Cheap or Expensive Filters. Does it matter?
- Thread starter thenakedshades
- Start date
Thanks for this thread. Am also looking at filters for mountain scape photography too. Maybe taking a polarizer since it's gonna be sunny.
Actually this pretty much sums it up. U get what I pay for
For me , it's always a sad moment when I see a friend carrying a good lens only for it to be 'capped' by a lesser than average filter.
Heard a lot of positives regarding Haida , probably will try them out against B+W and see how well they work.
A 67mm hoya CPL costs 110? Reasonable? I thought Haida was steep till I called up a shop here to enquire.
Welcome to a costly hobby. And if you think that $110 is expensive then please ask for CPL from B+W or Rodenstock.
Whether a filter price is reasonable will also depend on your budget. For some, getting the best filter possible is reasonable, others have a different approach. So, how much are you willing to spend for some quality glass so that you get proper pictures? Or are you willing to accept funky side effects like glare and ghosting but only spent 20 bucks?
There are so many versions of HOYA CPL filters, which one are you referring to??
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...mm&ci=115&N=4026728357+4291413233+4294955266&
and you have not seen those high end filters yet.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...7+4294955266+4291218879+4291256937+4291103898
IMHO cost to performance Haida is rather good after reading up the reviews and pictures taken (using various brands) from various sources and comparing them with my personal result with it. I am not a person who would just get the best nor so stingy to just get the cheapest, buta again each of us have our own benchmarks as to what is best for ourselves.
Wahh! 200+ for one. *faints* Think i got the basic one from Hoya today. Pretty happy with the results. Probably for the ND i'll try the Haida one.
why my filter give this type of result.
Suntax ..
I believe this one is lens flare ... caused by the filter you have attached. I believe it will be gone after you take out the filter.
All filters, regardless of price range will cause flare and ghosting. It's just that the tolerance of the filter glass before it actually appears..
I'm not sure what filter you are using.... but I can also get flare and ghosting effects on my B+W f-pro UV filter.
*I think in my example, whether got filter or no filter, it will still flare...*
In your example the flare actually works well and adds to the image. But then, it's well defined also due to the light setup.
The issue is that "cheap" doesn't necessarily mean "bad". Of course by "cheap", I am not talking about $1 or $2 filters. "Cheap" in comparison to B+W, which in my honest opinion is grossly overpriced.
The filter market is so large and the price ranges are so different that it is hard to answer your question quickly.
If you're talking about UV filters for protective function, even within each brand there are differentiating lines. For example, Hoya has the normal UV filter, then got multicoated, then have some more what HD la, dunno what la. Spawn so many until I can't keep track already. For these, if you are planning to keep them on for long periods of time, then perhaps you can consider investing in at least mid-range (i.e. at least Hoya or Kenko). Things like what Sunblitz, or unheard of brands, stay away. The brand is more important than the price I find, because some shops will just rip you off without blinking and sell you a crap filter at B+W prices. It happens. So do your homework, get a good brand, and stay happy.
For ND use ALONE, I would highly recommend Haida. I have used B+W versions before and much prefer Haida. Don't get me wrong, Haida isn't perfect but it's pretty damn good for the price. Of course there will be some who will insist that B+W is the way to go, but such things are subjective and I would disagree with them.
The GND market will be the trickier one. At the base you have things like Tianya, cheap and full of casts. Then you have Cokin, which is less cheap but still has casts albeit less. The next level would be Hitech, before you enter into the world of Singh-Ray and Lee and wonder why you are being charged so much for pieces of plastic and nuts and bolts. I'd say that the budget outlay difference is going to be significantly different everytime you take a step up (you need to pay for filter holders, a range of filters, etc), so this is where you should take a good look at your BUDGET, nothing else and see what you're comfortable with. I've lived with Tianya and Hitech before. In the end just decided to blend everything manually and save all the money and heartache. :bsmilie:
The filter market is so large and the price ranges are so different that it is hard to answer your question quickly.
If you're talking about UV filters for protective function, even within each brand there are differentiating lines. For example, Hoya has the normal UV filter, then got multicoated, then have some more what HD la, dunno what la. Spawn so many until I can't keep track already. For these, if you are planning to keep them on for long periods of time, then perhaps you can consider investing in at least mid-range (i.e. at least Hoya or Kenko). Things like what Sunblitz, or unheard of brands, stay away. The brand is more important than the price I find, because some shops will just rip you off without blinking and sell you a crap filter at B+W prices. It happens. So do your homework, get a good brand, and stay happy.
For ND use ALONE, I would highly recommend Haida. I have used B+W versions before and much prefer Haida. Don't get me wrong, Haida isn't perfect but it's pretty damn good for the price. Of course there will be some who will insist that B+W is the way to go, but such things are subjective and I would disagree with them.
The GND market will be the trickier one. At the base you have things like Tianya, cheap and full of casts. Then you have Cokin, which is less cheap but still has casts albeit less. The next level would be Hitech, before you enter into the world of Singh-Ray and Lee and wonder why you are being charged so much for pieces of plastic and nuts and bolts. I'd say that the budget outlay difference is going to be significantly different everytime you take a step up (you need to pay for filter holders, a range of filters, etc), so this is where you should take a good look at your BUDGET, nothing else and see what you're comfortable with. I've lived with Tianya and Hitech before. In the end just decided to blend everything manually and save all the money and heartache. :bsmilie:
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