Your Favorite Brand of Filter

GraphyFotoz

Maybe in replies to this state why you like your favorite brand of Filter?

GraphyFotoz

My personal Favorites
1: B+W
2: Tiffen
3: Hoya

I prefer B+W (When I can get a NICE USED ONE) cuz I like German quality!
99% of the time if it's GERMAN it's quality no matter what your buying.
Wonder if it's cuz I'm 3/4 German myself?
Downfall is if ya get them new they can be pretty costly!!!

Tiffen is my 2nd choice cuz I used em for years in 35mm photography and always had good luck with em. Price is decent mid level.

Hoya is my 3rd cuz it's still a great filter for a mid/lower end price!

Matthew Saville

If you're just talking about which are "the best", then B+W, Singh-Ray, and Heliopan are names that come to mind. Personally however, I have yet to buy any of those ridiculously expensive "enhancer" or "gold-n-blue" filters that Singh-Ray makes, but I'm sure they're awesome things to have.

I do however highly reccomend B+W for any and all filters that you're going to just put on the camera and leave them there. Especially for telephoto lenses, just buy a B+W UV filter and don't take it off, unless circumstances demand it. (not sure what but I suppose they exist)


Other than that, Tiffen does make very nice filters, I have a circular polarizer by them and it "gets the job done" for sure. Of course now that I'm stepping into the 77mm realm more or less, I think I'm going to have to start investing in top quality filters, so that will probably include Nikon filters and B+W filters. I've used Nikon's 77mm circular polarizer super-wide, and it's just a beauty to hold.

-Matt-

limbik

Hoya's S-HMC have been working fairly well for me, the pro-1 are nice because they are thin frame with front threads so I can keep the Canon lens cap on.

Nikolai

Great subject!

GraphyFotoz wrote:

Maybe in replies to this state why you like your favorite brand of Filter?

Always wondered what the diiferences are..
BTW, are Canon's UV any good?
In general, how can you TELL if a filter is good or bad? Test shots with and without? I can't afford buying them all and setup a proper comparison test bed..

wburychka

GraphyFotoz wrote:

Maybe in replies to this state why you like your favorite brand of Filter?

How about this? NONE. If you are shooting digital, then the only filter to ever consider would be a circular polarizer. The rest are just unnecessary glass in front of your expensive lens. As to circular polarizers, money is no object. Get the best.

UV filter for protection? I used to believe that. I kept a UV filter on my Nikon F 50mm, 135mm, and 28mm, as well as 28-135mm (only the last ten years) for 30 years. When I took it off, it was in perfect condition, so what did it protect the lens from? And that 30 years included a year in Vietnam during Mr. Johnson's "Save by buddies' aircraft companies" war!

Just one opinion.

GraphyFotoz

Matthew Saville wrote:

I do however highly reccomend B+W for any and all filters that you're going to just put on the camera and leave them there. Especially for telephoto lenses, just buy a B+W UV filter and don't take it off, unless circumstances demand it. (not sure what but I suppose they exist)


Other than that, Tiffen does make very nice filters, I have a circular polarizer by them and it "gets the job done" for sure.

Yup to both! I have a B+W UV on at all times......till I switch it off for another filter.

I too use a Tiffen Circ Polarizer! I wanted one in B+W but the price stopped me! :uhoh Like ya said it gets the job done. :

GraphyFotoz

wburychka wrote:

UV filter for protection? I used to believe that. I kept a UV filter on my Nikon F 50mm, 135mm, and 28mm, as well as 28-135mm (only the last ten years) for 30 years. When I took it off, it was in perfect condition, so what did it protect the lens from? And that 30 years included a year in Vietnam during Mr. Johnson's "Save by buddies' aircraft companies" war!

Just one opinion.

Just a insurance policy for me.....ya never know. Esp if your out doing nature shots climbing around rocks and brush.

tom e

hoya super HMC

GraphyFotoz wrote:

Maybe in replies to this state why you like your favorite brand of Filter?

quality, reasonable price. pro 1's look really cool, but i don't think you gain anything and you pay about 50% more

risource

GraphyFotoz wrote:

Maybe in replies to this state why you like your favorite brand of Filter?

Fave is B+W, and you can get them used in most NYC shops at half price or better. I figure it's really an in-person buy, though.

So Hoya HMCs are on my digital gear, and B+W on my film camera.

I really loved the Hoya Ultra low-profile.... and I really hate that it doesn't accept my regular lens cap. I will never go low-profile again.

limbik

risource wrote:

I really loved the Hoya Ultra low-profile.... and I really hate that it doesn't accept my regular lens cap. I will never go low-profile again.

It seems to take mine OK, it sticks out a bit, but it is on there good at least.
Originally I went with the pro-1 because I needed a 77mm cir-pol on an ultra-wide lens. No problems there.

CatOne

GraphyFotoz wrote:

Just a insurance policy for me.....ya never know. Esp if your out doing nature shots climbing around rocks and brush.

Why wouldn't you just have a lens hood on in this case? Especially for UV, which doesn't need to be rotated.

Khaos

CatOne wrote:

Why wouldn't you just have a lens hood on in this case? Especially for UV, which doesn't need to be rotated.

A lens hood will protect just fine except for some of the really wide angle lenses. I can see only using a UV filter for protection in windy areas with griity stuff like sand that may be blown around.

CPL and ND filters are the only ones I see worth buying and then you only use them in specific situations.

You spend all this money on a lens for its performance and then you place some other glass in front of it that does nothing for the photo but possibly limit the output. Makes no sense to me.