How to Pick a Filter?

[SwtSarina]

I have a Canon 40d/Canon 50mm 1.8 and I'm a total newbie!

I am thinking of getting UV and/or Polarized filters but I have no idea what to get. I have been reading forums and websites and I know what brands are the best, but I still am so clueless as to which filters to get.

Isn't there a sizing issue I should be aware of? I'm so lost! haha

[Headshotzx]

Your 50mm f/1.8II has a 52mm filter thread. So you will get 52mm filters.

And yes, they are cheap =)

If you can afford it, go for B+W 52mm UV and CPL filters. If not, go for Hoya. The difference is probably only how easy it is to clean (and trust me-- if you regularly shoot outdoors and your filter gets dirty, B+W is a lot better).

[SwtSarina]

awesome..i'm all about saving money. haha =P

[SwtSarina]

hmm..now that I know the sizing...what type of filter do I need?

I'm looking on adorama and there's like 30 some 52mm filters to choose from! lol

[Headshotzx]

Do you need a UV filter for your 50mm f/1.8? It's a cheap lens. No reason to put a filter that costs half as much as the lens on it..

If you've been using the lens without the filter, you will be okay without it for a long time. Get a CPL if you want to polarise your light, but that's about it.

Don't get a filter because you read that you'd need it. Get it because you really think you need it.

Cheers,
Zexun

[mzondeki]

Hello,
If you want to pick a single filter, it has to be "The Circular Polarizer". Checkout a site www.2filters.com. They are pretty good for price and fast shipping (I am neither their salesman nor doing ad for them). You might get confused with MRC, HD, HMC, MC acronyms. Bottom line, if choosing Hoya, go fo Hoya-HMC-Circular-Polarizer (or better).

BTW, 2filters.com specializes in filters only, so you will get virtually any filter you want

[Wilt]

UV filter serves no purpose for a dSLR, which has a built in filter in front of the sensor to remove UV. Many, however, subscribe to the 'UV filter helps me avoid goopy toddler fingers' school of thought, even if hoods provide better mechanical bumping insurance. Some of that is the thinking that it is 'better to clean a filter, which is replaceable, than to have to replace the front element of my lens!' Also, a UV filter protects from abrasion in blowing sand, and is also useful for a bit of salt spray protection to the front of the lens.

CPL filters help with color saturation, particularly of the sky (the portion at 90 degrees from where the sun is) as well as helping to remove reflections (glass, water surface) and can help with photographing automobiles because of the improvement to the perceived saturation of the paint because of removal of surface glare from the paint.

The wisdom is to get 'Multicoated' or 'Super Multicoated' filters, due to the increase light transmission (97% with multicoating, >99.6% with the supermulticoating used by the top brands' top model filters) Hoya SHMC, Hoya HD, B+W MRC and Helipan all offer filters in the >99% performance range. Hoya Digital or Hoay HMC are both 97% performance. And the general wisdom is to not bother with Canon brand, Nikon brand, or double coated, or Tiffen.

[gjman]

I have a Canon 40d/Canon 50mm 1.8 and I'm a total newbie! I am thinking of getting UV and/or Polarized filters but I have no idea what to get. I have been reading forums and websites and I know what brands are the best, but I still am so clueless as to which filters to get.

GJMAN's First law of filters

You put a cheap ass filter in front of a cheap ass lens you will get cheap ass results.

GJMAN's Second law of filters

You put an optically superior filter in front of a cheap ass or uber expensive lens you will be left wondering WHY you paid all that money (which is a good thing, it's as if its not there and yet it does its job).

GJMAN's Third law of filters

Don't stack your CPL on your UV unless you are in very hostile environment AND you have a set of filter wrench. You will regret it.

GJMAN's Fourth law of filters

Anyone who tells you that a "hood is enough" obviously has NEVER been around toddlers.You will shed tear in proportion to the cost perfectly good lens x sticky substance transferred from said toddler's finger's to your pristine lens.

GJMAN's First Hypothesis of filters

If you can afford it get a B+W MRC UV/CPL you really cant go wrong. Refer to the second law.

GJMAN's Second Hypothesis of filters

You need to have a dedicated UV for each of your lens according to your means and complying with the 1st and 2nd law, but you can use one CPL for most filter threads. Buy a CPL for the largest filter size and get cheap ass step-up (or is it step-down I cant keep them straight) from ebay to mount a 77 mm filter to a 67 mm filter thread lens or a 58 mm filter thread lens.

[ben_r_]

For the 50 1.8 I wouldnt bother with a UV filter... A good one would cost almost as much as the lens!

[argyle]

Ignore the above Third Law and just don't stack them, period...hostile environment or not.