Filter Brand?

[danpv]

I've been lurking for the past month trying to decide whether the a900 was the right first DSLR for me. I finally bit the bullet. My a900 & 24-70 cz arrived about a week ago and as soon as my wallet heals a bit I will get polarizer and haze filter for this lens.

I currently have B+W and Heliopan for my LF lenses, but they're too small for this zoom. I've read lots of posts elsewhere in the LF world that warn about poor quality glass used by many of the mainstream filter brands.

Not sure what brands are considered among the best quality for DSLRs. I presume that Zeiss would also be considered top quality. Any other high quality brands I should consider?

 

[headofdestiny]

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I use Heliopan multicoat, although I should say I've been using them less, because I notice more sensor reflection from the FF sensor at wide apertures (compared to APS-C.) I tried the Sony/Zeiss 77mm filter, but it ended up developing a bubble in the finish soon after I got it, so I went back to Heliopan. Granted, I'm sure this was not a problem common with the Sony filters.

 

[danpv]

Thanks for your input.

In doing a bit more searching, I came across this in another forum:

"There are indeed lots of rubbish filters on the market, especially when it comes to polarizers. Be sure whatever brand you decide on is made of optical quality materials and are multicoated to maintain the best of image quality. I would personally suggest staying away from Hoya (except for HMC), Quantaray, SunPak, and any "no-name" filter such as frequently seen on eBay. Effects of these filters can be very detrimental to image quality, especially on their polarizers."

Full thread here: tinyurl.com/dm873v

 

[tbarb]

I would consider Heliopan and B+W as very good quality filters. Both use shott glass. Their websites have some explanation of this and in the process of reading you can learn why many cheaper brands are inferior.

-Tom

 

[Jerry Gardner]

I don't use filters nearly as often with digital as I did with film, preferring to do more work in post processing, so filter quality isn't as important to me as it once was.

That said, I find multicoated Hoya filters to be perfectly adequate for my needs, and the price is much cheaper than the German brands.

 

[Docno]

Just picked up a Kenko UV filter for my CZ24-70. Chose it because it is 3mm thick rather than a 5mm B+W I could have picked up for several more dollars. My CZ24-70 shows some vignetting, so I wanted to go as thin as possible. But I'm not sure that this was a smart move... (though I do trust this camera store, and they were only selling B+W and Kenkos at this size, and recommended against Hoya).

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Galleries: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/glennjude
Sony A700, KM 11-18mm, CZ16-80mm, SAL70-300mm G, SAL18-250mm, 50mm F1.4

 

[danpv]

Can't speak to Kenko brand, but for others who may be in the market for polarizers...

I needed a polarizer in a hurry so I stopped in at Ritz camera and got a 77mm "Quantaray Professional Filter Series" for my 24-70 cz. Including sales tax, I paid a hefty $96.51

Later I saw that post about quality of lesser brands that I quoted above and figured I'd better upgrade to a B+W because both the a900 and 24-70 cz deserve good quality. Found one online for $117 with no sales tax or shipping charges. Just received the B+W. I placed it and the Quantaray on a white table top. They both look the same when viewed head on; so may have similar coatings. But when viewed on an angle the Quantaray is definitely green - and I'm red/green color deficient, so it's got to be a dark tint if I can see it.

Haven't done any scientific comparisons between the two filters, but the bottom line for me is that for a few dollars more than the needlessly expensive Quantaray, I got what I believe is a better quality filter that gives me both peace of mind and hopefully better quality photos.

The Quantaray goes back to Ritz tomorrow.

 

[hertz]

I've tryied many brands. Kenko, Hoya, B+W, you name it. Bad filter can alter image quality dramatically, even as simple as UV. Heliopan proved to be the best brand. B+W is also very good, but ensure you get it from reputable source - too many fakes on a market. Hoya Pro is also good.

With digital the most often usable fileters for me are Heliopan LPL and Tiffen ND grad glass. Imho, there is no reason to use UV or any other protective filter whatsoe'er with digital.

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Hertz