Circular polarizers

Fireball · 04-20-2008, 01:19 AM

Hey all,

Thanks for all the help you guys have given so far. Sorry I haven't been able to reply to individual posts - I'm in the middle of final exams, and everyone knows how crazy those get :S

Anyways, I am trying to find a 67mm circular polarizer, and am curious as to what characteristics make for a good polarizer. As far as UV filters go, I know that multi coatings are the way to go, but does this also hold true for circ pols?

Any particular brands I should look at? Some of the circ pol prices look like they could break the (my poor student's) bank account!

Thanks in advance for the replies!

Cheers,

T

rormeister · 04-20-2008, 08:20 AM

Hi Fireball,
There are so many varying opinions on this topic I too was very perplexed. Because I have so many different lens filter size requirements I've started out with the Cokin P series filter holder. I've added just the CPL (the round version that rotates inside the holder) and the series of 3 graduated neutral density filters. This way, all I need is an inexpensive adaptor for each lens size, in my case 49, 72 and 77. If I had the money, I'd consider screw-on, but then I'd need a much larger bag to hold all the different filters.

Tingchaleun · 04-20-2008, 11:50 AM

hey, i got a 67mm Hoya cir pol. for my Tamron 28-75. (it's the gray coloured line - HMC, or something like that). Anyways, it was $80 off of an ebay store. I didn't get a chance to use it very much in the winter, because it was often too dark. The polarizer reduced light of about five stops. but now that it's nice and bright outside, it does wonders to colour contrast and saturation. I can't speak for the other brands, but i know Hoya has about five or six different grades of cir pl. the more expensive ones have more coatings. the HMC line has 3 or 5. i can't remember. Generally the more expensive glass has more coatings. Often people told me, when i was looking for cir pl. that i get what i pay for.

simonkit · 04-20-2008, 02:10 PM

Hoya are pretty good - I use the Hoya Pro 1 D, slim design & shows no vignetting on my Sigma 17-70

simon

christinelandon · 04-20-2008, 11:43 PM

I also have had good experiences with Hoya's CPLs. The SHMC models offer very good performance, but are rather pricey, so you might consider one step down the line to the HMC models as a balm to your budget. Buy the best you can afford, in any event, so that you don't degrade lens performance unavoidably.

**rparmar** · 04-21-2008, 03:47 AM

I have been looking into this as well, hampered by the incredibly bad info and confusing designs of the Hoya and retailers websites. Hoya has a bewildering array of products, both single-threaded and double-threaded. Of the latter there are three CP filters in increasing price:

"Hoya HMC" has 3 layers and is 9mm thick.
"Hoya PRO1 Digital DMC" is thinner at 5mm.
"Hoya Super HMC PRO1" increases number of layers to 7, also at 5mm.

The thinness avoids vignetting and the increased number of HMC coats helps reduce internal reflections and ghosting. According to this page the Super Pro 1 saturates colours more, which seems an odd side-effect.

Another make to consider is the "B+W F-Pro MRC", made in Germany and in a brass mount (cheaper version in aluminum?). It too has front threads and is supposedly excellent.

I look forward to corrections and additions as I try to make a purchase decision.

Not Registered · 04-21-2008, 06:35 AM

Originally posted by Tingchaleun

The polarizer reduced light of about five stops.

Are you sure? I would say that most polarizers reduce 1.5/2.5 stops. 5 stops would be something between a polarizer and a IR filter.

I use 2 super HMC from Hoya and I am quite happy with them. Mine cuts 1.5-2 stops of light but it worth it. Heliopan and B+W are also recommended by a lot of people. None of them are cheap thought.

Peter Zack · 04-21-2008, 06:52 AM

Originally posted by rormeister

Hi Fireball,
There are so many varying opinions on this topic I too was very perplexed. Because I have so many different lens filter size requirements I've started out with the Cokin P series filter holder. I've added just the CPL (the round version that rotates inside the holder) and the series of 3 graduated neutral density filters. This way, all I need is an inexpensive adaptor for each lens size, in my case 49, 72 and 77. If I had the money, I'd consider screw-on, but then I'd need a much larger bag to hold all the different filters.

That's also been my choice. I do have a couple small filters (49mm and a 52mm - old Tiffen's I've had for awhile) but for the most part I use a Cokin P series with the CPL. It works well and with the hood attached, I have little issue with flare or reflections. The holders are fairly cheap on Ebay (don't get the A series if you go this way).

Originally posted by Gruoso

Are you sure? I would say that most polarizers reduce 1.5/2.5 stops. 5 stops would be something between a polarizer and a IR filter.

I use 2 super HMC from Hoya and I am quite happy with them. Mine cuts 1.5-2 stops of light but it worth it. Heliopan and B+W are also recommended by a lot of people. None of them are cheap thought.

My Cokin is about 1.5 to 2 stops as well. I think his comment was a typo.

LDB · 04-21-2008, 08:17 AM

Or a reference to the Cokin 155 but that's a 6 2/3 stop ND and the next step down is the Cokin 154 at 3 stops, according to their ND chart.

aegisphan · 04-21-2008, 09:08 AM

Well high quality filter has to have multicoating to reduce flare and enhance color. Of course, the better the coating process (no unevenness), the less chance you will have problem with the IQ. Thus, you pay more for these filters hoping you get the least compromise out of your glass. Personally, I go with Hoya HMC Pro1 Digital, quite good for price/performance wise. The B+W Kaesemann is arguably better (due to its rare, superior German glass elements

) but too pricey for me since I don't use CPL that often.

and · 04-21-2008, 10:39 AM

I got the Kenko PRO1 which is the exact same as the Hoya PRO1 but cheaper. Didnt cost me much at all, I think the salesman screwed up with the price

.

Entropy · 04-21-2008, 11:48 AM

Does anyone have experience with the Quantaray "Pro Digital" series? Featurewise they seem to have more in common with the Hoya PRO series than the Hoya HMC series.

Despite being store branded, I've had pretty good results with Quantaray products (they usually rebadge reputable manufacturers, I have always been happy with my Quantaray-rebadged Tamron 70-300 and my Quantaray-rebadged Promaster 5700, aka Quantaray QTB-9500A flash)

Tingchaleun · 04-21-2008, 11:36 PM

"My Cokin is about 1.5 to 2 stops as well. I think his comment was a typo."

actually, it wasn't, but it was overly exaggerated. i apologize. you guys are right, i lose two stops.

Fireball · 04-22-2008, 10:06 AM

Originally posted by Tingchaleun

"My Cokin is about 1.5 to 2 stops as well. I think his comment was a typo."

actually, it wasn't, but it was overly exaggerated. i apologize. you guys are right, i lose two stops.

Thank you kindly for your replies!

04-20-2008, 01:19 AM	#1
Fireball Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 102	Circular polarizers Hey all, Thanks for all the help you guys have given so far. Sorry I haven't been able to reply to individual posts - I'm in the middle of final exams, and everyone knows how crazy those get :S Anyways, I am trying to find a 67mm circular polarizer, and am curious as to what characteristics make for a good polarizer. As far as UV filters go, I know that multi coatings are the way to go, but does this also hold true for circ pols? Any particular brands I should look at? Some of the circ pol prices look like they could break the (my poor student's) bank account! Thanks in advance for the replies! Cheers, T

04-21-2008, 03:47 AM	#6
rparmar Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,817	I have been looking into this as well, hampered by the incredibly bad info and confusing designs of the Hoya and retailers websites. Hoya has a bewildering array of products, both single-threaded and double-threaded. Of the latter there are three CP filters in increasing price: "Hoya HMC" has 3 layers and is 9mm thick. "Hoya PRO1 Digital DMC" is thinner at 5mm. "Hoya Super HMC PRO1" increases number of layers to 7, also at 5mm. The thinness avoids vignetting and the increased number of HMC coats helps reduce internal reflections and ghosting. According to this page the Super Pro 1 saturates colours more, which seems an odd side-effect. Another make to consider is the "B+W F-Pro MRC", made in Germany and in a brass mount (cheaper version in aluminum?). It too has front threads and is supposedly excellent. I look forward to corrections and additions as I try to make a purchase decision.

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04-20-2008, 08:20 AM	#2
rormeister Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 626	Hi Fireball, There are so many varying opinions on this topic I too was very perplexed. Because I have so many different lens filter size requirements I've started out with the Cokin P series filter holder. I've added just the CPL (the round version that rotates inside the holder) and the series of 3 graduated neutral density filters. This way, all I need is an inexpensive adaptor for each lens size, in my case 49, 72 and 77. If I had the money, I'd consider screw-on, but then I'd need a much larger bag to hold all the different filters.

04-20-2008, 11:50 AM	#3
Tingchaleun Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 166	hey, i got a 67mm Hoya cir pol. for my Tamron 28-75. (it's the gray coloured line - HMC, or something like that). Anyways, it was $80 off of an ebay store. I didn't get a chance to use it very much in the winter, because it was often too dark. The polarizer reduced light of about five stops. but now that it's nice and bright outside, it does wonders to colour contrast and saturation. I can't speak for the other brands, but i know Hoya has about five or six different grades of cir pl. the more expensive ones have more coatings. the HMC line has 3 or 5. i can't remember. Generally the more expensive glass has more coatings. Often people told me, when i was looking for cir pl. that i get what i pay for.

04-20-2008, 02:10 PM	#4
simonkit Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: North Wales, UK Posts: 645	Hoya are pretty good - I use the Hoya Pro 1 D, slim design & shows no vignetting on my Sigma 17-70 simon

04-20-2008, 11:43 PM	#5
christinelandon Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Seattle, Washington, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 812	I also have had good experiences with Hoya's CPLs. The SHMC models offer very good performance, but are rather pricey, so you might consider one step down the line to the HMC models as a balm to your budget. Buy the best you can afford, in any event, so that you don't degrade lens performance unavoidably.

04-21-2008, 06:35 AM	#7
Not Registered Guest	Originally posted by Tingchaleun The polarizer reduced light of about five stops. Are you sure? I would say that most polarizers reduce 1.5/2.5 stops. 5 stops would be something between a polarizer and a IR filter. I use 2 super HMC from Hoya and I am quite happy with them. Mine cuts 1.5-2 stops of light but it worth it. Heliopan and B+W are also recommended by a lot of people. None of them are cheap thought.

04-21-2008, 06:52 AM	#8
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	Originally posted by rormeister Hi Fireball, There are so many varying opinions on this topic I too was very perplexed. Because I have so many different lens filter size requirements I've started out with the Cokin P series filter holder. I've added just the CPL (the round version that rotates inside the holder) and the series of 3 graduated neutral density filters. This way, all I need is an inexpensive adaptor for each lens size, in my case 49, 72 and 77. If I had the money, I'd consider screw-on, but then I'd need a much larger bag to hold all the different filters. That's also been my choice. I do have a couple small filters (49mm and a 52mm - old Tiffen's I've had for awhile) but for the most part I use a Cokin P series with the CPL. It works well and with the hood attached, I have little issue with flare or reflections. The holders are fairly cheap on Ebay (don't get the A series if you go this way). Originally posted by Gruoso Are you sure? I would say that most polarizers reduce 1.5/2.5 stops. 5 stops would be something between a polarizer and a IR filter. I use 2 super HMC from Hoya and I am quite happy with them. Mine cuts 1.5-2 stops of light but it worth it. Heliopan and B+W are also recommended by a lot of people. None of them are cheap thought. My Cokin is about 1.5 to 2 stops as well. I think his comment was a typo.

04-21-2008, 08:17 AM	#9
LDB Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 63	Or a reference to the Cokin 155 but that's a 6 2/3 stop ND and the next step down is the Cokin 154 at 3 stops, according to their ND chart.

04-21-2008, 09:08 AM	#10
aegisphan Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Mexico Posts: 815	Well high quality filter has to have multicoating to reduce flare and enhance color. Of course, the better the coating process (no unevenness), the less chance you will have problem with the IQ. Thus, you pay more for these filters hoping you get the least compromise out of your glass. Personally, I go with Hoya HMC Pro1 Digital, quite good for price/performance wise. The B+W Kaesemann is arguably better (due to its rare, superior German glass elements ) but too pricey for me since I don't use CPL that often.

04-21-2008, 10:39 AM	#11
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	I got the Kenko PRO1 which is the exact same as the Hoya PRO1 but cheaper. Didnt cost me much at all, I think the salesman screwed up with the price .

04-21-2008, 11:48 AM	#12
Entropy Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 976	Does anyone have experience with the Quantaray "Pro Digital" series? Featurewise they seem to have more in common with the Hoya PRO series than the Hoya HMC series. Despite being store branded, I've had pretty good results with Quantaray products (they usually rebadge reputable manufacturers, I have always been happy with my Quantaray-rebadged Tamron 70-300 and my Quantaray-rebadged Promaster 5700, aka Quantaray QTB-9500A flash)

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04-21-2008, 11:36 PM	#13
Tingchaleun Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 166	"My Cokin is about 1.5 to 2 stops as well. I think his comment was a typo." actually, it wasn't, but it was overly exaggerated. i apologize. you guys are right, i lose two stops.

04-22-2008, 10:06 AM	#14
Fireball Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 102 Original Poster	Originally posted by Tingchaleun "My Cokin is about 1.5 to 2 stops as well. I think his comment was a typo." actually, it wasn't, but it was overly exaggerated. i apologize. you guys are right, i lose two stops. Thank you kindly for your replies!