Circular Polarisers

Amp34

Amp34

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Which one?

I've just got rid of my 82mm monster Hoya one and am looking to replace it with a 67mm one. Now question is which one. The 82mm was just the standard Hoya CPL but I notice now there are about half a dozen different Hoya variants. Are the really expensive ones worth it and which ones are the best value for money?
 
Hoya HD is top of the range. Main advantage is it only reduces the light by 1.2 stops, as opposed to 1.7+ stops of other polarisers. About £60 from Amazon.

I have one semi-permanently attached to my super-wide :)
 
Hoya HD is top of Hoya's Range. I wouldn't necessarily say it's top of "the" range.

I've always been more partial to B+W myself, a little more pricey, but I've always found I've had better results with them (less flare, less image degradation).

But, the Hoya HD isn't that bad. :)
 
I think Hoya are actually the best, regardless.

I think they're multi-coating is as good as it gets and I can't detect any image sharpness degradation with the HD CPL, which is pretty good for a polariser. Most take the edge off very fine detail if you really push them (ie with a long lens) and I've tried some others that are really terrible. Not B+W though, I hasten to add!
 
Aye, it was a really tough call between Hoya and B+W. When I first bought a B+W it was simply because the shop didn't have any of the pro range Hoyas in stock, so went for the B+W and I've stuck with them ever since.

Just while we're on the subject Hoppy, don't suppose you can recommend a CPL that'll fit in a Cokin P do you? I'm just not all that convinced about Cokin's own brand CPL. :)
 
Kaouthia said:
Aye, it was a really tough call between Hoya and B+W. When I first bought a B+W it was simply because the shop didn't have any of the pro range Hoyas in stock, so went for the B+W and I've stuck with them ever since.

Just while we're on the subject Hoppy, don't suppose you can recommend a CPL that'll fit in a Cokin P do you? I'm just not all that convinced about Cokin's own brand CPL. :)
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Sorry John, I can't. Not from experience. I don't much care for square systems (cumbersome things) and much prefer screw-in. The only real advantage square has for me would be grads (I actually use a screw-in for that now and then) but I much prefer the results you get with HDR for that instead.

If I did go for a square system though, it would be Lee, and based around one of their nice slot-in lens hoods. I certainly wouldn't put a Cokin CPL anywhere near any of my lenses :eek:
 
HoppyUK said:
If I did go for a square system though, it would be Lee, and based around one of their nice slot-in lens hoods. I certainly wouldn't put a Cokin CPL anywhere near any of my lenses :eek:
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Same :)

I picked up the Cokin P and a 3 stop ND Grad for doing a few landscapes. Not really all that impressed (even their "hard" grad is a little too soft for my liking). Will have a look into Lee, thanks :thumbs:
 
I have a Hoya HD 77mm CP (just the one I use step up rings on my non 77mm lenses to fit it). The glass is very good and the coatings seem very durable - certainly a lot better than the Pro-1D I had previously. I do question the mechanical durability of them though.

My filter recently had the two halves separate. I was just removing it from a lens and, pop, it just separated. I wasn't really applying any force. To their credit, Intro2020 (the UK distributor) fixed it as a goodwill gesture free of charge (I had no receipt).

On checking the internet, this isn't an unknown phenomenon but just how common it is is another matter - maybe it's rare and I was unlucky.
 
Troglodyte said:
My filter recently had the two halves separate. I was just removing it from a lens and, pop, it just separated.
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Oooh, I completely forgot about that earlier. Yes, I had a Hoya CPL do that to me on the end of a 300mm f/4 AF-S last year. Had to be VERY careful with those needle nosed pliers to try to get the ring with the thread out of the end of the lens.
 
Troglodyte said:
I have a Hoya HD 77mm CP (just the one I use step up rings on my non 77mm lenses to fit it). The glass is very good and the coatings seem very durable - certainly a lot better than the Pro-1D I had previously. I do question the mechanical durability of them though.

My filter recently had the two halves separate. I was just removing it from a lens and, pop, it just separated. I wasn't really applying any force. To their credit, Intro2020 (the UK distributor) fixed it as a goodwill gesture free of charge (I had no receipt).

On checking the internet, this isn't an unknown phenomenon but just how common it is is another matter - maybe it's rare and I was unlucky.
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I don't think there's much chance of the B&W doing that, heavy b****r that it is :lol:
 
The HD CPs have very thin mounts so maybe that's a contributory factor. Unlike the B+W thin CPs, they have a screw thread on the front so you can attach a normal lens cap etc. Apparently the push on B+W cap is quite easy to lose.
 
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test of C.PL ..."here"..............I bought a 72mm Marumi DHG - well pleased

a pity it doesn't include Hoya HD but the Hoyas it did include didn't do too well - B+W did.
 
PickleB said:
... irony? :thinking:
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Haha! It's a polariser. And a very high quality one. It does something worthwhile to the image. It's not a compeletly useless UV/protector. I sometimes take it off :D
 
HoppyUK said:
Haha! It's a polariser. And a very high quality one. It does something worthwhile to the image. It's not a compeletly useless UV/protector. I sometimes take it off :D
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I have a Hoya one that nearly lives on my CV20/3.5, but I think PickleB's point is they're not always recommended for wideangles given the wide range of angles of incident light can give inconsistent skies.
 
Mud said:
... I think PickleB's point is they're not always recommended for wideangles given the wide range of angles of incident light can give inconsistent skies.
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So I wasn't as clear as Mud! To whom, my thanks ... :thumbs:
 
Anyone tried the hitech CP to fit P size square filter holder? It's only like £30 so doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence!
 
I've got nothing to compare it too but am very pleased with my Hoya HD 72mm. I've been using it on my 11-16 and 17-55 and found it to be excellent.
 
another vote for the Hoya HD from me - just ordered one from OneStopDigital and it arrived yesterday - took a few sample pics with my 12-24 and 24-105 lenses and very impressed. Did some sample shots with CPL on & off to see the difference and it really does make colour pop especially on foliage.

It's my first experience of using a CPL, so nothing to compare it to when it comes to other makes, but mightily impressed with the Hoya HD nonetheless. OSD were also very reasonably priced for it - if £73.52 can be considered reasonable, that is!
 
Yardbent said:
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test of C.PL ..."here"..............I bought a 72mm Marumi DHG - well pleased

a pity it doesn't include Hoya HD but the Hoyas it did include didn't do too well - B+W did.
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Hmm, thanks for that link. May have to go looksie at the Marumi filters. :)
 
Kaouthia said:
Compared to £154.99 for the B+W, it's very reasonable. :)
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Got mine (MRC, non-slim) for ~£93 from amazon a while back...still available at that kind of money if you don't mind the marketplace.
 
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I've had too many bad deals from Amazon's marketplace (in fact, all of the Amazon marketplace transactions I've done have ended badly). I won't be shopping there again. :)
 
bit of a dredge but finally got around to purchasing a 105mm sigma CP yesterday. it arrived this morning from microglobe for £150 delivered :thumbs:

oh and holy hell its big.. comes in a nice "leather" pouch and everything.
 
Another vote for the HD... I have a 77mm, which from my workings actually only stops about 1 stop, and it's been a lot more durable than the Pro1D 72mm I have, which started getting scratched after just a few months.
 
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