photog11 Loc: San Francisco

I have a Tamron 12-24mm zoom which I use on my Nikon D5000. The glass bulges out toward the end of the lens tube, so I always use the hood that came with the lens to prevent scratches. I like the lens a lot, but I would like to experiment with polarizing and ND filters. Does anyone have experience with these ultra wide angle lenses and filters? Can one use the screw-in filters?

snowbear

Does the filter have threads on the front? If not, you won't be able to screw a filter on.

The manual, if the lens came with one, would be a good place to start. There should be some information on using filters.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

They do make adapters for these lens. I don't use polarization filters for these lens. It doesn't work. If you scan the sky, you will have rich blue and bleached white in the frame.....example, if your subject is 90 degrees from the sun, and you have a clear blue sky, this polarization affect will be evident in this case. The sky behind your subject is rich with blue hues but the sky on the corners is a bleached out white.

Also, other than a GND filter, all other filters can create a flare (skylight or UV act like mirror) at the corners where light bounces off center the bubble. GND filters would be the best reason to justify the adapter. With GND filters shoot either into the sun or have it at your back if possible. These filters can help create a overall near perfect exposure as the wide angle covers so much landscape, bright skies and underexposed foregrounds can be corrected with these GNDs giving you a wider dynamic range than otherwise available in the WA lens without this GND.

It's best to leave all filters off and fix in post or bracket and mask, or use HDR.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

My Tokina 12-24mm is the only lens I have that does not have a UV filter on it. That bulge is just asking for trouble. That's where the lens hood comes in handy.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

This is a good point.

There is a reason manufacturers do not thread these lens or build them so they are threaded.

daplight Loc: Kansas

I believe the ultra-wides require a 'thin' filter ring to avoid vignetting. One solution, if the 5000 has it in the menu setup like my D70S, is 'vivid,' which gives a polarizer effect. Other solution is in post-processing with PSE or PS.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

It is not a vignetting problem when filters are applied. But thin filters, like those made by B + W, these are awesome

JMorris271 Loc: Columbia,SC

I have the Sigma 10-20mm 1.4-5.6 lens
The lens has threads on the inside and the bubble is under a flat lens. I wanted to get the rich blue and greens effect using the CP in some landscape shots hoping I would get more vivid color.
Am I wrong to expect to get good clean pictures with this lens and filter combo?

judy 2011 Loc: Northern Utah

I have the Tamron 10-24 and have used a polarizer. I'd post an example but I don't know where the pics are.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Yep, shooting at 20mm or wider will not give you even blue skies. The CP works best at 90 degree angles to the sun. Your wide angle lens covers far too much spread....that portion of the blue sky that is 90 degrees will look richly blue .....then the blue begins to fade to a white as you move out in both directions. This is just a function of wide angle lens when a CP is used.

Turbo Loc: Raleigh, NC

I use a "screw-on" CP on my TOKINA 11-16mm and the sky can get real blue on one end and faded white elsewhere.

All other colors are richer and reflections controlled as they are supposed to be.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

You can attach filters to a lens where the front object lens is protruding past the filter threads. This does require using a filter considerably larger than the lens. In order to avoid vignetting you will need to apply step-up rings. In your case I suggest a 77-86mm ring, then a 86-95mm ring and use a 95mm Circular Polarizer (Vivitar makes a multi-coated 95mm Cir. Pol. filter that sells on Ebay for about $18). This combo will get you full polarizer function without adding vignetting to your shot. It also pushes the filter away from the lens front. Vignetting is always a problem with an ultra wide angle lens, especially one with a large filter size to start with as this one has. This is the way I avoid it on my lens, a Tokina 19-35mm. (Yes, its old, but so am I)

JMorris271 Loc: Columbia,SC

Thank you all for the facts and just the facts as Jack would say.
I just don't want to hastle with the rings an all. I appreciate that it can be done but for a few shots,Naaahh.
Guess I'll return the lens.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I have the Tamron 10-24mm wide angle and had the standard UV filter installed at purchase. There was no problem with lens bulge. Not quite standard, since it ia "thin" filter. You have to use a thin filter to keep the lens from picking it up when it's wide open.