Which brand no filter should I buy? I have done some research on what I think will work for what I want to do. I am going to buy a 3 stop filter and a 6 stop filter and stack them if I...

billybaseball Loc: Bel Air MD

I have done some research on what I think will work for what I want to do. I am going to buy a 3 stop filter and a 6 stop filter and stack them if I need more. I'm willing to go up to $100 per filter tops. I want to know from you experienced long exposure guys what filters I should buy. I heard to stay away from Tiffen and then someone showed a pic they took with a Tiffen and it was great. I heard the Hoyas are good. I downloaded that free e book from the guys from x filters that showed thier filters have no red or yellow hues like some other filters. So with all this info floating around what should I buy?

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Personally, I only use Breakthrough Photography's pro class filters, http://breakthrough.photography

Whatever you do, stay away from cheap Tifflen, Hoyas, etc. They do not have anti-reflective coating and are not worth it; this is from personal experience. Go for their Professional lines.

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

Lee Filters.
Use nothing else.
Hand made, you get what you pay for.
Have a top quality optical lens? Why put inferior products in front of that lens?

http://www.leefilters.com/

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

billybaseball wrote:

I have done some research on what I think will wor... (show quote)

In general I'm happy with Hoya or B&W filters, for ND filters, I've been using Singh Ray and am a happy camper, used to have Cokin, then Lee, did't like eiter but love the Singh Ray!

CO

I have Hoya Pro 1 digital ND filters. They're multi-coated on both sides of the glass. There doesn't seem to be any color cast. I have a 3-stop and a 4-stop. They discontinued the 4-stop version.

queencitysanta Loc: Charlotte, North Carolina

I only use B&W

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

Personally, I only use Breakthrough Photography's pro class filters, http://breakthrough.photography

Whatever you do, stay away from cheap Tifflen, Hoyas, etc. They do not have anti-reflective coating and are not worth it; this is from personal experience. Go for their Professional lines.

Here are some links you might find useful.

http://philipbloom.net/2011/06/04/the-best-variable-nd-filter-i-have-used/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.lightstalking.com/fixed-nd-filter-or-variable-nd-filter/http://philipbloom.net/2011/06/04/the-best-variable-nd-filter-i-have-used/
http://www.learningdslrvideo.com/variable-nd-filter-shootout/
http://nofilmschool.com/2012/12/dave-dugdale-variable-nd-filter-shootout
http://photography.tutsplus.com/articles/an-in-depth-comparison-of-two-variable-neutral-density-filters--photo-8983
http://jonasraskphotography.com/2014/05/12/nd-filter-dont-go-variable/

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

billybaseball wrote:

I have done some research on what I think will wor... (show quote)

I use B+W brand multi-coated filters.
While high price doesn't guarantee high quality, cheap is cheap.
It doesn't make sense to put poor quality filters on a lens, and I'm not sure how good quality a filter you will find if you limit yourself to a maximum of $100.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

Personally, I only use Breakthrough Photography's pro class filters, http://breakthrough.photography

Whatever you do, stay away from cheap Tifflen, Hoyas, etc. They do not have anti-reflective coating and are not worth it; this is from personal experience. Go for their Professional lines.

pjeffers

I use ProgreyUSA and am happy with them. I like the filter holder for Nikon 14-24mm

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

billybaseball wrote:

I have done some research on what I think will wor... (show quote)

Outside of Lee filters, most ND filters do the same thing regardless of price, I would buy the cheapest filters I could get away with, that said I use a Tiffen 3.0 ND filter, a little more cost but well worth it. I also have a three filter set from Tiffen consisting of a .3, .6, and a 1.2. The set is not that expensive and works good when stacked. Be aware that stacked filters could vignette on a ultra wide angle lens.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Haida filters...less expensive than Lee, made from the same glass.

tpelczy

i've tried most of them. breakthrough photography are by far the best.

JML Arlington Loc: Arlington, TX USA

B+W brand. The bodies are brass (as opposed to aluminum or other alloys whose threads can become 'sticky' as you try to remove them) and their coatings are better than most. They ARE at the top of the price scale but as others have already said, there is a strong 'you get what you pay for' element at work here.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

All of my filters are B&W. Price raises quickly based on size. Best of luck.