[schnur07]

I have a Pentax K100D with the kit lens that's 52mm diameter and I use a couple manual lenses with a 49mm diameter. I also have a different camera that could take either a 58mm or 67 mm filter. Is there some sort of adapter that would allow me to use the same size filter on all my lenses? I hate to buy 3 different filters for the 3 different diameter lenses.

thanks

[klkitchens]

Check out the Cokin P filter system

[kev.pride]

You can obtain step up or step down rings, if you have filters for the larger lens say 52 or 55 mm you can get a ring or series of rings which will allow it to work on the smaller 49mm lens.

General Brand 55mm-52mm Step-Down Ring (Lens to Filter) 55-52

[percy]

But the downside to step up/down rings is that you may not be able to use a lens hood

[Not a Number]

The other downside is you will get vignetting when using a filter with a smaller diameter than the ring on the lens. You may even get some with a larger filter on a smaller lens ring at wide angles and depending on how thick the step up/down ring is.

But the rings can be great money saver.

I recommend getting a set of lens filter wrenches. Google "lens filter wrench" to see what I'm talking about. These are invaluable and will save you the aggravation of trying to improvise something for a stuck ring or filter.

[redrockcoulee]

With step up and step down rings you are better to go larger than smaller. With step up rings you can get ones that have large jumps like from 49 to 67mm or you can get them in smaller steps 49-52-58-67 would be three different rings.

I had a lot of 49mm filters from over the years. All the other filters I buy now are 77mm as that is the largest size of filter I need (70-200 2.8 for my Pentax and for my longest lens for my 4X5).

You can also get hoods to screw into the filter. If it is only one or two filters you will be using you might be as well off to get a 52 and a 67 if that is going to be your largest filter size and 49 to 52 and 58 to 67 step up rings. The step up rings are about 5 or 7 dollars each.

[schnur07]

Thanks for the replies. The step up rings make sense to me. I've tried to look at the Cokin filters, in fact I discovered I had one I purchase eons ago. However it doesn't fit any of my current lenses. Not sure what diameter it is, but it's slighly larger than my 52mm lens. Wouldn't you still need a step up ring to use the Cokin filter? It would screw into your existing lens just like a standard filter correct?

[Not a Number]

Cokin sells adapter rings for different size lens filter rings. It depends on which of their filter series you have (size of the Cokin fillter). With the A series the largest diameter adapter they recommend is 52mm due to vignetting even though they adapter go all the way to 62mm. They do make some series adapters so you can clip the holder of one series into another.

http://www.cokin-filters.com/creative-system/how-it-works/

Note there 3rd party adapter rings available too.

The French home site in undergoing redesign, better information can be found on the Cokin UK site:

http://www.cokin-online.co.uk/

[schnur07]

I got it now. So essentially I would need a 49mm, 52mm, and 58mm adapter ring for my three lenses. And since I have the 58mm ring, it sounds like I'd need to go with the P series. Are their filters considered to be fairly high quality? I'm just an amateur with lower end equipment so I'm not looking for anything professional grade.

[Not a Number]

I think they are rather high quality but I would consider myself any judge of filter quality. I bought a set in mid 80s and had to replace one of the color gradient filters ten years later (scratches). The color and density looked the same to my untrained eyes. The Cokin websites tout the filters as highly resistant to shock. I find they will scratch and I've snapped a couple into pieces without too much force. They may have changed materials since I bought the majority of my lenses.

What filters do you need? Cokin has some very nice effects filters but how often are you really going to use them? To be honest the main use for mine was the lens hood that I could use on my various lenses.

If you are looking at basic filters such as a circular polarizer, neutral density and filters for black and white photography (red, yellow, etc.) you might be better off buying traditional round filters for your largest diameter lens and a set of step up rings for you smaller lenses.

[percy]

As a matter of interest, what sort of filters do you want to use?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe with a digital camera, apart from Polarising and Neutral Density filters, most/all other effects can be achieved in post processing - which makes other filters fairly pointless.

[JimJohnson]

I recently picked up a lens with a 49mm filter size. My good polarizer is 52mm. So I purchased a thin 49-52 step ring, a 52mm screw-in lens hood and a 52mm cap for a bit of nothing. The step ring pretty much is just left on the lens all the time.

[stevebrot]

As a matter of interest, what sort of filters do you want to use?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe with a digital camera, apart from Polarising and Neutral Density filters, most/all other effects can be achieved in post processing - which makes other filters fairly pointless.

This is pretty much true, if you include graduated ND filters and auxiliary close-up lenses into the mix. There are also the various star and rainbow and soft-touch filters.


Steve