> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 22:27:17 +0800 > From: miguel n nacianceno <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [none] [v04.n249/26] > Message: 26 > > Good day folks, > > I'm looking for some relatively cheap 52mm UV filters to use as protection > for my lenses. I'll be using them for not so critical shots, but even then, > I dont want them to be so cheap that they'll be so bad. I know Nikon, B+W > are good, and I'll probably get them soon...like when I actually get money > out of the pictures I take : ) Kidding aside, what do you guys think of > Hoya or Cokin (pretty much available here in the Philippines)? They'll be > used on Nikon gear of course. > > regards, > miguel I mentioned in an earlier post about Niko filters sold by Riley Marketing. I have one on each of my Nikkor lenses and on my 200-400 Tamron. Other good brands include Tiffen, B+W, and Hoya. If you'll have the filter on the lens more than off it, I think you'll not enjoy Cokin filters. I've had two that were only just undersized fall out of the holder and get scratched when they hit the ground. The rest of my Cokin filters are fine (as are the two replacements), but extra care must be taken when using them compared with screw-in filters. (The same applies to other brands similar to Cokin, of course.) Nikon's filters are certainly of excellent quality, but as with all Nikon accessories, they are expensive. If your lenses have a variety of filter diameters, consider buying step-up adapters so that, for example, you can use a 62mm polarizer on a 52mm filter-size lens. For UV filters, howevere, I'd suggest getting one of the proper size for each lens. Back in my Minolta XD-11 days, I used Tiffen 1A Sky filters on each lens. When I upgraded to F4Es, I felt that the Niko Sky 1A filters were a little too pink, so I switched to their UV filters instead. Some people might prefer the Niko 1A "look", so you'll have to decide for yourself, no matter which brand you choose. Some people will insist that any filter, no matter how high its optical quality will "degrade" your image. Some of my friends who swear this is true, project their slides on a beige wall through an el cheapo projection lens. So much for their concern for optical quality. 95% of my photos that have been published in aviation magazines around the world were taken through either a Tiffen Sky 1A or a Niko UV filter. No editor has ever claimed that my photos would have been better without a filter. The other 5% were taken through a polarizer, a neutral density graduated filter, a warming filter (for twilight and sunset photos), a cooling filter (for early morning light), or a star filter. Last but not least, filters are easier to clean and much cheaper to replace than the front element of a lens. Jeff Rankin-Lowe
