mdpathjp

My lens diameter is 62m and I want to connect it to a 72mm filter. Do I use a step up or a step down. It seems that either would work.
Step up to 72mm or step down to 62mm.

56HotRod Loc: Littleton CO

You can look at it like this: \ / The top being 72mm. The bottom is 62mm. From the filter side, it is stepping down from 72. From the lens side it is stepping up. It's all in how you look at it.

twowindsbear

Stepping rings step FROM the lens to the ACCESSORY!

62m would be quite large. You probably have a lens that uses 62mm filters. If this truly is the case, then you want a 62mm to 72mm step UP ring.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Always use step up rings, stepping down can create vignetting.

You also always start at your lens, adding a ring to step up from 62 to 72.

A step down ring would be 62 to 55

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Of course you use a step-up filter for that! That way you have all the threads in the right direction!

mdpathjp

Thanks for responding to my question.

peterg Loc: Santa Rosa, CA

You could go to Amazon.com, search for "filter step up ring set" and look at the pictures.

Also, Google something like "filter step up or step down".
Top hit says "A step-up ring allows you to fit a filter that has threads larger than your lens. A step-down ring does the opposite (with possible vignetting issues). If you have 72mm lens threads and want to fit a 77mm filter, you need a step-up ring."

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

A step-up ring has male threads smaller than the female threads.
A step-down ring has male threads larger than the female threads.

Tex-s

The step 'up' or step 'down' designation is not subjective. The rings names are based on the inside threading vs the outside threading. If the diameter of the inside threading is greater than the diameter of the outside threading, it is called a step UP ring. A 62-67mm step up ring screws onto (outside thread) a 62mm diameter lens and the 67mm (inside thread) accepts a 67mm filter, stepping the effective lens diameter from 62-67mm.

As another post mentioned stepping UP to larger filters is fine, but stepping down will frequently block off a portion of the glass and lose some light on the edges of the sensor.

David C.

Lens of 62 mm is a known. What is the size of the filter you have? If it is in fact 72mm then you need a step down ring. You may have to do it in two stages
for the reduction of 72mm to 62mm depending on your ring set.
My set offers steps 36mm and up to 205mm, I also have the step down rings in the same range, but the range you have in question is 62 to 72mm.
David

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

You go from lens to filter.... so a step down would go from the lens to a SMALLER filter.... a step up goes from lens to LARGER filter.... you do not start at the filter and go backwards. If you have a 62 mm lens and a 77 mm filter, you add step up rings to the lens until you get to 77 mm to fit the filter., you do not add step down rings to the filter till you get to 62 mm to fit the lens.

Step UP rings are fine, step DOWN rings can cause loss of image at the edges, vignetting.

http://digitalphotographylive.com/difference-between-step-up-step-down-rings/

David C.

Use your lens as the starting point / reference
If the lens is the smaller diameter and the filter larger you use step up. If the lens is larger and your filter is smaller in size you use step down. With step the down options you will lose some field of view. The idea of down or up
is going to be determined by what you use as your starting reference. Lens w/screw in filter 62 mm to begin then you figure the size of the filter 72 mm you add rings as needed to get the 72 mm ring size to fit the filter.
Going the other way, 62 mm lens but filter is 49 mm you will have to step down several sizes to reach the 49 mm filter ring size.
NOTE: You can purchase ring / filter adaptors with a preset range in size. I have several adaptors 49 mm to 52 and 55 mm. This way I can use the same filters on 52 and 55 mm Nikon lenses and then on 49 mm Topcon RE and Exakta lenses. I often take different cameras out at the same time each set up with my desired lens options. David