Sunpak Circular Polarizers

Jon wrote in post #5194305
if I have more than one lens taking a given filter size, I'll have at least 2 of that size).

Jon wrote in post #5188157
Don't bother with anything less than the Hoya S-HMC, B+W MRC or Heliopan SH-PMC. There may be other brands of similar quality, but SunPak isn't one of them. And single-coated isn't something you want in a filter or a lens.

HighLife wrote in post #5195375
I have a sunpak Cpl and UV filte, they're ok...its not great at all by any means, you get what you pay for. I just wanted one to play with. I got it on sale at Circuit City for 7.99. (got the Uv for 3.99)

For 8 bucks, its worth it...for 24.99, its NOT worth it...save alittle or (or if you want top of the line) ALOT for a good one.

Tsmith wrote in post #5195182
Sunpack actually makes a higher grade Digital Circular Polarizer > click this link _ don't know anything about it though.

"Sunpak DHG filters -- Initial Impressions"




I finally broke down and admitted I needed a 67mm polarizer, so I decided to give the Sunpak DHG filters a try. The Filter Connection seems to think highly of them and I saw a couple of other good reviews. So I ordered the 2-filter set (Circular Polarizer and Clear Protector) and they arrived today.

First impressions were not favorable. The box is an ugly monochromatic design, large enough to hold at least a 77mm filter, and carries "SUNPACK® PicturesPlusTM" branding. Inside the box is a small warranty slip (lifetime, $3.95 S&H), an 8.5x11" sheet of white paper, and a plastic "screw open" filter case containing the filter and the usual round of some sort of plastic foam cushion. The warranty slip directs readers to http://www.tocad.com for more information on PicturesPlusTM filters; but the website does not mention that brand nor any DHG filters at all.

The sheet of paper has a "Digital High Grade SERIES" banner and appears to have been printed on a color laser printer. In poorly edited English, it describes the features and offerings in the series. For example, part of the description for the circular polarizer reads:

Further, "Finer Roulette" allows you to put on or off the rotating frame more instantly.

I knew buying these filters was a bit of a crapshoot, but roulette has even worse odds .

Moreover, the sheet identifies the manufacturer of the filters as Marumi. This in itself is neither good nor bad. Marumi makes a lot of filters and they are sold under different names.

The good news is that the filters themselves appear to be quite good. These are slimline filters about 3mm thick. They do have front filter threads, but they aren't quite deep enough to securely hold my 67mm Pentax lens cap. The rings are of black alloy and seem well finished. They installed and removed easily with the textured outer surface helping the process. Both seem to be flat and in true.

A quick check verified that these are multicoated filters as advertised. This isn't always the case -- I have at least two filters which claim to be multicoated but weren't.

The clear filter does appear to be just that -- unlike a UV there isn't a noticeable color cast when the filter is placed on a sheet of bright white paper. I have no way of measuring the extinction ratio of the polarizer; but when mounted on my Pentax 645 it seems to perform as expected.

Will I keep these filters? Yes. Together, the 2-filter kit cost under $89; a Nikon or B+W multicoated polarizer runs about $109 by itself. They appear to be a solid offering by Marumi marred by horrible merchandising and packaging.

Would I buy them again? That's a tougher question. I really like Nikon's current polarizer, and I've been a fan of B+W filters since the first time I tried one. Ask me again in a year or so; by then I'll have enough experience with these to know about durability and cleaning. Suffice it to say that if I had to replace a filter tomorrow, I'd probably stick with what I know.


Visit us at Photokina, Cologne Germany, September 23rd-28th 2008
We're in Hall 2.1, Booth E014