My brain is fried on filters...

[Rhinotherunt]

I have a Sigma 10-20mm and Sigma 70-200mm that both use 77mm filters. I am needing some helpful advice on some filters. I am wanting to get a polarizing filter and a ND filter. Should I get thin fiters? I will be exchanging the filters between the two lenses. I want filters at the best optical quality that will not break my bank account. So, most bang for the buck. On the ND I would like to able to stop down around 3 stops.... Maybe more. Can I stack these filters? Basically I am filter stupid. LOL! Thanks for the help!

[Wilt]

For your Sigma at 10mm you are most likely to need thin filter to prevent vignetting (my Canon 10-22 does, too). You can stack filters, but if you stack, you have undone the benefit of using thin filters. And if you stack, it is more important to get filters with super multicoating or better, since each filter causes small loses in contrast and are cumulative.

[Rhinotherunt]

For your Sigma at 10mm you are most likely to need thin filter to prevent vignetting (my Canon 10-22 does, too). You can stack filters, but if you stack, you have undone the benefit of using thin filters. And if you stack, it is more important to get filters with super multicoating or better, since each filter causes small loses in contrast and are cumulative.

Thanks, I probably will not do any stacking, but wanted to know. I want to get the least amount of image reduction.

[Billginthekeys]

the best out there (argueably) are the B+W MRC filters. great quality. of course that comes at a price. another choice would be hoya pro

[Rhinotherunt]

the best out there (argueably) are the B+W MRC filters. great quality. of course that comes at a price. another choice would be hoya pro

Thanks!

[SkipD]

Get high quality (multicoated for sure) thin filters and you can use them on any lens with a 77mm filter thread.

[lkorell]

"I want filters at the best optical quality that will not break my bank account"

I want lenses the same way but unfortunately quality = $$$

If you are looking to buy filters that will do the best job you can't lose with B+W, but like everyone else said, they will cost you more than a cheap filter.

Lou

[Rhinotherunt]

Get high quality (multicoated for sure) thin filters and you can use them on any lens with a 77mm filter thread.

Skip, that is what I was thinking.

"I want filters at the best optical quality that will not break my bank account"

I want lenses the same way but unfortunately quality = $$$

If you are looking to buy filters that will do the best job you can't lose with B+W, but like everyone else said, they will cost you more than a cheap filter.

Lou

I understand the principle of "You get what you pay for", but there are occasionally exceptions to the rule. I was wondering if anyone had found some rule breakers. ;)

[Cathpah]

had to jump in on this question and add a little question of my own....

everyone reccomends getting a thin filter. Do you all mean thin like a slim filter that still has a few front threads for the lens cap to grab or do you mean the REALLY thin kind with no front thread whatsoever (necessating special, yet crappy front cap)?

I got by with a hoya HMC pro-1 digital cir polarizer on my 10-22 but now that I upgraded to the 5D I'm wondering if I have to go thinner. That filter was sadly stolen with some of my other gear, so now I have to decide what type of filter to replace it with.

do i need the suuuuuuper thin? (I'm eventually picking up either the sigma 12-24 (no filters allowed there!) or the 16-35/17-40.

[JMHPhotography]

Well... I'll chime in as well. If you get thin filters(no front threads).. you really can't stack them now can you? :)

Also a consideration to think about. the purpose for thin filters on a wide angle lens is to prevent mechanical vignetting, however the OP is using a 300D with 1.6x crop factor. I wouldn't think the mechanical vignetting would come into play since the edges of the frame would be lost in crop factor space anyway.

[Wilt]

Also a consideration to think about. the purpose for thin filters on a wide angle lens is to prevent mechanical vignetting, however the OP is using a 300D with 1.6x crop factor. I wouldn't think the mechanical vignetting would come into play since the edges of the frame would be lost in crop factor space anyway.

Correct -- if the person is using a lens that was designed to cover FF size. But if the lens was designed to cover APS-C frame only, the mechanical vignetting could still be a problem.

[SkipD]

Do you all mean thin like a slim filter that still has a few front threads for the lens cap to grab or do you mean the REALLY thin kind with no front thread whatsoever (necessating special, yet crappy front cap)?I use a thin filter with no front threads (a Hoya) for my circular polarizer. No need to stack anything on it or screw a hood into it (the L lenses all have bayonet hoods).

I never use UV filters for "protection", so except for the rare possibility of wanting more than one neutral density filter some day, I can't see any need to stack filters.

[Rhinotherunt]

Thanks to everyone that has posted. Some great insight. I believe I am going to save some money up and get my filters from here:

http://www.singh-ray.com

The ND 3 stop soft, hard filters are what I am working towards that fit Cokin P holders. I may get a polarizer from them as well? Or go with a Hoya or B+W. Not 100% sure yet.

[steved110]

OP, those filters will be OK to start with but they are optically some ways off the recommended Hoya pro and B&W filters. You need to maybe take a little more time over this - a low quality circualr polariser is a waste of money.

another thing to realsise is that a CP actually works a lot like a neutral density filter - it reduces light by between 1 and 2 stops depending on the degree of polarisation - in a similar way to polarised sunglasses.

So I'd suggest get the highest quality circular polariser you can, and hold off on the ND filters .

Quite apart from this, the most useful ND filters are the graduated ND filters - 'ND Grads' and these are not usually screw-ins. they tend to be square filters that fit on a mount that you attach to the front of the lens.

This is a link to a site in the UK that sells Lee Filters (http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/lee.htm) that should give you some idea of this type of filter. Lee filters are probably the best, but Cokin filters are similar in type but much cheaper.

[Gabbana]

for a cp I use and bought from this person.

ebay Item number: 290023173527

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290023173527&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_ReBay_Pr4_PcY_BIN_IT&refitem=300008397504&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&usedrule1=CategoryProximity&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget

[Rhinotherunt]

OP, those filters will be OK to start with but they are optically some ways off the recommended Hoya pro and B&W filters. You need to maybe take a little more time over this - a low quality circualr polariser is a waste of money.

another thing to realsise is that a CP actually works a lot like a neutral density filter - it reduces light by between 1 and 2 stops depending on the degree of polarisation - in a similar way to polarised sunglasses.

So I'd suggest get the highest quality circular polariser you can, and hold off on the ND filters .

Quite apart from this, the most useful ND filters are the graduated ND filters - 'ND Grads' and these are not usually screw-ins. they tend to be square filters that fit on a mount that you attach to the front of the lens.

This is a link to a site in the UK that sells Lee Filters (http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/lee.htm)that should give you some idea of this type of filter. Lee filters are probably the best, but Cokin filters are similar in type but much cheaper.

Yeah, I meant ND Grad not just plain ND. TYPO. ;) I would not be using Cokin filters just the holders for the singh-ray ND Grads. Sorry for the discreptancy. I will check on the Lee Filters as well. Thanks!!!

[steved110]

I'd certainly go for Cokins myelf as Lee filters are a lot more expensive. Cokin do a gray grad, not a true ND grad, so you get some degree of colour cast, but that's not a huge deal for me.
I don't have a link to cokin off-hand, just gave the one for the lee filters as an example.
You will need to get a mount to hold the filters - one size Cokin P should do it - then you need to get adapter rings of various sizes to fit your lenses - the adapter fits the mount to the lens. then you just slot the filters in.

BTW if you are planning on using grads, you will/ should need a tripod too. check out amvoma (?spelling?) on ebay or in the accessory section of the forum - they have a good rep here.

[Wilt]

Keep in mind that Cokins are fragile, easily scratched if not meticulously put back into their individual hard cases immediately after each use. I tried to store some in a vinyl filter wallet once, and they ended up with their surfaces being abraided by the vinyl rubbing across the surfaces!

[Rhinotherunt]

Steve and Wilt thanks! I am getting excited about my future purchases. LOL! I believe I will purchase a Hoya Pro HMC Polarizer first.