Best Circular Polarizing Filter

Hoya digital Pro1 is ok. You could also go for the Marumi DHG.

Have a look at the links to the lenstip.com filter tests compiled here:

http://photonius.wikispaces.com/Filters

in particular this one

http://www.lenstip.com/115.4-article-Polarizing_filters_test_Results_and_summary.html

and this one:

http://www.lenstip.com/119.1-article-Polarizing_filters_test_-_supplement.html

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*** Life is short, time to zoom in *** ©

Hoya makes two CP Filters, one multi-coated, one not.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/116779-REG/Hoya_A58CRPL_58mm_Circular_Polarizer_HMC.html

These are not at all required. They reduce the amount of light entering the lens and therefore are mainly for daytime. They make sky's more blue and reduce reflections.

Since you are using a kit lens, you may not want to spend top dollar on the best polarizer. The cheaper polarizer can add some color casting to the photo and can lose a bit of sharpness. You may not notice the difference.

While a circular polarizer is useful in certain circumstances, it is not essential or even desired in most photography.

I'm a pro using a Nikon polarizer occasionally when on vacation. Sometimes it is useful to darken a blue sky, cut haze, increase saturation in foliage or reduce glare. But often photographers ruin photos by misusing the polarizer and, of course, you lose 1-1/3 stops of light.

Have a look at the Hoya HD, very strong and they do not stop as much light as some of them do.

Search on YouTube for Hoya HD and see some guy try and break one!

I have a couple of them and have had no problems, they are also of the 'slim' design so don't cause vignetting on wide angle lenses.

Oh and shop around as the RRP can be eye watering but I have found Amazon or one of their partners do them a lot, lot cheaper.

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Phil
I wondered why the ball kept getting bigger, then it hit me.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/philthebirdbrain/

I am everything but a pro, but I like the B+W on my 70-200. So check that too if it's in budget.

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Cheers Mike

Years ago I threw out all of my Hoya filters because there were sample variations and they were all difficult to clean....perhaps the Pro1 is improved but personally I've lost faith in them.  Now I only use MRC filters by B+W which may be slightly more expensive but well worth it,...... no image degradation, premium German Schott glass and brass mounts which minimize binding.

If you are shooting in extreme conditions, i.e., high humidity, extreme temperature variations, etc., you might consider the Kaesemann option which provides better foil sealing.

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Regards,
Hank
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8005/6997474606_5ac9d3a442_m.jpg

If you want the best, look at those made by B+W, Zeiss, Rodenstock, Schneider or Heliopan. Hoya HD are fine too, but my copies are not neutral and tend to get sticky on some lenses. Some people swear by Singh-Ray.

I found the following page very useful when I had to pick one a few months ago. You can see individual reviews of all the filters listed, but the summary will probably be all you need to look at.

http://www.lenstip.com/115.4-article-Polarizing_filters_test_Results_and_summary.html

You can see that Marumi filters offer excellent value for money versus quality. In a lot of cases they beat B+W and Hoya. Based on this I got a Marumi DHG Super CPL and was ridiculously impressed. It cost me $79 and was worth every cent.

Note: When you do get one be sure to not attach it too tightly, especially if you are stacking UV or ND filters on it as well. Because CPL filters have a rotating section there is far less ring to grip if you want to dis-attach it from your lens or another filter. I spent a good 45 minutes taking my UV filter off the front of it the first time I used it!

B + W, in my opinion, is the way to go - have it in 39, 43, 58, 67, 77, and 82

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ChrisC

I have both Marumin and B+W.  I have had Hoya's and you cannot clean them-pure junk-stay away from Hoya.

Check out this site:

http://www.2filter.com/index.htm

David

In contrast to what one poster replied, Hoya makes many different types of filters, not just two, i.e. green line, blue line, HMC, digital Pro1, HD, maybe even still the SHMC.

Most CPLs have some kind of color cast, one way or another, check the lenstip transmission curves. As to using cheap filters because it's only a cheap kit lens. No, I wouldn't do that. Definitively take a multicoated filter (such as e.g.) Hoya HMC, to reduce risk of flare etc.

As to cleaning, the Pro1 were not that easy to clean, but sure not impossible. The new Hoya HD, with hardened glass, are easier to clean, probably similar to the B+W MRC.

As to general use of CPLs (addressing another reply here), it's not just for skies. They are also useful for reducing reflections off water and glass (windows etc.), and the work rather well on foliage in sun-light, enhancing the green and getting rid of reflections off leaves. So, they can be of quite wide-ranging use, even on a simple kit lens for landscape. Sometimes, what is taken as color cast, could actually be simply reducing reflection/glare of foliage and therefore different looking greens etc.

See sample here:

http://photonius.wikispaces.com/Filters

Some CPLs, like the Hoya HDs have better transmission rates than some other filters, the Hoya HD looses only about 1 f-stop.

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*** Life is short, time to zoom in *** ©

As a beginner with my kit lens I bought a B+W 58mm MRC. I love the results I get, especially when the sun is directly overhead or is hitting my subject at a 90 degree angle...bluer skies, more saturated colors. And not just bluer skies...I get some interesting effects with clouds and such that wouldn't be possible in the post processing phase.

If you want a top notch polarizer that has no color cast(neutral), try the B+W Kaesemann xs-pro. It's pricey, but still within your $100 budget.

You can find a serviceable circular polarizer much, much cheaper than $60 US.  Features that distinguish the more expensive from the cheaper options include better build, slimmer thickness, less light loss, and multicoating (presence and quality).

Here's my recommendation:

1.  Buy a cheap but decent brand of CP.  This is actually preferable to a more expensive one because a) you will be mounting it on one or more cheap but decent lenses, and b) it will stop more light.*

2.  Buy your CP in a diameter as large as, or even larger than, your largest-diameter lens on which you might want to use the filter.  This will help avoid vignetting, and will enable you to use the same filter in a wider set of circumstances.  Buy step-up rings to adapt the filter to the different lenses.

* Buying a cheap circular CP can be thought of similar to combining a more expensive CP, with less light loss, and a neutral density (ND) filter.  This actually can be an advantage in many situations where one would like to use the CP in strong light with a wide aperture.  For example, one can often use a cheap, less efficient CP outdoors during the day to shoot wider-aperture portraits than one can with a more expensive, more efficient CP!  You get narrow depth of field, deep skies and vibrant colors without having to mount a second filter that way, and you save money.  On the other hand, when shooting landscapes or similar shots, having to use a bit longer shutter speed is often no big deal.

Your filter model, at 58mm, is around $75 right now.  The OP can get indistinguishable results with a much cheaper filter.

Check out this relatively cheap, highly user-rated Tiffen filter.  It would work just fine for you; you'd be blown away by the results.

Thanks so much for all of the input! Thanks for steering me clear of Hoya! I think that I am going to go with a B+W, but I am not 100%. I still look forward to hearing what you have to say.

I think that this is the specific model that I would get... http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/9773-REG/B_W_66044840.html

You won't get any noticeable difference from using that compared with the much cheaper Tiffen I posted. In addition, you seem to have ignored the advice to get a filter larger than 58mm.

It's your money, but I wouldn't drop $74 on a filter for a $110 lens, when there are cheaper options that would work just fine (or possibly even better). In addition, I would definitely think about buying a particular type of filter just once, and using step-up rings.

Higher-end filters do have some advantages, but not so much for you, and you're on a budget.  Filters are unfortunately one of those types of items over which people tend to get a bit snobbish, in my opinion.  I have a Hoya brand CP and don't have any problems whatsoever keeping it clean or cleaning it; it's just fine.

Something of more concern than what make you should buy is imo that the 18-55 has a rotating front element (at least mine has), something you should have a look at before buying. Others here will have suggestions on this I assume.

I didn't think of this in my first reply sorry about that.

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Cheers Mike