Filters for Canon Lenses

[joseph_gledhill]

I am after a UV and a polarizing filter and a UV for my EF 35mm f/1.4

L USM and EF 135mm f/2 L USM lens and have a couple of questions.

#Which polarizing filter is better - Canon's own or Moose's - they

both seem roughly the same price?

#Are the Pro 1 Hoya filters only for extreme wide angles? Would they

suit my lenses or would the HMC be just as good?

#How do they Pro 1 filters attatch if they do not screw in?

 

Thanks.

[bill_goldman]

Although there are strong opinions both for and against using filters for lens protection, among those in favor, the expert opinion is that the Hoya SMC (especially PRO1s) and the B+W filters are the best and easier than the Hoyas to clean. Canon filters are not considered very good. Canon reportadly does not manufacture them, they are made by Tiffen or some other manufacturer. I don't know how good Moose's filters are.

 

As for the Hoya Pro1s, they do indeed screw in and also have a front filter thread which accepts Canon lens caps securely. I have these on each of my lenses. They are super thin and very light weight since they have an aluminum mount ring. Some prefer the brass mount rings on the B+W filters. I have had zero problems with the aluminum rings binding on the lens. They come off readily if need be.

[bill_goldman]

BTW, the B+W filters I referred to are the MRCs multicoated.

[dave_lewis]

I use B+W filters for most of my lenses. They are all multi-coated (called MRC) -- Yes, they're more money...but there is a difference.

[fj5]

I use Hoya HMC and Super HMC. They screw in like any other filter. And no, Hoyas don't just have to be for wide angles. I would say, however, that the more expensive multi coated ones are much better than the cheapy consumer level ones. I did a test and held up a cheap Hoya filter against a bright ceiling lamp. I saw quite the reflection on my ceiling. I held up an HMC filter, and the reflection was MUCH LESS than that of the cheapy. Finally, I am receiving a Super HMC in the mail and I'm going to test that out asap. I assume it would even be less than the HMC. I believe I read this:

 

Hoya lowest grade ~ 90-95% transmission

Hoya HMC grade ~ 97% transmission

Hoya Super HMC ~ 99.7% transmission

 

At first, I thought 90% was fine... but do my test, it's ridiculous!