DSC02800.jpg by ZX Chin, on Flickr


DSC02838.jpg by ZX Chin, on Flickr

paying good price for good filter, or using cheapo filter is a very subjective argument, like having high end G/CZ vs normal/3rd party lenses. although the argument will bend towards G/CZ lol so will better filter.

i personally will take B+W (or cz) for its pure clearness. even hoya has a minor grey tint. people tend to think hoya os the best filter in the market, but there is so many even more stronger brand.

reason i rather pay rm200-300 for B+W because it high scratch resistant, anytime i can use my shirt to wipe it without worry, since i used rm50 filter before, within 1 year, it got many minor scratch (and cause lining in photo under flaring condition), and another cheapo rm50 filter cause -2/3 stop for my 50mm! (F1.4 becomes F1.7 LOL)

some people dont think it degrade quality, well, go try have a lobf exposure night shooting, it causes ur camera AF to be 1mm off sometimes, having a sharp building or a soft building. it could be affected AF, light diffraction cause by filter make AF off or the filter itself making it soft. shoot one without the filter, and u will be surprise the increase of the sharpness.

WB issue, yes, some cheap filter has tint, i shot sample of it few weeks ago, some has green. or blue, or red(no, not skylight filter, it was declare as neutral filter). it does affect WB. because the WB is auto between the 'preset mode' like tungsten, where the kelvin does goes below 3k. so if u have even a 500k tungsten/red filter, u get really reddish photo even tungsten AWB. or even if u use flash, ur flash AWB 5500k will turn up to 6000k because of the filter of 500k (tungsten-ish)

but here the gimmick, i rather go filter-less for lens under 1k. because for less under 1k lens(including 50 F1.7 and F1.8), its IQ isnt the best already, having cheap filter will make it worst. also its not really wise to invest 30% of its value into another filter. summore, lenses under 1k is more or less a kit lens, u WILL eventually replace it with better Kit replacement, which will cost u over 1k. so even it got scratch, ur heart also not that pain anyway, and will decide to upgrade, but for filter, u will haiya, need buy another filter. or leave it on having bad iq photo, then blame it on the lens or body.

lens over 1k (50F1.4 etc) will definately spend a decent good filter for it. because u do not what have a scratched front element(glass/optics) because it will cause u more then 1k to get a new one. 1k make a huge diff in buying/funding better lenses. not mentioning lenses over 3k eh, so its better off u spend 200-300 for a good filter.

so, expensive filter is not for all lenses. cheap filter is not for any lenses at all.

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Added on February 15, 2011, 3:17 pmbtw, i did another one with cz filter, it seem the cz filter is even clearer then B+W and hoya~ but i dunno where i put the photo LMAO