Has anyone tried a Kenko polarizer? Alternatively, I need a polarizer with threads on both sides!

I'm in need of a circular polarizer with threads on both sides. I want to use it

with a Lee filter system, so I'll need something to attach the Lee system to.

The sales person had a Kenko polarizer which would fit the bill, but I don't

know how Kenko filters rate. Has anyone got any experience with them, or could

you recommend another good brand?

I have used the Heliopan poalrizers with the Lee system. Thesalesman is pushing what he has

in stock.

That's what I was thinking too. I would tend to gravitate to a brand that I know, but so far in my somewhat limited experience, I have not seen a circular polarizer with threads on the exterior side. I don't know what they call such a polarizer. Heliopan makes them, that's good to know. Thank you.

Assuming you mean threads on the front of the filter and not just on the rear, virtually all standard size polarisers have threads on front and rear. The slimmer polarisers that have recently become commonplace often don't have front threads, but some certainly do. Specifically I have a Hoya Super Pro 1 which is slim with front and rear threads, and I checked with the manufacturer a year ago that they were still available. Kenko are, I'd suggest in the second rank behind B+W, Heliopan and the top end of the Hoya range.

Ohhhhh....don't I feel silly! I've only owned the 'slim' variety of polarizer. I didn't realize that it's standard for a polarizer to have outside threads as well as inside. In that case, I'll stick to the brands that have solid reputations. Thank you very much everyone!

I have the Kenko CP (optimized?) for a DSLR. It works well but it seems to smudge very easily. As I understand it, Kenko CPs are the same the Hoyas as Kenko is now owned by Hoya.

 

Also there is a price difference between multi-coated Hoyas and single coated. I believe that there is some truth/reason why the digitally optimized versions are better. Apparently there is an extra coating to reduce reflections onto the sensor.

 

I see virtually no loss in quality when the CP is on. The only downside is that in low light, auto-focus (and the manual focus indicator lock), as well as the metering can get confused.

 

The Kenko I have has a filter thread to which I occasionally attach a Cokin filter system without any problems other than the fact that the extra filter does reduce the overall quality somewhat.

 

Would be interested to here if anyone has more info. on why the Kenkos are slightly cheaper than Hoyas.

The threaded ring on the front of full-thickness polarizer filters rotates - must rotate to be functional. That will make it a little dicy to use with a Lee filter system.

Edward, its not too hard actually. You fit the polariser, then the ring for the filter holder and adjust the polarisation ttl with both of these in place. Then slip the filter holder over the ring. Its possible to slide a grad up and down without upsetting the polariser setting, and the rotation on my polarisers is about stiff enough to inhibit the holder from slopping about if you're careful.