What filter size do you buy? (the one for your bigger thread or bigger than that?)

[Atlantis]

I want to buy two or three ND filters, especially for video.

Right now my largest thread of lens is 58mm. But it is not impossible that one day I buy another lens with a bigger thread.

Do you buy filters for your largest thread, o for a bit bigger one? The reasons for buying bigger ones would be: 1- In case you buy other lenses with a bigger thread in the future; 2- To avoid vignetting (really?).

I am not sure about the second reason, because if the filter is just a bit bigger, let’s say a 62mm for a 58mm lens, used with the appropriate adapter, I have the impression that there will be more vignetting than using just a 58mm filter (because of the increased distance to the lens produced by the adapter). And what about if the difference is bigger, let’s say a 77mm for a 58mm?

Yes, I could try the filter personally before buying. But if I buy online from a foreign shop, that is not possible.

A reason for buying filters of the same thread is that usually filters are more expensive when they are larger. And sometimes the difference is BIG. For instance, this filter costs $80 in 58mm and $180 (!!) in 82mm.

 

[charjohncarter]

I bought a lot of filters used online years ago, but now everything cheap is from China. I wish I had bought more 15 years ago when every one was dumping the analogue stuff. That doesn't help you but go to photo swap meets and see if anything is there.

My 49mm, 3 stop ND filter is the one I use the most and ironically it is on my Digital camera.

 

[Rob-F]

I simply buy the correct filter size for each lens. Using oversize filters calls for adapters to make them fit the various lenses, adding to the amount of stuff I'd have to keep track of. It also might make it hard to have a hood on over the filter--and I always use hoods.

Another thing is there is little point in buying a filter for a lens you don't have yet. Filters get scratched; maybe not right away, but eventually. You might buy that 62mm filter for a 58mm lens, use it with an adapter, have to figure out how to put a hood on it; at some point the filter is scratched and thrown away; but you never bought that lens that was supposed to need a 62mm filter, because you bought one that needs a 67mm filter instead.

See what I mean? Get what you need for now.

 

[narsuitus]

What filter size do you buy?

I buy:
A. Polyester filters (also called gelatin or acetate)
B. Resin filters (also called plastic)
C. Glass filters

Many years ago, I tried to buy only one round glass filter size (52mm) but that did not work well.

To save money, I tried use 52mm and 72mm Nikon gelatin filter holders (D) to hold a variety of 3x3 inch colored gelatin sheets to mount on my Nikon lenses. This worked until I started accumulating other cameras and lenses.

Later, I tried to only buy lenses that accepted 52mm, 62mm, or 72mm filters but that did not work well either. I now have lenses that accept the following filter sizes:
46mm (mostly Zeiss 35mm lenses)
49mm (mostlyTakumar 35mm lenses)
52mm (many Nikon 35mm lenses)
55mm
58mm
62mm
67mm
72mm (several Nikon 35mm lenses)
77mm (all of my RB67 medium format lenses)
82mm (one large format lens)

I have one lens that takes filters larger than 82mm but I made a custom filter holder for that lens.
I also have a few lenses that take filters smaller than 46mm but I rarely use filters on those lenses.

To save money, I now use Cokin P filter holders (E) to hold a variety of 84mm x 120mm x 2mm inexpensive rectangular resin filters. I use Cokin adapters that ranged in size from 49 to 82mm to mount the Cokin filter holder on my lenses.

When necessary, I also have a variety of step-up and step-down rings that I can use to mount my round glass filters, Nikon filter holders, or Cokin filter holders on my lenses.


Filters and Holders by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[Atlantis]

I bought a lot of filters used online years ago, but now everything cheap is from China. I wish I had bought more 15 years ago when every one was dumping the analogue stuff. That doesn't help you but go to photo swap meets and see if anything is there.

My 49mm, 3 stop ND filter is the one I use the most and ironically it is on my Digital camera.

Thank you everyone for the contribution.

Charjohncarter, in my city in South America there aren’t too much options, neither for new or used filters. But there a couple of shops of used accessories where I could go and see if I find something. Anyway, most probably I will have to get one from a foreign shop like B&H and pay for the dispatch service.

 

[Atlantis]

Rob-F, what you say sounds pretty reasonable.

 

[Atlantis]

Narsuitus, thank you for the detailed response. Just to consider the option of buying a filter holder… Should I buy a filter holder (like this), adapters for every lens I have (like this), and the filters (like this)? And maybe also a hood.

Am I missing something? It seems quite cheap (I thought these systems were more expensive)

Do these resin filters offer a quality comparable to a good glass round filters? Well, it is all relative, because glass filters come in different qualities. But for instance, is a Cookin filter comparable to a B+W, PolarPro or another reputable brand?

 

[shimokita]

I use the Lee Seven5 filter system that also allows me to use NDGrad filters... Adaptor rings are available for the following lens thread sizes: 37mm, 37.5mm, 39mm, 40mm, 40.5mm, 43mm, 46mm, 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 60mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, and Fuji X100 / X100S.

I also have a set of 52mm filters for my Nikon SLR gear plus a few PL / CPL filters in different sizes... most filters are from the used bin as the quality here tends to be 'acceptable'.

 

[retinax]

I have lenses with many different filter threads and I'm not aiming to get a complete set of filters. I mostly just pick them up when I find them cheap, used. Most recently a 46mm orange filter I'd been looking for quite a while. I try to avoid using a lot of step up rings mostly because I'd need different lens hoods, but I do use some. At a too large size difference it gets unreasonable, and filters may obscure dials, viewing lenses or VFs. And if you're in it for the long haul, you risk scratching up your large expensive filters when using the on small lenses, when you could be wearing out cheaper small ones.
These observations are mainly for hand-held use. When using a tripod, a filter holder system may be good. I too wonder about the quality of the plastic ("resin") or gelatin filters... Everyone is stressed out about the quality of screw on filters, but apparently not so much with these?

 

[PaulDalex]

Alas! I have a ton of filters of different sizes.
In some cases I use adapter rings (step up), for example for nikkors 52 I use the 52-55 ring because I have a lot of 55 lenses.
My faith in protecting the front glass with an UV filter vacillates though, as I noticed that even expensive filters tend to haze overtime, while polacir tend to delaminate. In either case they must be substituted and this is a very expensive, given the huge number of lenses I have.
For this reason recently I transfer filters from a lens to another, given that I do not use more than one system at a time😀

 

[PaulDalex]

And yes I have even some Lee filters, another big investment.
I use them rarely, but the ND grads are very useful!

 

[Sierra Club]

Almost all of my Nikkors luckily have 52mm filter diameter so I'm only buying those. The only exception being 20 f/2.8 which is Φ62 but it came with a Zeiss filter when I bought it.

 

[pvdhaar]

In my case, it's correct filter size for each lens. That way, I have no issues with lens hoods.

 

[taemo]

I pretty much own almost all size of filters for CPL, ND64 and ND1000 (39, 49, 52, 58, 67, 77)
depending on the lenses that I bring with me then I may bring only a certain size or bring a step up ring with me.

 

[narsuitus]

Narsuitus, thank you for the detailed response. Just to consider the option of buying a filter holder… Should I buy a filter holder (like this), adapters for every lens I have (like this), and the filters (like this)? And maybe also a hood.

I bought a thin filter holder for my wide-angle lenses and a thicker one for my longer lenses. I also bought lens hoods for each holder. I bought resin graduated neutral density filters, neutral density filters, soft focus filters, and yellow, orange, and red filters for darkening the blue sky when shooting black&white film.

I used gelatin filters to balance the color of the light when shooting color film. Since most of my color work now is digital, I do not use gelatin filters very often.

For polarizing filters, infrared filters, and supplemental close-up lenses, I prefer high-quality round glass filters made by B+W, Nikon, Canon, Hoya, Tiffen, and Zeiss. There are other manufacturers of high-quality filters, but these are the ones I have used.

 

[narsuitus]

Do these resin filters offer a quality comparable to a good glass round filters?

In general, high-quality glass filters are superior to high quality resin filters.
High-quality glass filters are more expensive than high quality resin filters.
Resin filters usually survive a fall on concrete better than glass filters.


Filter vs. concrete by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[Atlantis]

Thank you everyone for the contribution. Let me digest the information.

Narsuitus, thank you for the response. That’s a nice broken filter!