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I want to get a filter kit for my D3200 camera. I am looking at a nice one, the only problem is, the thread size on my regular lens is different then my larger lens. Will it work for both of them? If one is 52mm and the other is 58mm so a total of 6mm difference between them.

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There are basically two ways to share filters between lenses with different thread sizes.

  1. You can buy screw on filters that fit the larger lens and use a step up ring to attach those filters to the smaller lens.
  2. You can use a system of filter holders that use adapter rings to attach to lenses with various filter thread sizes. You then use filters, many of them square, that fit the holder. The Cokin P-series system has rings available to fit lenses with thread sizes between 48mm and 82mm.

If you are considering any work with graduated Neutral Density filters then the advantages of the second approach should be obvious: you can slide the graduated filter up or down in the holder to change the exact placement of the transition with regard to the scene within the field of view.

An example of the first method. enter image description here

And an example of the second. enter image description here

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Real images showing something useful. Upvote train is comin' \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Commented Dec 7, 2013 at 16:32
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If you want to buy just one filter and use it on both lenses, you can buy an appropriate step-up ring. Buy your filter at the 58mm size, and then get a 52-58mm step up ring to adapt the filter to your smaller lens.

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way back when I was using film I had the same problem and the solution that I came up with was to use a skylight filter of the correct size on each lens to protect it and then Cokin filters for effects - that way not only did I have a lot less to carry but each filter was a lot cheaper because of all having a single mount size. The filters can be rotated, without risk of unscrewing, and in the case of things like graduated filters they can be slid up and down or left/right depending on the holder angle.

In the UK cokin filters are here - as well as many photo shops but internationally a quick search on Amazon produced good results.

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