 |
| Fotodiox 49-77mm Step Up Ring Set Photo courtesy Mike Hagen, outthereimages.com |
Lenses have different size filter threads, requiring different size filters. But after a while, the cost of purchasing all these different sizes of filters adds up. Buy a top quality polarizer in 52mm, then acquire a larger lens and you quickly realize that you have to spend perhaps double that all over again on the larger size. Wouldn’t it be great if you could buy only a single filter that would fit all of your lenses? Well, you can, but it requires the filter leap of faith.
If you’re willing to pay more up front to avoid laying out more money multiple times later on, you can save money and solve other inherent problems in the same process. You simply purchase the largest filter available, and adapt it to smaller size lenses.
The maximum filter size for Canon and Nikon lenses is 77mm. These are mostly used in the astronomically expensive professional lenses. And you might think it unlikely that you’ll ever own one. However, consider that the excellent Samyang Manual Focus 35mm f/1.4 is a fraction of the cost of its Nikon or Canon equivalent, is equal to or superior in quality, and uses a 77mm filter. That’s reason enough to never again be without a filter you need because you don’t have the right size.
Aside from the cost factor, buying oversize filters solves two other inherent problems; how to store and carry them, and how to prevent them from vignetting. With only one size of each filter to worry about, there are less to store and less to pack on outings. Problem one solved.
Problem two is the fact that some wide or ultra wide filters may vignette with as little as one standard (not “ultra-slim”) filter attached, and if you use two, you’re asking for trouble even with less problematic lenses. While stacking two filters increases the chance of flare and ghosts, using high-quality, multi-coated filters (read expensive) minimizes this issue. You may for example wish to use a polarizer and an 81A warming filter to achieve the same effect as the famous “Moose” filter (a warming polarizer by Hoya). A benefit of using oversize filters is that they greatly reduce the possibility of vignetting under any circumstance.
If you’re still not convinced, you can take a two-tiered approach. Purchase filters for the largest lens in your current collection, and use it for all the smaller sizes as well. When you purchase a lens that’s larger than that size, opt for the 77mm instead, and from that point on, purchase only 77mm filters.
Aside from the cost factor, buying oversize filters solves two other inherent problems; how to store and carry them, and how to prevent them from vignetting. With only one size of each filter to worry about, there are less to store and less to pack on outings. Problem one solved.
Problem two is the fact that some wide or ultra wide filters may vignette with as little as one standard (not “ultra-slim”) filter attached, and if you use two, you’re asking for trouble even with less problematic lenses. While stacking two filters increases the chance of flare and ghosts, using high-quality, multi-coated filters (read expensive) minimizes this issue. You may for example wish to use a polarizer and an 81A warming filter to achieve the same effect as the famous “Moose” filter (a warming polarizer by Hoya). A benefit of using oversize filters is that they greatly reduce the possibility of vignetting under any circumstance.
If you’re still not convinced, you can take a two-tiered approach. Purchase filters for the largest lens in your current collection, and use it for all the smaller sizes as well. When you purchase a lens that’s larger than that size, opt for the 77mm instead, and from that point on, purchase only 77mm filters.
Use with Lens Hoods
Some included bayonet-style hoods will accommodate filters one or two sizes larger. You can mount the hood and then use a center-pinch lens cap as a “wrench” to gently thread the oversize filter on inside the hood without getting fingerprints all over it. This works well for fixed filters, but not so much for rotating ones (like polarizers, which you can’t easily to rotate inside the hood anyway). If tightened too much these filters may be difficult if not impossible to remove, so I don’t recommend this. Here the solution is to use an aftermarket screw-in or snap-on hood in the same size as the filter. I recommend the Hoya Adjustable Zoom Lens Hood (wide to zoom) and the Vello Snap-on Tulip Lens Hood (ultra-wide to wide).
You can buy a full set of these on Amazon from Fotodiox for less that $20.00. With them you can adapt any lens from 49mm to 72mm to any size of filter from 52mm to 77mm, using them in any combination. Or, you can buy them as needed to adapt each of your lenses to the 77mm size.
Stacking Rings
Keep in mind, that using a multiple rings together creates a kind of stepped lens hood effect, which may cause vignetting on wider lenses. For example, a 24mm lens with a 52mm thread will more than likely vignette with all the rings from 52mm to 77mm stacked. To get around this, you can purchase a single 52mm to 77mm step up ring. Using only a couple of rings through is usually OK.
Step-Down Rings
The opposite of a step-up ring is a step-down ring, and they are mostly used with very long lenses that have no chance of vignetting. If for example you had an 82mm telephoto lens and you wanted to use it with smaller 77mm filter, it might be possible with a step-down ring. These are much less common, but good to know about if you need to do something a little offbeat like adapting a 77mm thread to a 72mm close up lens for macro work, which would have very little chance of vignetting.
Time Savings
Free Time? Yes. Filters can save you time in the long run by helping you to achieve your goal without post-processing. Better results up front saves time and ensures quality when processing your images.
 |
| Vello Snap-on Tulip and Hoya Adjustable Zoom Lens Hoods Photo Courtesy BH Photo/Video |
You can buy a full set of these on Amazon from Fotodiox for less that $20.00. With them you can adapt any lens from 49mm to 72mm to any size of filter from 52mm to 77mm, using them in any combination. Or, you can buy them as needed to adapt each of your lenses to the 77mm size.
Stacking Rings
Keep in mind, that using a multiple rings together creates a kind of stepped lens hood effect, which may cause vignetting on wider lenses. For example, a 24mm lens with a 52mm thread will more than likely vignette with all the rings from 52mm to 77mm stacked. To get around this, you can purchase a single 52mm to 77mm step up ring. Using only a couple of rings through is usually OK.
 | |
|
The opposite of a step-up ring is a step-down ring, and they are mostly used with very long lenses that have no chance of vignetting. If for example you had an 82mm telephoto lens and you wanted to use it with smaller 77mm filter, it might be possible with a step-down ring. These are much less common, but good to know about if you need to do something a little offbeat like adapting a 77mm thread to a 72mm close up lens for macro work, which would have very little chance of vignetting.
Time Savings
Free Time? Yes. Filters can save you time in the long run by helping you to achieve your goal without post-processing. Better results up front saves time and ensures quality when processing your images.
No comments:
Post a Comment