Drop In Filters

[scc1266]

I just received my new 300 F2.8 L IS lens today. Boy am I in trouble. This is going to hard tp sneak into the house. My question is does B+W make a drop in filter for this lens or is Canon the only place to get these?

[Mike Panic]

drop in? are you refering to a screw mounted filter to the end of the element?

[scc1266]

Instead of having a screw on filter on the lens it has a 52mm filter that drops in at the back of the lens just before the camera. I was just wondering if B+W made this type of filter or if I just needed to buy the one Canon offers.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Not sure which filter it comes with,. but canaon has drop in filters that will use a standard screw in filter,.. and thy have ones that use gel filters.. no screw in.
Look closely at the drop in that came with your lens and see if it looks like a clear glass screw in filter is installed in it.

[Mike Panic]

so your talking about a rear mounted gel style filter? im assuming that you could just get gels to fit no?

[KennyG]

The only 'complete' filter made for the lens is a CPL. You have to cut gel sheet to make your own filters. You must always leave the plain glass one in place if you are not using any other form of filter as it is part of the lens optics. The one supplied with the lens is for using gelatin (it should be stamped as such).

I have the CPL for mine and to be honest it hardly gets used. There isn't much use for any of the gel filters either. Only Canon make filters for this and other lenes in the same series.

[CyberDyneSystems]

One of the drop ins made for the 300mm f/2.8L IS does take standard 52mm screw in filters.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186092&is=REG

The other drop in filter holder is for gel;
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186091&is=REG

I'm gathering from Kenny's post that the one that comes with it is the gel holder,. with a flat peice of glass,. this is the same as my 200mm f/1.8,.. but that uses 48mm for it's screw in.

[CoolToolGuy]

One of the drop ins made for the 300mm f/2.8L IS does take standard 52mm screw in filters.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186092&is=REG

The other drop in filter holder is for gel;
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186091&is=REG

I'm gathering from Kenny's post that the one that comes with it is the gel holder,. with a flat peice of glass,. this is the same as my 200mm f/1.8,.. but that uses 48mm for it's screw in.

While we're on the topic, B&H lists the Canon 48mm drop-in C-POL as a special order, and I think it is for the pre-IS long telephotos. I know someone :o who is soon getting an FD 600mm with the 48mm drop-in holder. Does anyone know whether the current one will fit into the older lenses? My friend :o would like to have a polarizer to use with that lens.

Have Fun,

[scottbergerphoto]

The Sigma 500 f/4.5 uses similiar drop in filters. It comes wih a CPL.
Scott

[CyberDyneSystems]

Rick,

I don't know if it's the same,. but I have just "special ordered" the Polarizer and screw in for my 200mm..

When you get your lens,. (sorry, your friend) he or she should be able to tell by looking at the drop in gel holder that should come with the lens... that is if the system is the same.

I have the 48mm gel holder now,. so we can compare pics. (that is if no one who really knows the answer comes along)

[CyberDyneSystems]

The Sigma 500 f/4.5 uses similiar drop in filters. It comes wih a CPL.
Scott


This is actually another one of those little things that Sigma does better.

The holder takes screw in filters,. the rotation is built into the lens body,. so any filter can be rotated,. and one need only have one filter holder for all there work (though two is handier)

...where as Canon has had to make three types of holder for each size.

[CoolToolGuy]

Rick,

I don't know if it's the same,. but I have just "special ordered" the Polarizer and screw in for my 200mm..

When you get your lens,. (sorry, your friend) he or she should be able to tell by looking at the drop in gel holder that should come with the lens... that is if the system is the same.

I have the 48mm gel holder now,. so we can compare pics. (that is if no one who really knows the answer comes along)

Thanks, I'll ask you again when I get - I mean when my friend gets the lens.

Have Fun,

[MDJAK]

I understand, I think, the type of rear mounted filter you are talking about. Please tell me, however, that the large element on the front of the lens is also protected by a screw-in type filter.

[Belmondo]

Thanks, I'll ask you again when I get - I mean when my friend gets the lens.

Have Fun,

You might as well. The person who sent your friend the lens never really paid attention to that part of it. He just pulled the filter holder out one day, looked at it, said "Cool," and stuffed it back in the hole. He's a fairly dull-witted fellow who really didn't pay any attention to any of the particulars of it .

[CoolToolGuy]

I understand, I think, the type of rear mounted filter you are talking about. Please tell me, however, that the large element on the front of the lens is also protected by a screw-in type filter.

For a lens of this type, screw-in filters would cost more than many good EF lenses. The hood diameter of the 600 f4.5 is 150mm - Pentax makes a clear filter that is 145mm (probably close to the right size) - it is over $500, and a polarizer might be as much as an 'L' lens. For many of these lenses, Canon makes them with a flat glass as the front element for protection of the optics, so another filter may be unnecessary.

145mmm clear - $519: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=41473&is=REG

138mm polarizer - $250: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=186820&is=REG


By the way, we are not discussing rear-mounted filters that fit onto the back of the lens, but rather filters that fit into a holder that slides down inside the body of the lens.

[CoolToolGuy]

You might as well. The person who sent your friend the lens never really paid attention to that part of it. He just pulled the filter holder out one day, looked at it, said "Cool," and stuffed it back in the hole. He's a fairly dull-witted fellow who really didn't pay any attention to any of the particulars of it .

I'm hearing Carly Simon - An-tic-i-pa-tion . . .

The UPS Webmaster has reported unusually high activity on the tracking page as the package makes its way across the country.

Thankfully, a polarizer is the only filter my friend :o is interested in, as the Canon drop-in C-POL is $150. The trick will be to wait until the lens arrives before ordering it, just in case it isn't quite the right thing, or is otherwise unnecessary.

Have Fun,

[MDJAK]

thanks for that explanation, Cool. Having never owned a lens bigger or more expensive than the 70-200 2.8 IS, I have no experience with that. Those sure are very expensive filters.

[CoolToolGuy]

Rick,

I don't know if it's the same,. but I have just "special ordered" the Polarizer and screw in for my 200mm..

When you get your lens,. (sorry, your friend) he or she should be able to tell by looking at the drop in gel holder that should come with the lens... that is if the system is the same.

I have the 48mm gel holder now,. so we can compare pics. (that is if no one who really knows the answer comes along)

I got my landscape lens (FD 600mm f4.5 ;) ) yesterday (thank you, Belmondo) and I want to get the Canon polarizer if it will fit my lens. It allows you to rotate the filter while inside the lens with some sort of lever. The holder that came with it holds a regular 48mm screw-in filter.

CDS, let me know when you get it and we can compare notes. In the meantime I may search around for someone who has experience with this.

Have Fun,

[CyberDyneSystems]

..Still hasn't shipped yet :(
It was a "special order" item at B&H.. so no idea when,.. but your not in a rush are you ;)
Meanwhile,. let's see some pics with that new SaturnV Rocket you have :)

[CyberDyneSystems]

Duh,.. it just occurred to me we need only compare the geleitn filter holders,. they shey should be the same,. and we both allready have those...

I'll take a pic...

[CyberDyneSystems]

here,

[CoolToolGuy]

..Still hasn't shipped yet :(
It was a "special order" item at B&H.. so no idea when,.. but your not in a rush are you ;)
Meanwhile,. let's see some pics with that new SaturnV Rocket you have :)

Sorry, I don't have a hosting site. I took it outside at lunchtime and took some shots of cars coming down the street. Set the camera on AV and went at it. I'll have a look at them tonight. Just chimping they look fine - I went through the aperture range and the LCD shows them all about the same, so it looks like auto exposure in the EOS works with this setup as long as you stop the lens down manually. When I tried focusing at f/11 and smaller I got a corona in the viewfinder, but no real surprise there. When I got back inside I realized I had it set for ISO 400 and fluorescent WB :( from a shoot last night. I'll have to re-shoot some tomorrow.

OBTW - the filter holder I got is not the gel holder, but one that takes 48mm screw-in filters. The drop-in housing looks similar to the one you posted, but I am curious about the polarizer - is the housing wider (front to back) than the one I have to accomodate the sliding lever that rotates the polarizer, or some such other change that might have been made between the FD version and the one for the first EOS lenses.

So far, so good - at this rate this will be an interesting shooting season.

Have Fun,

[KennyG]

Sorry for the horrible shot, did it in a hurry to help you see how it is built. This is my 52mm CPL for my 300 and 500. You will note the thumbwheel to rotate the element.

http://www.motorpix.co.uk/misc/cpl.jpg

[Belmondo]

Thanks guys. I just ordered one.

Can I use a graduated neutral density filter if I have the drop in holder for 52mm screw-type filters?

[CoolToolGuy]

Sorry for the horrible shot, did it in a hurry to help you see how it is built. This is my 52mm CPL for my 300 and 500. You will note the thumbwheel to rotate the element.



Thanks, Kenny - that answers one important question - how the filter is rotated. I hope the 48mm version is backward compatible with the FD lenses. Perhaps B&H can tell me. Else, I'll pick CDS's brain when he gets his.

Have Fun,

[CoolToolGuy]

Thanks guys. I just ordered one.

Can I use a graduated neutral density filter if I have the drop in holder for 52mm screw-type filters?

Tom,

You should be able to, but the thing to keep in mind is that a grad ND is built like a polarizer, with a rotating section. That may make it a little thicker than a normal filter, and if the normal drop-in housing doesn't account for that there could be an issue.

The other thing, of course, is you must pre-position the dark half before dropping it in.

Have Fun,