A field in Denmark

A field in Denmark

by Bart Arondson

submit your photo


Picture of the Week Themes
Suggest and vote on themes

Please participate in Meta
and help us grow.

Tell me more ×
Photography Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professional, enthusiast and amateur photographers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 1 down vote favorite

Possible Duplicate:
How to shop for a lens filter?

After deliberating for a long time, which ultra wide lens to get for my Nikon D90 I will go for the Tokina 11-16mm, which I have found for approx £450. Now, the next step is finding the right filter so I am hoping you can help me. I don't want to fork out ridiculous money, but then again I don't want to buy anything cheap for the sake of saving a few bob. I don't see the point of spending a sizeable amount on a lens only to ruin the results with a cheap filter. So, in summary, what is the best filter:price alternative that you would recommend? And also perhaps a polarising filter?

Thanks in advance

share|improve this question
1  
Have a look at this for some good tips - photo.stackexchange.com/questions/16772/… – MikeW Feb 21 '12 at 19:41
1  
This question is really a duplicate of the other. The other question @MikeW linked answers it in a general sense and provides some good advice, make sure and take a long. – rfusca♦ Feb 21 '12 at 19:55
Yes this is a more specific shopping question which does make it "different" but specific shopping questions aren't really useful to have here at the site for more then 1 user. Because of that this will likely be closed as a duplicate to the more general question already asked. – dpollitt Feb 21 '12 at 21:23

marked as duplicate by rfusca♦, MikeW, mattdm, dpollitt, John Cavan♦ Feb 22 '12 at 0:49

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

2 Answers

up vote 2 down vote

I don't use UV or protective filters. I have a polarising filter on my most used lenses, which I simply remove temporarily when not needed. I find cheaper UV filters adversely affect the image quality, and the more expensive ones are too expensive compared to the cost of my lenses to warrant using them as possible protection if I drop a lens. I would avoid the cheapo ones and go with a known brand. Just make sure the cost of the filter is in line with the cost of the lens.

share|improve this answer
up vote 2 down vote

Lenstip.com did a UV filter test that is an interesting read. Summary: cheaper filters generally do a poorer job of blocking UV light and introducing image quality degradation. The clear winner, and on the cheap side, too: Hoya 7 HMC UV-0.

FWIW, I don't find a polarizing filter all that useful at such wide angles. The polarizing effect is at it's strongest when 90 degrees to your light source. the 11-16mm is 108-82 degrees wide, which means it's so wide that part of the frame is always going to be well outside of the polarizing effect.

share|improve this answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.