What polarising filter???

Dave31

Dave31

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David
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Hi all,
being a newbie to all this and still building up my kit, I've hit a bit of a wall looking for what polarising filter to get. I've read the reviews and read the advice and now my head is swimming with all the information I'm on a limited budget, so the question I'm putting to you is what polarising filter to go for??? Would second hand be an way to go???

Thanks in advance
Dave
 
There are plenty out there! Spend as much as you can afford! It's the only thing that can't be replicated in post processing
 
Mark twiglet said:
There are plenty out there! Spend as much as you can afford! It's the only thing that can't be replicated in post processing
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I've got a lee 105mm one with holder and ring! Yes it cost £240 complete but I've had it 2-3 years and it's as new
 
Hi Mark,
thanks for that. It's what Ive been reading, but when you are tight budget these cheaper ones on ebay do look tempting!!!
Is there any particular brand you would recomend?

Cheers
Dave
 
What's you're budget? Don't bother with a square one! They are usually for film !
 
Wow £240, that's some investment. Worth it I guess :-)
 
I was only looking at £20 to £30 maximum, but I may need to drastically revise this lol.
 
Dave31 said:
I was only looking at £20 to £30 maximum, but I may need to drastically revise this lol.
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You don't need to. £30-40 is doable for a barely used genuine filter on fleabay with a bit of time. You probably want some sort of mutlicoated screw in filter, probably low profile one depending on your lens....

However avoid HOYA PRO1D flavour of CPLs. They very easily scratch unlike anything else I've seen.
 
Dave31 said:
Wow £240, that's some investment. Worth it I guess :)
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Don't just go and spend that. You'll scratch it, loose it, drop it, or won't like it. s*** happens, and it will be one expensive piece of dark glass.
 
No don't spend that...... Go and buy a cheap set like I did ......... Then six months later regret it and buy the dearer ones like you should of in the first place...... Like I did ...... And end up with the cheap ones in a bag at the back of the cupboard ..... Like I have
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I know that the cheap ones aren't the way to go................ it's just the price that is so appealing when there are other things on my wish list to get. I reckon I will be going down the used route and get something halfway decent.
Thanks for the feedback.
 
Dave31 said:
Thanks for the advice guys. I know that the cheap ones aren't the way to go................ it's just the price that is so appealing when there are other things on my wish list to get. I reckon I will be going down the used route and get something halfway decent.
Thanks for the feedback.
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That would be my advise first time around.

Don't buy really cheap and don't go daft.

Have a look at something like Hoya.
 
Cheers Phil,
think that is the route I'm taking. Hopefully get to use it on my road trip to Paris next month :-)
 
Hoya Pro1 CPL's are reasonable on ebay, I've used quite a few of them and been very pleased with the results.
 
Just to add to this. DOnt forget that screw in filter are only fit sertain size. So if you will buy a new lens that is different size you would need new filter. The same with expensive filter you would need to buy an adapter. Very cheap polarisers wont make big effect. So if you can tell us which lens you want it on people would be able to suggest a budget filter for that size.
 
Yeah my lee one is 105mm and so needed the adaptor to fit it! And on my sigma 10-20 on dx sensor I can't go wider than 14mm without being able to see it in the corners!
 
I'm sure the Lee one is good but you don't need to spend that much
I've got two marumi screw in polarisers they are excellent quality and not too expensive
 
LCPete said:
I'm sure the Lee one is good but you don't need to spend that much
I've got two marumi screw in polarisers they are excellent quality and not too expensive
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No you don't! But I had spare cash and it's so much better than the cokin one
 
Good point Demon, wouldv'e helped to name the lens. It's a Sigma DC 17-70 f2.8-4.5.
Thanks again.
 
LCPete said:
Yes I know but was more thinking of the OP who stated that he's on a limited budget:)
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So was I ! I was limited to 250 quid before the divorce papers got sent!
 
Thanks for your input LCPete, Yes working on a budget. You can get carried away with all this equipment, only 6 numbers away from my wishlist ;-)
 
Dave31 said:
Thanks for your input LCPete, Yes working on a budget. You can get carried away with all this equipment, only 6 numbers away from my wishlist ;-)
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No worries the Marumi ones are really good just have to check the filter size on the lens:)
 
Off the top of my head it's a 72mm. I'll take a look at the Marumi as well.
Thanks again.
 
Mark twiglet said:
So was I ! I was limited to 250 quid before the divorce papers got sent!
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Yes but Dave doesn't want to spend that much
I only occasionally do landscape so couldn't justify the cost of the Lee gear
the Marumi filters are ready good too I couldn't see any difference in sharpness with them on or off
 
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Please form an orderly queue around the block for calling me names....... But the sigma 10-20 is a great landscape lens
 
LCPete said:
Yes but Dave doesn't want to spend that much
I only occasionally do landscape so couldn't justify the cost of the Lee gear
the Marumi filters are ready good too I couldn't see any difference in sharpness with them on or off
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Difference in sharpness???? Why would it change?
 
Mark twiglet said:
Difference in sharpness???? Why would it change?
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Don't want to get into an argument with you mate I was just trying to say that the Marumi filter doesn't affect image quality
 
Ah ok! lol no I just wondered as the filter only changes reflections and enhances blue skies
 
daugirdas said:
IMHO spending more on a filter than the lens is worth is more or less lunacy.
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Although the Lee system is expensive for someone serious about landscapes its excellent my friend uses it and gets wonderful shots
the sigma 10-20 is also a very good lens it just happens to be not that expensive I wouldn't say using the lee filters with the 10-20 is lunacy at all
 
Mark twiglet said:
Difference in sharpness???? Why would it change?
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When you put another layer between the lens and the subject it can affect the resolution of the lens. High quality filters make very little (often imperceptible) difference. Low quality filters are much more likely to be not perfectly flat (quality control), and would then affect the resolution of the lens. The test done here shows up to a 10% difference with a low cost filter.
 
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Makes interesting reading that article Brian, perhaps not what my wallet wanted to hear :-)
 
I do get a bit of vignetting on my lee at 14mm but I quite like it
 
Mark twiglet said:
Ah ok! lol no I just wondered as the filter only changes reflections and enhances blue skies
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Cheap filter affects sharpness badly, thats what he was trying to say. Actually any filter affects sharpness, UV or poliriser or whenever it just more expensive ones do it less than cheap ones.
 
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Dave31 said:
Makes interesting reading that article Brian, perhaps not what my wallet wanted to hear :)
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Polariser is not what will enchance your pictures by default. If you read article fully you will know that it works most effectly in only sertain situation. Like the position of the sun and possition of the subject in relation to sun`s possition.

It`s a really cool thing to have but I wont break the bank just to have it.
 
I ended up buying a Hoya CPL, never noticed any issues with it

Guess which bit of the shot has the CPL in use.....;)

polarizer.jpg
 
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