Questions about filters

[treyvollmer]

What is a CPL?

I use two lens hoods. One for my stock lens, and one for my Raynox 6600 lens.

Do I need a certain type of filter in order to continue using my hoods?

TV

[Erik Bien]

I believe the canon wa lens is only 67mm (someone correct me if i'm wrong) so i'd recommend getting that size if that's the adapter you're looking at.

Actually, the WD-H43 (like many WA adapters) doesn't have front filter threads, so in that case you'd need 43mm to go behind the adapter.

[CycleWriter]

Please do a search for Filters. There is already a ton of info on all these subjects. Thank you.

[1]

What is a CPL?

Circular Polarizer Filter

[thatonejonguy]

Not as awesome of a plan as I thought. Reason being that I quite often use a lens hood on my stock lens for glare/aesthetics, so this wouldn't be possible anymore if I had my step up ring/filter on the HV lens.

Know what I'm saying???

Trey

?

if your current lens hood mounts onto the 43mm threads or somehow to the body of the camera, it's probably not going to work with step-ups.

I'm planning on purchasing this in the near future http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...Lens_Hood.html

It has a 77mm outside diameter so it should be able to mount onto my 6600 and also just my 72mm step up.

[weasel-d]

Why not get the lens hood from Canon parts that comes on the XH? It fits on the 6600 perfectly. There is a thread on it. Link is below.

http://hv20.com/showthread.php?t=1754

[weasel-d]

ohhh never mind. I didn't see that you wanted to mount on a 72mm step up. That might not work...

[treyvollmer]

Do I need my filters to have a greater diameter than my lens?

I've read some stuff about vignetting and filters here but I'm still unsure at the moment.

Thank you,

tv

[CycleWriter]

Trey, no offense, but I am constantly moving your threads because you post to the wrong subforum. This subject has been covered to death in here, please do a search. If you want to eliminate vignetting then using filters larger than the HV's 43mm mount is preferred. This will also allow you to stack filters.

[treyvollmer]

Trey, no offense, but I am constantly moving your threads because you post to the wrong subforum. This subject has been covered to death in here, please do a search. If you want to eliminate vignetting then using filters larger than the HV's 43mm mount is preferred. This will also allow you to stack filters.

Sorry about that. I have to work on it.

Trey

[jmorton]

I know most people recommend a UV filter to protect the lense of their cameras.

But what do you think of an ND Zero filter (not sure how they're spec'd) one that is nothing but a clear flat piece of glass with absolutely no filtering at all.

Here you have the HV20 that comes with a lense that was designed for the best (for the price) optical color qualities. Seems to me that you'd want to have a situation where you let the lense that comes with the camera do its thing.

But if you put even a UV "FILTER" I can't help but think that it will, even if it is extremely small, have an effect on color that the lense itself would never have.

What say you?

JM

[Erik Bien]

A UV filter may slightly reduce the appearance of atmospheric haze, but in my experience using them with video the effect is virtually imperceptible. Most folks buy UV filters as a sort of shoot-through lens cap to protect the lens. If you want clear lens protection that has absolutely as little impact on the picture as possible, ask for an optical flat (although I'm not aware of any available as 43mm screw-ons).

EDIT: Actually it appears B+W makes a 43mm clear optical flat.

[Rumpelgeist]

I know most people recommend a UV filter to protect the lense of their cameras.

But what do you think of an ND Zero filter (not sure how they're spec'd) one that is nothing but a clear flat piece of glass with absolutely no filtering at all.

Glass filter == UV filter. Normal glass blocks UV lights, maybe not fully, but very efficiently. "Quartz glass" passes UV through.

[jmorton]

A UV filter

EDIT: Actually it appears B+W makes a 43mm clear optical flat.

I checked this out: $41! But it sure looks nice.

Is anyone going to really notice the HV20 image difference if I use this multicoated resistant glass filter or just the regular $30 UV filter or even a Tiffen or Promaster $10 UV filter?

I'm thinking: not. But what do I know?

So unless someone has a really good reason not to, I guess I'll just go for the cheap UV filter.

Thanks.

JM

[SpectreFire]

I'm just wondering, do I need to invest in a filter to protect my Raynox 6600 WA lens? Or is it fine to use it without?

[Bif]

Well, it's fine to use without, but I would invest in a quality multilayer coated UV filter to both reduce some flare (possible improving contrast) and also protect the lens surface.

[CycleWriter]

I'm just wondering, do I need to invest in a filter to protect my Raynox 6600 WA lens? Or is it fine to use it without?

Please search before posting and post in an existing thread whenever possible.

[Miner]

I'm about to set off on a several month journey to hike the Pacific Crest Trail that goes from Mexico to Cananda. I decided to go with a new Canon HF S100 rather then the HV20 and was looking through my stack of 58mm SLR filters and was wondering which ones would be useful.

90+% of footage will be of the outdoors: landscapes and wildlife footage. And there will be several with people as well, both groups and closeups with some interviews. There will be a small amount of footage while in trail towns (<10%).

As a first pass, I've narrowed my filter choices to the follow choices and was wondering which ones I should drop and if there were any I should add that I didn't include.

• UV Filter (This is a must)
• Circular Polarizer (A must)
• ND 4 (should I carry a darker one instead?)
• graduated ND (definitely needed for film, but is it still useful in the digital age for outdoor scenes?)
• Diffuser (it can soften contrast in landscape photos, but how useful is it really?)
• 8 Star Filter (can make nice effects with reflections on lakes and other light sources, but probably useless 99% of the time and may not be worth the weight)

[Erik Bien]

I agree, I rarely set off to shoot outdoors without a UV filter (more as lens protection than anything else) and a CP. NDs can be useful as well, especially when you're trying to fully exploit the camera's depth of field potential by keeping a wide aperture. Since we're in agreement that one pola is a must-have, you might consider adding a second one for variable ND instead.

Grad ND filters can be quite useful for video, but moreso as flats to fit a matte-box with sliding/rotating stages — much more versatile than screw-ons which may not let you put the transition exactly where you need it. Tough call, because it will still be nice for those "wow, scenery" static vistas, but traveling light I'd be tempted to skip it.

Same goes for diffusion filters; be sure to experiment with any you're thinking about using. Many that seem subtle in a still photograph or even SD resolution video feel way too strong and foggy with HD moving footage from these small-chip cams. I still make sparing use of 1/2 Black Diffusion FX or 1/4 Black ProMist from time to time (especially for closeups of older people or anyone far from a makeup artist with less than perfect skin, HD can be cruel, and a dash of diffusion often makes it kinder) but if they were half as strong I'd probably use them twice as often. Fiddle around with the weakest, most subtle one you have in different lighting conditions and watch the footage on an HDTV before you decide if it's worth its weight.

[Ringquelle]

About the Hoya Star Filter:
I got the six-star filter and the stars pretty much only show when it's slightly dark and only from bright lamps. Here in my room stars are only visible at a couple of lamps, specifically the brighter ones. I doubt whether it would be usefull for water reflections.

[LarBrd33]

Here is my problem with all tech-related forums in general. Something stumps me so I search for an answer. If I post the question outright, someone is going to say "hey search the forum... this has been asked before"... but when I search the forum I end up finding threads like this where people have the same questions I have, but all the responses are "search the forum!!!". Searching the forum brought me here.... It's an endless cycle!! Know what I mean?

Anyways, I'm thoroughly confused about the lens thing. Here is what I have figured out.

#1 Everyone recommends a UV filter
#2 Tiffen and Hoya apparently are the most popular brands
#3 Some people also recommend a circular polarizing filter.
#4 The filters are good for protecting the lens and also improving outdoor shoots

Here is where I'm majorly confused.

I'm going to be buying a Raynox 6600pro which apparently will come with a 43mm-52mm step up ring so it will fit on the HV30.

Confused Part #1: Some people have said to get a 43mm filter and attach the 43mm-52mm step up ring and then the Raynox. But someone in this thread said that was a terrible idea to put a filter between the Raynox and the cam. Alternatively, some people in this thread have suggested getting a 52mm filter... and attaching it to the step up ring and then attaching the Raynox to that. Lastly, some people have suggested getting 72mm filters and attaching it directly to the raynox. So that leaves these 3 options that have either been recommended or bashed.

Option 1: Cam -> 43mm filter -> step up ring -> Raynox 6600
Option 2: Cam -> step up ring -> 52mm filter -> Raynox 6600
Option 3: Cam -> step up ring -> Raynox 6600 -> 72mm filter (which would require purchasing an addition 43mm-72mm step up ring if you wanted to just attach the filter directly to the cam without the Raynox.

Which of these 3 is the consensus choice? It seems whoever bashed the first option would also bash the 2nd option as apparently "you don't want to put a filter between the cam and the raynox". True? False?

Confused Part #2 - I saw in another thread someone saying "all you need is the Tiffen Haze-1". What is the difference between a Haze-1 and a UV Filter? Is the same thing? It seems to be the same price.

Confused Part 3 - How much should this kind of stuff cost? A simple search of "43mm Tiffen" shows the "Tiffen 43mm UV Protector Glass Filter" for $6.34 and the "43mm Circular Polarizing Glass Filter" for $19.95. Why then are people mentioning filters that cost a couple hundred dollars?

[liberty610]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking to expand on my HV30 just a tad. I was wondering what filters are a must, and how they work. I have been poking around the forums here, and I am still in search of some awnsers.

I have read a lot online about this. I know a Polarizing Filters is a must for out door shots. But I see there are several different choices. I also was interested in getting a ND filter or a 'Neutral Density Filter'.

I can't seem to find a good place to get filters that have the HV30 lens size, so I was wondering if step up rings are a good choice. And if I get both of these types of filters, to you use them indivdualy? Or can I put both filters on the lens?

I have general knowledge on what they do for the picture, but thats about it. I can't seem toi get more Hv30 direct awnsers. Any help would be great.

[Rumpelgeist]

> I was wondering what filters are a must, and how they work.

Google is your friend.

> I know a Polarizing Filters is a must for out door shots.

Not exactly.

> I can't seem to find a good place to get filters that have the HV30 lens size

Seriously?

> I was wondering if step up rings are a good choice.

Sure.

> And if I get both of these types of filters, to you use them indivdualy?
> Or can I put both filters on the lens?

No need to use UV filter with any other glass filter.

[CycleWriter]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking to expand on my HV30 just a tad. I was wondering what filters are a must, and how they work.

SNIP! Your thread has been moved. We prefer members first do a search as many questions have already been discussed. When possible, post to an existing related thread rather than start a new one. This is more of a self-service forum than an on-demand answer desk. Start by reading through this thread. Please read the FAQ and welcome to the forum.

[stephenv2]

Does someone know for sure what ND filter strength is right to get F1.8 at 1/48th in direct sunlight?

I'm guessing somewhere around a 1.2 from what I read.