CPL filter, step up or down ?

[keisar]

Hi,

I have Z7 II and 24-70 f/4 Z mount and 70-200 f/2.8 F mount.

70-200 have 77mm filter

24-70 have 72mm filter

I want to get one CPL filter for both but I’m not sure if I get 72 or 77mm filter with adapter.

With the 72mm filter, it will fit perfectly the 24-70 and I have to get step down adapter for the 70-200. I can use the hood on both but what about corners with the 70-200 ?

With the 77mm, fit Nice on 70-200, no corner issue but can’t use the hood on the 24-70.

What would you advise ?

 

[briantilley]

Hi,

I have Z7 II and 24-70 f/4 Z mount and 70-200 f/2.8 F mount.

70-200 have 77mm filter

24-70 have 72mm filter

I want to get one CPL filter for both but I’m not sure if I get 72 or 77mm filter with adapter.

With the 72mm filter, it will fit perfectly the 24-70 and I have to get step down adapter for the 70-200. I can use the hood on both but what about corners with the 70-200 ?

With the 77mm, fit Nice on 70-200, no corner issue but can’t use the hood on the 24-70.

What would you advise ?

I would go with a 77mm filter and a step-up ring.

As long as you attach the 24-70mm's hood first, it is possible to fit a 72-77mm step-up ring. Of course, you'd have to remove the filter and ring in order to remove or reverse the hood.

 

[Mark B.]

Hi,

I have Z7 II and 24-70 f/4 Z mount and 70-200 f/2.8 F mount.

70-200 have 77mm filter

24-70 have 72mm filter

I want to get one CPL filter for both but I’m not sure if I get 72 or 77mm filter with adapter.

With the 72mm filter, it will fit perfectly the 24-70 and I have to get step down adapter for the 70-200. I can use the hood on both but what about corners with the 70-200 ?

With the 77mm, fit Nice on 70-200, no corner issue but can’t use the hood on the 24-70.

What would you advise ?

If you cannot get the correct size for each lens, you never want to adapt a filter that' smaller than the lens diameter, unless you prefer vignetting. Always adapt up to the larger size.

Mark

 

[crowley213]

Hi,

I have Z7 II and 24-70 f/4 Z mount and 70-200 f/2.8 F mount.

70-200 have 77mm filter

24-70 have 72mm filter

I want to get one CPL filter for both but I’m not sure if I get 72 or 77mm filter with adapter.

With the 72mm filter, it will fit perfectly the 24-70 and I have to get step down adapter for the 70-200. I can use the hood on both but what about corners with the 70-200 ?

With the 77mm, fit Nice on 70-200, no corner issue but can’t use the hood on the 24-70.

What would you advise ?

First of all, as already mentioned from other users, if you want to use the same filter on lenses with different filter sizes you want to go for the biggest filter size you need and use a step-up ring for the lenses with a smaller filter size.

Yes, the step-up ring solution will not allow the use of the lens hood on the lens with the smaller filter size, a potential drawback, even not a dramatic one.

But, at least from my point of view, you also may think about another, even it's more expensive, solution.

Look, it's not just the camera body and the lenses that make a good system. For certain situations and tasks you need some essential accessories, for example filters, tripod and so on. But a lot of people seem not to recognize that fact and then "cheap out" on the accessories while spending a lot of money for a good camera and good glass.

Considering that you have a really good camera and good lenses, and assuming that the both stated lenses are your workhorses, I personally would not go for a "one filter" solution as it means the compromise of the step-up ring plus the potential need to swap the filter during shooting.

I have exactly the same situation with my X-T3 with the 16-55mm and 50-140mm lenses and I decided to get me a CPL in the right size for both lenses, considering the fact that a CPL is one of the most important and used filters. For other less used filters, e.g. ND filters, I also go the step-up way.

Again, no offense intended, just my two cents regarding such a decision.

Herbert

 

[BBbuilder467]

Hi,

I have Z7 II and 24-70 f/4 Z mount and 70-200 f/2.8 F mount.

70-200 have 77mm filter

24-70 have 72mm filter

I want to get one CPL filter for both but I’m not sure if I get 72 or 77mm filter with adapter.

With the 72mm filter, it will fit perfectly the 24-70 and I have to get step down adapter for the 70-200. I can use the hood on both but what about corners with the 70-200 ?

With the 77mm, fit Nice on 70-200, no corner issue but can’t use the hood on the 24-70.

What would you advise ?

I want the filter to fit the lens I'm most likely to use it with and want the bayonet hood to fit over it. If I had to add a step-ring, the odds are I won't use it. I need the hood more than the filter. 99% of the time, I'd be using filters with the short zoom.

 

[lokatz]

I have the Z 24-70, the Z24-200, which is 67mm, and the Z 14-30mm, which is 82mm. If you think you'll EVER be interested in the wider lens, get an 82mm CPL with two step-down rings (82 --> 77 and 77 --> 72). The step-down's are dirt cheap and they do not cause vignetting on any of these lenses, so going with the larger, albeit a bit more expensive, solution makes your choice future-proof.

(I did NOT consider this initially and now have a mostly useless 72mm CPL.)

 

[BBbuilder467]

I have the Z 24-70, the Z24-200, which is 67mm, and the Z 14-30mm, which is 82mm. If you think you'll EVER be interested in the wider lens, get an 82mm CPL with two step-down rings (82 --> 77 and 77 --> 72). The step-down's are dirt cheap and they do not cause vignetting on any of these lenses, so going with the larger, albeit a bit more expensive, solution makes your choice future-proof.

(I did NOT consider this initially and now have a mostly useless 72mm CPL.)

To go from 72mm lens to 82mm filter, you use "step-UP" rings. It's lens first to filter. You would step-down from an 82mm lens to a 72mm filter.

 

[lokatz]

To go from 72mm lens to 82mm filter, you use "step-UP" rings. It's lens first to filter. You would step-down from an 82mm lens to a 72mm filter.

Look up the definition for 'know-it-all', if you will.

 

[Mark B.]

To go from 72mm lens to 82mm filter, you use "step-UP" rings. It's lens first to filter. You would step-down from an 82mm lens to a 72mm filter.

Look up the definition for 'know-it-all', if you will.

BBBuilder467 is actually correct. You suggested to get an 82mm filter to use for 72mm, 77mm, and 82mm lenses. To use the filter on the smaller lenses you would use a step-up ring.

 

[lokatz]

To go from 72mm lens to 82mm filter, you use "step-UP" rings. It's lens first to filter. You would step-down from an 82mm lens to a 72mm filter.

Look up the definition for 'know-it-all', if you will.

BBBuilder467 is actually correct. You suggested to get an 82mm filter to use for 72mm, 77mm, and 82mm lenses. To use the filter on the smaller lenses you would use a step-up ring.

Another one. Hint: google 'step down ring' and see what you get. It's solely a matter of definition. If you WANT to be right, though: oh, you're sooo right!

 

[BBbuilder467]

To go from 72mm lens to 82mm filter, you use "step-UP" rings. It's lens first to filter. You would step-down from an 82mm lens to a 72mm filter.

Look up the definition for 'know-it-all', if you will.

BBBuilder467 is actually correct. You suggested to get an 82mm filter to use for 72mm, 77mm, and 82mm lenses. To use the filter on the smaller lenses you would use a step-up ring.

Another one. Hint: google 'step down ring' and see what you get. It's solely a matter of definition. If you WANT to be right, though: oh, you're sooo right!

It explains exactly what I said. You step from the lens to the filter, not from the filter to the lens. It's the industry standard.

 

[briantilley]

To go from 72mm lens to 82mm filter, you use "step-UP" rings. It's lens first to filter. You would step-down from an 82mm lens to a 72mm filter.

Look up the definition for 'know-it-all', if you will.

BBBuilder467 is actually correct. You suggested to get an 82mm filter to use for 72mm, 77mm, and 82mm lenses. To use the filter on the smaller lenses you would use a step-up ring.

Another one. Hint: google 'step down ring' and see what you get.

I did that:

https://www.discoverdigitalphotography.com/2013/what-are-step-up-and-step-down-rings/

To save you having to read it all, here's an extract:

"A ring that is larger on the filter side than it is on the lens side is known as a step-up ring, while a ring that is larger on the lens side than it is on the filter side is known as a step down ring"

It's solely a matter of definition. If you WANT to be right, though: oh, you're sooo right!

I think the important point, when a person is buying one of these rings, is to make sure that the retailer is describing them the same way that he/she is. Some retailers seem to use the opposite to this generally-accepted definition.

 

[crowley213]

To go from 72mm lens to 82mm filter, you use "step-UP" rings. It's lens first to filter. You would step-down from an 82mm lens to a 72mm filter.

Look up the definition for 'know-it-all', if you will.

BBBuilder467 is actually correct. You suggested to get an 82mm filter to use for 72mm, 77mm, and 82mm lenses. To use the filter on the smaller lenses you would use a step-up ring.

Another one. Hint: google 'step down ring' and see what you get. It's solely a matter of definition. If you WANT to be right, though: oh, you're sooo right!

Having an opinion regarding a topic, no matter if right or wrong, is one thing... defending that opinion by showing attitude, even getting personal, is another thing.

Hmm, searching the internet by google (or what ever other search engine!) shows exactly the opposite explanation as you defend it with so much emotion... so let's just call it an obsolete discussion about "alternate facts", something that seems to be quite common in these days.

At least I will also in the future order, for example at so renowned dealers like B+H, Adorama, etc., so called step-up rings for filters that have a bigger thread diameter than the diameter of the lens filter thread.

H.

 

[Mark B.]

To go from 72mm lens to 82mm filter, you use "step-UP" rings. It's lens first to filter. You would step-down from an 82mm lens to a 72mm filter.

Look up the definition for 'know-it-all', if you will.

BBBuilder467 is actually correct. You suggested to get an 82mm filter to use for 72mm, 77mm, and 82mm lenses. To use the filter on the smaller lenses you would use a step-up ring.

Another one. Hint: google 'step down ring' and see what you get. It's solely a matter of definition. If you WANT to be right, though: oh, you're sooo right!

I'm not trying to be a smart**s, but here is an article from B&H - a well-respected and reliable camera gear dealer. From the linked article:

"The opposite of step-up rings are step-down rings, which essentially do the reverse: they enable you to adapt filter and lens accessories with smaller thread sizes to lenses with larger thread sizes. For example, they allow you to attach a 52mm filter to a lens with a 72mm thread size."

Mark

 

[HRC2016]

Step down rings are downers if you are avoiding vignetting.

 

[Mark B.]

Step down rings are downers if you are avoiding vignetting.

Yup, I mentioned that earlier.

 

[keisar]

I'm ok with wide angle, I have a nice set of 150mm square filter...