Need help chosing filter size for multiple lenses

[john_arnsdorf]

At the moment, I have only a single lens. It is a Rodenstock 150mm that would use a filter with a diameter

of 49mm. I hope to be purchasing a 210mm Rodenstock in the near future and it will have a 72mm

diameter filter requirement. I would like to buy as few filters as possible and was thinking about buying

all my filters at 72mm in anticipation of my longer lens. I know there are step-up rings that can be

purchased but this is where my question starts. Is it too large a difference between 49mm and 72mm to

use a step-up ring? I have been looking at the B+W line of filters and I have read a lot of positive things

about their multi-coated filters. I am fairly certain this is the brand I would like to purchase. However, I

have noticed that they do not carry a step-up ring that makes that large of a jump. This is what makes

me think it is not a good idea to step up that far.

 

Anybody have any ideas?

 

Any filter recommendations appreciated. I am shooting Ilford FP4 plus black and white film and my

subject matter is mostly landscape.

 

Thanks,

John

[j_rgen_loob]

John

 

Heliopan (Germany) have a step up ring from M49x0,75 to M72x0,75 . I myself have and use

this step up ring and all my filters are Heliopan . So there is no reason for thinking ,

" it is not a good idea to step up that far" . They even have a step up ring from M49x0,75 to

M77x0,75 . So go ahead , there is no problem . I prefer the "slim line" filters . Most Heliopan

Filters are "slim line" today .

Regards Jurgen

[dan_v]

John,

 

I have the same Rodenstock 150 lens, as well as a number of other makes that take filter sizes up to 67mm; so I settled on two step up rings that, combined, work well for my 67mm filters.

 

B+W and Heliopan both have good reputations and I lean towards these brands, but I'm sure there are other good filter manufacturers out there.

 

Step up rings are easy to find. IIRC, I got mine cheap from Hong Kong. Check Ebay or any of the large suppliers like Adorama.com or BHPhotoVideo.com.

 

-Dan

[danny burk www.dannyburk.]

I do exactly as you plan, i.e. have a set of 72mm filters and use step-up rings for smaller lens threads. One of these is a Rodenstock 150mm Sironar-S with 49mm thread. No problem getting a step-up ring to fit; I use rings in 72 to 49, 72 to 52, and 72 to 67.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to buy both B+W and Heliopan filters; both are very high quality. I do avoid Tiffen step-up rings. They're the easiest to find, but are aluminum and therefore have a tendency to stick. I use brass rings from B+W; well worth the extra expense.

 

Regards,

[ken_schroeder]

John, the arguments for standardizing on the largest size and using step-up rings certainly have a logical case. Two questions come to mind:

Long-term, do you plan to purchase a third lens? If so, that size filter might be thrown into the equation. If it is 72mm or smaller, that's fine. You might need only another step-up ring. If it's larger, you might want to start with that size filter now.

Second question: What filters do you presently own? Most of us come to 4x5 from a smaller format. In my case I already owned a number of filters in the 46 to 55 mm range, as well as series VII. I standardized on 52mm since I already owned them from my Nikon kit. Filters in that size range take very little space in the 4x5 bag. That gives you a choice with your 150 mm. (Get a step-up ring, too for filters you don't already own in the small size.) I use a 40,5 to 52 ring for my 135 Symmar and a 46 to 52 ring for my 105 Fujinon. As an aside, a 58 to 52 step down ring seems to work fine on the 180 Symmar. I am careful about the extremes with this ring.

In selecting filters, I recommend starting with the yellows. The old Wratten numbers were K1, K2 and K3. I find so many landscapes over filtered. Give yourself the printing option of a slightly filtered negative even if you also use a stronger filter. YOur taste will dictate which to continue printing.

[vinny_walsh]

As mentioned above, i'd go with B+W filters. They're owned by schneider and very well

made. The rings are much thinner than Tiffen filters and don't bind up like tiffen's will.

The thinner ring allows you to stack filters if you need to on the lens. I recommend

getting some filter stacker caps and putting all of your filters together with the caps for

storage. It's indestructable and handy to fit in your pocket. Filterstackers.com. As for

filters i'd start with a yellow 12 and orange G or equivalent, and a pola.

The generic step up rings from b&h work fine for me but you may need to get 2 to step all

the way up to 72mm. That's okay though with most lenses, 72mm was my standard size

until i picked up a lens with a 77mm thread. I leave them on the lenses and replaced my

lens caps with Tamron lens caps which hold on really well.

[brian_ellis16]

I've used almost every brand of filter that's made at one time or another, including B+W, Heliopan, Tiffen, Hoya, and others I don't now remember. I've never seen any difference in the photographs made with any particular brand of filter. I certainly could never go back through my photographs and say "Oh yes, I used a B+W filter for that photograph and a Hoya for that one and a Tiffen for that one." The only serious test I've ever seen involving different filter brands was one done by Joe England many years ago, in which he demonstrated that different brands of polarizers produced slightly different color casts. But even there the difference was small, no one brand was "better" than the others they were just different, and even the minimal differences probably wouldn't have been noticed without seeing his test images side by side.

 

So given the price differences between various filter brands I decided not to spend the money on B+W or Heliopan filters. I settled on Tiffen as a reasonably priced brand that produced as good results as any other brand and I figured that if Tiffen was good enough for John Sexton it was good enough for me. Just as an aside, I also follow John's advice of using filters as little as possible. I rarely use them for skies any more, I've come to dislike those very dark skies that are so ubiquitous among black and white landscape photographers. About the only time I use a filter is to prevent colors from merging, e.g. a red apple against a green leaf background. And occasionally a polarizer to remove reflections. That's about it.

 

I've never thought about buying multi-coated filters. I figured that since my lenses were all either single or multi-coated there was no reason to do that. Is there some advantage to multi-coated filters even with coated lenses?

 

As others have said, the jump from 49 to 72 shouldn't be a problem and even though B+W may not make a step-up ring of those sizes other companies do. Adorama carries step-up rings in almost every conceivable combination and I'm sure other places do as well.

[abrepsom1]

I might be wrong, but if I can remember correctly, my Rodenstock Sironar N 5.6/210 mm took a 67 mm filter, not 72 mm. I have sold it, so I can't check anymore.

 

The only reason not to work with a step-up ring would be if you'd like to use a rubber lens hood that is mounted on the filter thread. Of course you could still use the largest possible hood with your step-up ring, but it might not offer the same protection if it were too wide.

 

Sometimes, I even use a combination of 2 step-up rings. It works perfectly fine.

[pvp]

Yup. Buy the filters for the largest lens, then step-up rings for the rest.

 

As for brand, once you get to the major players in the filter game (see Brian's list for a good starting point) the real differences between them are mostly imaginary. By that, I mean you'll never be able to tell the difference.

 

I have heard that brass filter mounts (B&W?) are less likely to seize to the lens, but since I started carrying a few rubberbands in my bag I've never been unable to unscrew a filter. Maybe if you're headed to Antarctica...

[graham_patterson1]

I use a 49 to 77 step up ring (actually more of a disc), and generally carry 77mm filters for my 90mm and step them for the 135mm. I also have a Cokin P mount that meets most of my lens hood needs by adding or removing a hood unit. The only Cokin filter I have is a polariser, the rest are all screw fit. For a while I carried 49mm filters (I have a few from smaller formats) until I acquired the 77mm ones. For landscape I like a range of yellow, yellow/green, and green. Red is used rarely.

[leicaglow]

As a fellow cheapskate, I've done this for years. I use 52mm and 72mm Nikon filters for everything, from B50 to 72 (and I've even used a 77mm step down filter to 72).

[tito sobrinho]

Since I have a potpourri of older LF lenses, I bought the Voss Filter Holder to be used with my 3"x3" Kodak Wratten filters (B&W and CC).

The holder, has 2 barn doors that can be employed as a lens hood.

 

It also works very well on my newer LF lenses.

[mikeodonoghue]

Filter gels 100x100mm come in all colors and can be held in front of the lens while making the exposure or inserted in a slot in some lens shades (compendiums).