Newbie Guide to Filters

[steventay]

how to know whether a filter is Multi-Coated?

yesterday i go to a shop that sell filter, the case say it is UV MC but i dont see any colour and i don't dare to ask so much.

 

[daredevil123]

how to know whether a filter is Multi-Coated?

yesterday i go to a shop that sell filter, the case say it is UV MC but i dont see any colour and i don't dare to ask so much.

When in doubt, don't buy.

 

[steventay]

When in doubt, don't buy.

how to check?

Multi-Coated will have color is it?

 

[steventay]

this is what i found.

Multi-coating is very easy to see. Upon close examination of the filter; you will be able to discern several different colors: green, yellow and blue being the most common. The easiest way to check for multi coating is to get the reflection of a household light bulb in the filter. If the filter is multi coated the bulbs reflection will be radically changed.
Is My Filter Multi-Coated?


Multi-coated camera filters will reflect the reflected lamps image in many different colors (usually magenta and green tones), depending on the number and kind of optical coatings applied to the surface of the filter glass, just like most camera lenses. Mono-coated (single coated) camera filters will show a color tint change, but the color tint is harder to see. Non-coated camera filters will show no color tint change, of the bulb. To compare the reflections, use glass that is known not to be coated. use regular window glass or glass from a simple photo frame.
http://www.2filter.com/faq/multicoatedfaq.html


How to Use Filters
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/filters.htm

 

[daredevil123]

this is what i found.

Multi-coating is very easy to see. Upon close examination of the filter; you will be able to discern several different colors: green, yellow and blue being the most common. The easiest way to check for multi coating is to get the reflection of a household light bulb in the filter. If the filter is multi coated the bulbs reflection will be radically changed.
Is My Filter Multi-Coated?


Multi-coated camera filters will reflect the reflected lamps image in many different colors (usually magenta and green tones), depending on the number and kind of optical coatings applied to the surface of the filter glass, just like most camera lenses. Mono-coated (single coated) camera filters will show a color tint change, but the color tint is harder to see. Non-coated camera filters will show no color tint change, of the bulb. To compare the reflections, use glass that is known not to be coated. use regular window glass or glass from a simple photo frame.
MultiCoated Camera Filters why they are worth the cost


How to Use Filters
How to Use Filters

One thing to note, is that technology is always changing. So colors of reflections etc... can change with new technology.

 

[steventay]

One thing to note, is that technology is always changing. So colors of reflections etc... can change with new technology.

what do you mean?

 

[silvermoon1407]

what do you mean?

Different colour of coating lor...

 

[steventay]

Different colour of coating lor...

so if the case say it is UV MC but i dont see any colour and does it mean it is fake one?

 

[daredevil123]

so if the case say it is UV MC but i dont see any colour and does it mean it is fake one?

Which brand and model of the UV MC are you looking at?

And why don't you get a branded one that you can trust? One of the highest rated Hoya HMC protector filter only cost $35 for 77mm thread. How much can you save over that?

 

[steventay]

Which brand and model of the UV MC are you looking at?

And why don't you get a branded one that you can trust? One of the highest rated Hoya HMC protector filter only cost $35 for 77mm thread. How much can you save over that?

i mean i feel my friend kanna cheated.

how come the shop like this?

there are many different type of filters in the markets.... cannot everything get brands like BW, Hoya

 

[daredevil123]

i mean i feel my friend kanna cheated.

how come the shop like this?

there are many different type of filters in the markets.... cannot everything get brands like BW, Hoya

Well, that is why need to do homework before buying. Which is also why this thread is created in he first place, to consolidate information for folks to make better decisions in their purchases.

If you read the beginning of the thread you will find many brands covered in detail. Almost every kind of useful filters for digital photography are covered here. But the sad thing is, many people will still research after the purchase and not before. Cannot really blame anyone actually as information is all there.

 

[aimANDshoot]

Hi~ I am planning to get a polariser as well as a ND grad filter.
I've got a couple of questions here. I've read about the uses of hard and soft ND grad filters but I can't decide on hard or soft filters cause there are times when I would shoot in a well defined horizons and at times the horizons is not clearly defined.
Secondly, the LEE series are out of my budget. Would considering Tianya be a fine alternative?

 

[steventay]

Hi~ I am planning to get a polariser as well as a ND grad filter.
I've got a couple of questions here. I've read about the uses of hard and soft ND grad filters but I can't decide on hard or soft filters cause there are times when I would shoot in a well defined horizons and at times the horizons is not clearly defined.
Secondly, the LEE series are out of my budget. Would considering Tianya be a fine alternative?

i happen to see this.

Emolux Slim Vari Light Control Filter
- Variable control on light volume
- ND2 - ND400 Light Reduction
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/emob...96-emolux-slim-vari-light-control-filter.html

 

[daredevil123]

i happen to see this.

Emolux Slim Vari Light Control Filter
- Variable control on light volume
- ND2 - ND400 Light Reduction
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/emob...96-emolux-slim-vari-light-control-filter.html

Personally I would avoid Emolux.

 

[daredevil123]

Hi~ I am planning to get a polariser as well as a ND grad filter.
I've got a couple of questions here. I've read about the uses of hard and soft ND grad filters but I can't decide on hard or soft filters cause there are times when I would shoot in a well defined horizons and at times the horizons is not clearly defined.
Secondly, the LEE series are out of my budget. Would considering Tianya be a fine alternative?

Hard or soft really depends on your use. But as starters, a soft edge will make more sense.

If you go for tian ya, you have no choice between hard or soft anyway. They only sell one kind of GND.

Tianya is good for beginners, and their cost is really low. But when you start to shoot landscapes more seriously, with much wider lenses, you will find the 85mm filters to be insufficient especially with UWAs. For 100mm filters, it really make sense to go for Lee.

 

[aimANDshoot]

i happen to see this.

Emolux Slim Vari Light Control Filter
- Variable control on light volume
- ND2 - ND400 Light Reduction
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/emob...96-emolux-slim-vari-light-control-filter.html

Thank you~!

 

[aimANDshoot]

Hard or soft really depends on your use. But as starters, a soft edge will make more sense.

If you go for tian ya, you have no choice between hard or soft anyway. They only sell one kind of GND.

Tianya is good for beginners, and their cost is really low. But when you start to shoot landscapes more seriously, with much wider lenses, you will find the 85mm filters to be insufficient especially with UWAs. For 100mm filters, it really make sense to go for Lee.

Hi! I checked the local distributors who sell Tian Ya filters but i notice that what Tian Ya offers for GND is 'Tianya Filter - GND Graduated ND', there isn't any stops offer whatsoever?

 

[steventay]

Hard or soft really depends on your use. But as starters, a soft edge will make more sense.

If you go for tian ya, you have no choice between hard or soft anyway. They only sell one kind of GND.

Tianya is good for beginners, and their cost is really low. But when you start to shoot landscapes more seriously, with much wider lenses, you will find the 85mm filters to be insufficient especially with UWAs. For 100mm filters, it really make sense to go for Lee.

I personally tested and Tianya is not better than Emolux.

 

[daredevil123]

I personally tested and Tianya is not better than Emolux.

But at $10 a piece for GND or ND, Tianya is definitely a lot cheaper than Emolux's Vari-ND. Plus for rectangular filters, the filters are resin just like Lee and Cokin and Hitech.

But for glass filters, especially Vari-ND, you really need to get a good quality one because the performance difference is very big. For Vari-ND, I will only consider Tiffen, Kenko, Singh-Ray and Heliopan. LCW is close but still miss the mark for me personally. The rest are pretty much junk.

 

[steventay]

But at $10 a piece for GND or ND, Tianya is definitely a lot cheaper than Emolux's Vari-ND. Plus for rectangular filters, the filters are resin just like Lee and Cokin and Hitech.

But for glass filters, especially Vari-ND, you really need to get a good quality one because the performance difference is very big. For Vari-ND, I will only consider Tiffen, Kenko, Singh-Ray and Heliopan. LCW is close but still miss the mark for me personally. The rest are pretty much junk.

how they use to test whether the ND is good or not? actual picture taken? Must have pic to prove the quality of these filters.