Ted Liette Loc: Greenville, Ohio

I just recently got back into photography and was told when purchasing filters (ex. CPL UV ND), that the amount of money you pay is the quality and performance you get from your filter. In other words the more you pay, the better the better the filter.
I need feedback on what's the better filter to invest my money in and which ones should I stay away from....
Thanks!

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Good: B+W, Hoya, Tiffen
Bad: Quantaray (available used only)
???: There are several new companies that make excellent filters. Wait for answers from others.

breck Loc: Derbyshire UK

B&W top of the line buy their best ones , as well as the glass and coating being top rate the frames are brass so they do not stick on your lens like the normal ali ones do

dirtpusher Loc: tulsa oklahoma

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Terra Australis Loc: Australia

You need also be aware that high end filters such as Hoya and some others are the most faked around. Particularly Hoya.

Oliver.

Tim Stapp Loc: Mid Mitten

check this link out?
http://www.lenstip.com/115.1-article-Polarizing_filters_test_Introduction.html

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

No, price is not always determinant to quality.
I find Singh-Ray filters significantly overpriced compared to the high end brands.
So, most expensive doesn't always beget the best.

But I think you could safely say, that if you buy the cheapest option, and you are comparing apples to apples, then you will get burnt.

My recommendations would be B+W, Hoya & Lee.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Agreed. :thumbup:

Tecant Loc: Wisconsin USA

B&W, Hoya, Lee and Singh-Ray are good recommendations.

My experience is with Hoya, which makes filters at a wide range of prices; their more expensive filters have better coatings than their budget-priced ones.

Thin filters may prevent vignetting when you shoot wide open.

If your budget limits your choices, purchase one top-quality filter at 77mm or to fit your lens with the largest filter size, then use step up rings to mount it on the rest of your lenses.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Step-Up-Rings/ci/420/N/4026728361

breck Loc: Derbyshire UK

I think that should be cause vignetting not prevent

jrb1213 Loc: McDonough GEorgia

I am one who looks at the price of a good cpl at 77mm and thinks"That is 1/3 the price of the lens that I want (used 24-105 L) so I can't buy it".
I know it is ridiculous to have a camera and lens costing in the multiple thousands and get cheap on a filter. I know that the light passes through the filter first and affects everything behind it, but I still cringe at the thought of one piece of flat glass costing as much as a lens.

MtnMan Loc: ID

I am very satisfied with the Marumi thin:

http://www.amazon.com/Marumi-Super-Circular-Polarizer-Filter/dp/B003QSG0HK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386517607&sr=8-2&keywords=marumi+77mm

I see they keep raising the price so the word must be out.

Found this on the link posted above:

Usage
The filter caused no troubles during the tests. It’s easily cleaned. The ring works smoothly.


Summary
1st place in the overall ranking (29.6/37.5)
The transmission curve is flat within 10%. Violet color isn’t entirely extinguished, it’s not an important effect, though. The polarizer becomes transparent in infrared. The extinction coefficient of about 4/10000 is a quite good result for a foil polarizer. C1 and C2 graphs indicate that we’re dealing with a quarter-wave plate of zeroth order designed for the middle of visible spectrum. The filter compared to Marumi DHG model shows better mean transmission and lower vignetting. This parameter has probably a lot in common with used materials and/or thin layers than may work better at larger incidence angles. Even though the filter placed 1st in the overall ranking, we need to consider if, for amateur needs, it’s worth paying 100 PLN more than for ordinary Marumi DHG (4th place), if it’s only the transmission and vignetting improved, and flares remain the same. Marumi DHG Super costs 279 PLN, so noticeable less than Heliopan and B+W products, and is higher in the ranking.
The editorial staff of lenstip.com have decided to award the filter with “The choice of LensTip.com” for being the first on the list of circular polarizers’ overall ranking.

MtnMan Loc: ID

? Prevent was correct.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

8-) 8-) 8-) Sorry, you are not paying for the "piece of flat glass". That piece of glass has research involved that can not be priced. It also has coatings on it which enable it to do most of what the user wants it to do. Then you need a method to attach it to your lens, don't you? How about a frame system made of brass, and remember all the machining that is required to produce metal products? Your last sentence speaks volumes about your photography. There are reasons for the different tiers of pricing. Manufacturers know there are serious buyers, cheap buyers, impulse buyers, etc.. They cater to us accordingly. Some people buy something they do not need, they want it, but they do not need. Price is not the primary factor in the decision, and the price they pay, usually low reflected by the quality, will make them feel happy. Some people are serious and need an item. This is a major difference between "want" and "need". When a photographer needs a certain item he/she gets that item, and then pays for it. Often the payment is high, not because of shady dealings, etc., but because that photographer needed that item, it usually means it was an expensive item before the photographer needed, and it will continue to be so after. This is not limited to photography, but it is a fact of life. Photography books are filled with stories about being caught "without" and having to replace immediately. Yes, that can get expensive. That is why experience is so damned expensive to acquire. :lol: :lol: :lol: