How to select Cir. Polarizer Lens? Need advice

[AirWayBu]

hi,

I intend to buy the Hoya Cir. Poloarizer Lens (the normal type est $70/-). However, I also notice in the shops that there are more expensive CPLs from Hoya, and from other brands (e.g. Kenko by Tokina Pro 1 Digital est $100/-, B+W est $230/-).

I am not a pro, just an amatuer. Can anyone advise me:
1. What is the difference between the normal Hoya CPL, and more expensive CPLs? I mean other than paying for the Brand name...

2. Should I go for more-ex ones, or normal Hoya CPL is good enough for me? Many amatuers I know just went for this model....

Thanks & cheers.

 

[blowblue]

hi,

I intend to buy the Hoya Cir. Poloarizer Lens (the normal type est $70/-). However, I also notice in the shops that there are more expensive CPLs from Hoya, and from other brands (e.g. Kenko by Tokina Pro 1 Digital est $100/-, B+W est $230/-).

I am not a pro, just an amatuer. Can anyone advise me:
1. What is the difference between the normal Hoya CPL, and more expensive CPLs? I mean other than paying for the Brand name...

2. Should I go for more-ex ones, or normal Hoya CPL is good enough for me? Many amatuers I know just went for this model....

Thanks & cheers.

Sorry i dont know much about circular polarizer. But since you're a newbie like me, just an advice I just got: don't stack UV filter and circular polarizer over the lens while shooting, you will introduce vigenetting.

 

[AirWayBu]

Thanks blowblue

OK, another stupid qns from me. Exactly, what's vigenetting? I actually tested a few shots with a hoya CPL on a UV(0) Super HMC filter on my lens. The pictures looks ok leh, except for the removal of unwanted reflections....so wondering how I tell vigenetting.

 

[DeWei]

Vignetting is the dark effect at your photo's four corners. You might want to refer to this page on how to use CPL:

http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCam/User-Guide/filter/polarizer.html

 

[AirWayBu]

thanks.....i better go back and check my pics carefully. That helps.

Anyone can help with my initial queries?

 

[kitty2]

You must know the purpose of the filter that you want to buy.
Good filter will have a good coating and effect of filtering light without affecting
your color picture.

I am also same as you.
My expert buddies adviced me to buy good filter or good lens because this stuff will act
as "your eyes" True or not than wait for other CSer to make comment.

Anyway, I am using B+W filters for my CPL and UV :thumbsup:
Felt "pinch" when bought these filters but after see the result than can recommend
to you.:heart:

 

[blowblue]

I got my CPL for 2nd hand. IMHO it's cheaper that way! Mine is B+W..it's more expensive than Hoya, but i dont know if it's any better than Hoya in terms of polarizing effect.

But you'd have to take necessary precautions to prevent getting a lemon
1) No scratches/damage on the lens
2) It is a polarizer lens>> you can do this by holding the lens to a light source (lamp, bright sky etc) and view it with your eyes...turn the polarizer clockwise/anti-clockwise and you will see darkening/brightening/darkening/bright etc.

I'm not too familiar with the step up rings...can anybody bother to explain..something about using a ring adapter so that the filter lens can be used on different lens size.

 

[blowblue]

Did you get UV lens? Just for curiosity what brand is it? I honestly don't know whether there's a real difference between brands for UV

 

[AirWayBu]

blowblue, you talking to me huh? hee hee...

Me using UV filter, the Hoya Super HMC type. I have no clue, it's supposed to be the better one amongst the Hoya range. It came together with my 2nd hand 18-200 nikon lens. (i'm a cheapskate)

 

[blowblue]

blowblue, you talking to me huh? hee hee...

Me using UV filter, the Hoya Super HMC type. I have no clue, it's supposed to be the better one amongst the Hoya range. It came together with my 2nd hand 18-200 nikon lens. (i'm a cheapskate)

that makes two cheapskaters!>>me too

Do you notice any difference in the quality of the UV lens when compared to a normal UV lens? Is it worth the money?

 

[AirWayBu]

I guess I am too amatuer to tell the difference....maybe it's also because I have never done a A/B test on various filters on the same scene, and have the pics printed to compare.

I used to have another lens (18-70mm) which I bought as part of D70 kit (this one new one OK?), and I bought a protective filter -- the standard Hoya UV (cheapest). I also have another 50mm lens that uses an old Seagull UV filter (China brand, heard of it?) that I still use. So far I have been happy with the pictures (taken by both lenses) on print .

If I am unhappy with my pics, I am more the culprit (e.g. poor composition, poor settings) than the innocent UV filters. ...dah..

 

[miniUltraman]

I have done a test of my own (not an official testing though).. at night, mount on a tripod... put a high fstop eg. likef16 and adjust shutter to get your correct exposure... point it to some common street lights... you can see the different. I tested it with B+W and tokina 77mm filter with a EFS17-55 (my fren's new lens with a throw-in tokina filter)... you can see a nice star for B+W... tokina.. err.. one patch of flare...

 

[miniUltraman]

Just one more thing to add.. the B+W is only a standard MRC UV.. not a star filter :lovegrin:

 

[ezestan]

Confirmed the test from ultraman. A hoya Superhmc can give u a star too but the normal UV can't A bulb of fire.

 

[AirWayBu]

Can/has anyone do/done a similar A/B test on Hoya Standard CPL vs Hoya SuperHMC CPL vs B+W CPL. Better if the pics can be posted on this thread.....hee

 

[blowblue]

upload the pics of the tested filters pls...i am sure we all wanna see...

 

[BlueBull]

still no one tested it?

 

[AirWayBu]

hee hee I suppose not many have the luxury of having 2 CPL of different brand/quality but fit the same lens to do A/B test P

 

[ExplorerZ]

hee hee I suppose not many have the luxury of having 2 CPL of different brand/quality but fit the same lens to do A/B test P

if you don use it often, just get the normal tokina/hoya one will do... IIRC tokina 77mm CPL is like $50 only..:thumbsup:
Used to own it until I upgrade to a slim Marumi, and it is worth the extra bucks since I use it 1/2 the time when I mount my 12-24 on my cam.

 

[andrew_teo86]

May i as what do your usually shoot that requires a Cir pol? Its so useless and expensive that i just sold of my PRO 1 DIGITAL. Though many magazine said that it can help you get blue skies, ND grad can do an even better job ah. What difference is there with cheap and expensive polarizer that amatures can spot?