HQ CPL Suggestions and recommendations

[ollie]

I was looking to get a High quality 77mm circular polarizer for Nikkor 70-200mm ƒ/2.8 VR. I have been looking Hoya HD filter. I am happy to part with the $100+ but has anybody got one or use one? Or similar?

[dulvariprestige]

I've only got the hoya standard and I find it OK, but I haven't used anything better so I can't compare it, $100+ is very cheap for that filter, I paid that for the standard CP.

[ollie]

Cheers Jayde, that price is from Hong Kong.

[Wayne]

Want quality?

B+W, Heliopan, Singh-Ray

Hoya isn't in the same class.

[dulvariprestige]

A Singh-ray vari ND with built in CP would be nice.

[ollie]

A Singh-ray vari ND with built in CP would be nice.

holy crap US$440...

[arthurking83]

I have a standard linear polariser and an uber Pro1 CPL. Linear polariser works just as well as the 20 year newer Pro1 does in terms of IQ.

many folks say that the newer top end filters have better coatings to make them easier to keep clean. To be honest, it is easier on the Pro1 to clean, but by a margin so infinitesimally small, it's not even worth writing about!

The two major differences between my really cheap old polariser and the newer better Pro1 is colour cast in use.
On a Nikon the difference is almost exactly a setting of + or -1 in hue terms when setting WB in either ViewNX or CaptureNX2. how that translates into other software, I have no idea.
The point is that, I see no difference between the two, and the Pro1 cost about 5x the price(but the linear polariser was purchased nearly 20 years ago!)
So much so in fact that I really only use the older polariser more.

NOTE tho: (As I curerently understand the market, I dont; think you can even get a linear polariser any longer.. i've never seen one for sale in the past 4 years so we'll stick to CPL terminology for the sake of consistency)
you do get what you pay for, and the higher end CPL is a far superior build quality to the lower end CPLs.
I also have three other lower end CPLs from hoya, and while I cant'[ see any IQ disadvantages compared to either the old linear polariser nor the Pro1 version, the pro1 version is so much more solid in build.
I've had all the other recently purchased polarisers pull apart on me, and they can be a pain to get back together without the right tools(ie. in the field!!).

basically what can happen is that, if your lens has a rubberised front lens protective coating(and i think the 70-200VR does??) the CPL can become 'stuck'. Not stuick in the sense that you need lens breaking force to remove it, just that the froiction between rubberised surface and metal filter surface is had to overcome with such a slim grip area that a filter has around it's rim. That means a tighter grip to remove the damned filter, gripping tighter on the cheaper hoyas can be enough distortion to pop the retaining clip out of whack, just enough where the glass rim separates from the mounting rim. A Cpl is made up of two distinct metal rims, one with the CPL glass and that fits into the mounting rim where they can rotate relative to each other.. held by a retaining circlip.
All three of the cheaper hoyas have so far come apart in trying to remove them. My 52mm version which is what I use on the 105VR lens has done so on at least 3 or 4 occasions now. Front of the 105VR is one of those rubberised surfaces(for weather sealing??). Remember you can simply grip the front most section of a CPL to remove it as it rotates, you have to get a good firm grip from the slim side of the filter. I'm used to it now, but it shouldn't happen.
You can feel the slack between the glass rim and the moutning rim on the cheaper filters, but on the Pro1.. the tolerances are either negligible or non existent. Feels so much more solid and trustworthy..
Another problem with the cheaper hoyas(that I've noticed with my copies) is that they do tend to have some pissy grease compound between the friction surfaces. Makes them even harder to clean once this greasy substance starts to oooze out, which is likely to happen when they fall apart on 'ya!
I spent a lot of time cleaning my 52 mm the other day when it fell apart again.

Bottom line. if you want totally fuss free filtration pay more and get more. if you're more of a user with a tolerance for seeing and understanding how stuff works .. then any model, brand, or market level will give you good results.
This is more of a belief, than a statement of fact through years of testing each individual filter available, and I have five CPLs of various quality.

Performance is much of a muchness, but build quality is the key difference that I've noticed.

I'd like to see some Tv values for this HD glass before I'd commit to it.
There must surely be some trade off in using HD type toughened glass compared to standard more easily breakable glass.

Like I said, the biggest (non) issue that I always see between the different types of polarisers that I have is colour cast in the image. The Pro1 is distinctly more magenta, and the linear polariser is a lot more green. The difference between each filter is most noticeable, but the difference from using either filter to using no filter is there, but not really noticeable to the naked eye, unless you compare one image to the other side by side.

If you have the $$, get the higher end filter(Pro1 type.. not sure on these HD types yet) for the sake of it not coming apart on 'ya one day

[ollie]

Cheers, I really appreciate your time typing that. I have a cheaper 67mm CPL and the tolerances are poor. It recently got some dirt in it and stopped rotating. I will continue to read as this is a decent investment but i want the best IQ from this lens to continue.

[arthurking83]

I really don't think that you'll see any increase or decrease in IQ from one end of the scale(at least in the same brand range) as much as usability and durability.
As you said, your cheaper end 67mm filter stopped rotating. I can see that as a common problem too considering an asteroid could fit in the gaps of the slack in them cheaper end Hoyas
One thing you will definitely be impressed with with the higher end filters is the build quality. rotates smooth as silk but with a very fluid and slack free movement. inspires confidence.

My problem is that I have many lenses with different sized filter threads. if I were to invest in nothing but the best quality filters, I'd be up for over $1K in polariser filters alone.. not to mention the one ND8 filter I have and a few other odds and ends, plus my Cokin filter set too. I have to try to maintain some semblance of normality about this stuff($1k just to have a polariser for the right situation is not normal, in my situation!!). I only really want good to excellent IQ from them.
if they fall apart, then so be it, I put them back together again and laugh at the situation.

Note too tho, they've never just fallen apart in a whim! The three that have fallen apart have all been under duress, in trying to get that super tight grip, required to remove them when stuck.
it always appears to be the same perpetrators too(lenses), 105VR being the most prevalent. Tammy 70-200/2.8, too, even though it's not rubberized at the front, but this lens, which replaced the Nikon 80-200/2.8 is much less problematic than the 80-200 was. Even tho it never caused any harm to the old hoya linear pol, it also had a rubberized front rim, and always caused the filter to get 'jammed'.

Also note that with the term cheaper Hoya, I refer to the versions that are sold in the purple or green packaging, of which I have two of the purple and one of the green. I've seen no difference between the two versions, even tho I remember one to be more expensive than the other. I can't remember which was which now, I just go them on an as needed basis and what was available at the time in a particular shop.

[Wayne]

I have 3 B+W CPL's, 2 Kaesemann standard ring width, and 1 slim Kaesemann all MRC. Build quality and fluid rotation is perfect on all. Tolerance is precise, and tight. the 2 standard rings are brass, the slim is alloy, and they never get stuck in threads on my lenses. No colorcast whatsoever on any of them. All are super easy to clean and very resistant to fingerprint when handling. These are B+W's finest CPL's and to me, they were worth every penny as they will last a lifetime if you use them as they were designed.

[ollie]

Cheers guys, i appreciate your input, I have found a good price for a B+W MRC CPL and all the feedback i am hearing is positive.

[ollie]

Thanks to all, i got my B+W MRC CPL. Oh my god, the build quality and ring movement is amazing and fluid. Money well spent, thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

Cheers
Ollie

[mocha2204]

HI Ollie,

I am after a CPL now and is looking to buy B+W MRC CPL.
Could you please let me know where you get them from? Is it from DIgitalRev?

Thx

[ollie]

I actually got it from citiwide.

[kiwi]

I have the Hoya pro for my 70-200, I'm happy with it but don't use it a lot

[Patagonia]

What do you think of a Sigma CPL MC?

http://cameras.pricegrabber.com/filt...oduct/sv=title

regards