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Are there any downsides to using a step-up adapter ring?


mike_c20

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<p>The majority of my filters are 77mm but I have two lenses, one 52mm and one 67mm, that I have often found myself wishing for a CPL or a ND filter. Instead of buying identical filters but in different sizes (especially the expensive CPL ones) I figured a step-up adapter may be the way to go. Are there any downsides to using said adapters? The widest lens is 24mm but I'd think the extra filter area would make up for the extra depth required by the adapter. Any experiences from actual use or advice would be appreciated.<em><br /></em></p>
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<p>There are a few other factor associated with step-up adapter rings:<br>

1. The more you stack, the harder things are to screw together<br>

2. The more you stack, the harder things are to unscrew (get a filter wrench for your camera bag)<br>

3. Adapter rings don't work at all with Graduated filters<br>

4. Hoods don't work at all (as Matt mentioned)<br>

5. A 77mm filter will be awkward on a 52mm thread lens<br>

6. Increased chance of vignetting</p>

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<p>I have, for my sins, bit-by-bit, inch-by-inch, slowly he turned, purchased a whole set of step-up and even some step-down rings. Matt and Ted have covered most of the problems I can think of off hand.<br /> I add only that another catch to not being able to use the hood for the lens is that filters are out front and can therefore lead to increased flare.<br /> If you are going to put on a Polarizing filter and keep it on a walk around lens all day in that bright tropical sun, you probably want to have a filter that fits <em>with</em> the hood (of course, then the danged filter is hard to turn inside the hood, but nobody said this stuff was easy).</p>

<p>It's especially a good idea to use step-up rings for expensive, but perhaps seldom used filters like an R72 filter for infrared photography. Except where too much is stacked up, one step-up ring and a filter rarely vignettes except on things like ultrawide lenses and very thick filters like some polarizers (again...)<br /> Of course, what happens is that you buy for the largest lens you have (e.g., 67mm) and then go out and get a bunch of larger diameter lenses (e.g. 77mm). Step-down adapters usually do vignette, so sometimes you still end up buying larger filters anyhow.</p>

<p>For neutral density filters, especially graduated NDs, a very good alternative to screw-in filters is to buy <a href="http://www.cokin.fr/ico15-A.html">Cokin</a>-style filter holders, a set of adapter rings for different diameter lenses, and the large, rectangular filters for the set. Again, the largest ones that will fit on the largest lenses are not cheap either. The less costly P series filters will work on up to 82mm lenses (mostly). The Z-Pro and X-Pro series are considerably more costly.<br>

I personally find the Cokin style adapters in general less convenient for things that have to be manipulated like polarizing filters (dang on those pesky polarizers!) ;)</p>

<p> </p>

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<p>It works fine for me, except for two things:</p>

<ol>

<li>As mentioned, the factory lens hood won't work.</li>

<li>With lenses that have a thread size close to the adapter size, it can cause vignetting with certain lenses at very wide angles of view.</li>

</ol>

<p>All my filters (and four of my lenses) are 77mm filter size except two. I use step rings in 58 (50mm lens), 62 (20mm lens), and 72mm sizes. The 72->77mm step ring causes a tiny amount of vignetting on the wide end of my 18-200VR with a DX camera, so I broke down and got a 72mm UV and CPL for it. The vignetting goes away once it's zoomed out a little, though...it's gone by 20-22mm. It's not a problem with the 135mm DC (72mm filter size), or any of my other lenses that take filters, including a 20mm AF-D shot with a D700 (62mm filter size). I did get extra 77mm generic lens caps for each lens since I usually leave the step ring on the lenses.</p>

<p>A screw-in grad isn't any different to mount or operate than a CPL - a step ring should work fine with these. Rectangular grads are another matter, which is why they make different size adapter rings for the filter holders. </p>

 

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