins have a floating rotational thing going on or do you just take care you don't unscrew it accidentally and drop it down a drain or something?) Thought I should sanity check that I'm not spouting utter guff! In the (quite possible) event I am please disregard this post and feel free to ridicule me :o)

Yes Guy...a polarizer filter rotates to obtain the desired effect. The build is such that there are two parts, one rotating around the fixed part. It is most effective when it is at a 90degree position to the light source. There are a few lenses that still rotate the front element during focus and this must be a concern for those that have this type of lens. In that case, focus first, then set the filter.

Thanks, I thought i understood it right :o) Always a good policy to check when not sure :o)

Both my Canon lenses (350d kit 18-55, 75-300 USMiii) rotate the front element when focussing which is why I thought it worth a mention as it's one of those things that's not obvious till pointed out!

You sure the front element actually rotates on those lenses? Sure it's not just the focusing ring? I don't have either lens, so I can't check, but I think all of Canon's recent lenses have a fixed front element with internal focusing. Could be wrong about that, though.

Well the UV filters I have screwed into each both spin merrily!!