New Elan 7E and 28-135 IS USM...what filters?

[bob_hayden]

Hi all,

 

I am the expectant soon-to-be new owner of an Elan 7E, EF 28-135mm IS

USM lens and 420EX Speedlight. Finally, my AE-1P is upgraded to AF

modern photgraphy. I plan on getting a BP-300 battery pack, lens hood

and possibly the ED-E eye cup.

 

The main question I have is on filters - types and brands I should

look for and stay away from. With the 28-135mm lens and hood, is

there anything special I should look for filter wise to avoid

degradation of lens performance? Am I best sticking to Canon brand

filters? I'm probably looking at a circulare polarizer and a skylight

or UV or Haze filter, somewhat for protection of the lens front. I

plan on using the camera for a wide range of photography -- travel,

my kid, trains, sports and maybe some portraits.

 

Thanks for any and all advice. - Bob

[mick_j]

Hi Bob,

Its a pretty good setup you're getting, I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.

I used the exact setup just recently. I used Hoya Multi Coated filters and got great results. The only problem was when I stacked the CP filter on top of the UV filter. When I used the lens at 28mm The filters frame cut across the corners of my shots. It wasn't visible at the time as the Elan7E view finder doesn't show 100% coverage.

So my advice is to get Thin Filters or take the UV filter off when using the CP filter.

 

Hope that Helps

 

Cheers

 

Mickj

[yakim_peled1]

I never had problems protecting my lenses without filters. Lens hood and lens cap were enough. That is for any protective (e.g. skylight or UV or Haze) filters.

 

Circular polarizer : Personally, I am a great favor of quality so I will recommend you the best, B+W or Heliopan. Price ? You'll have to see for yourself if it fits.

 

Another thing, I find the E1 handstrap very convenient.

 

Happy shooting ,

Yakim.

[nikb]

Bob,

 

Excellent potential equipment! I have the same setup (along with quite a few others on this list).

 

I've used Hoya filters and found them to be excellent (both performance-wise and vakue-wise), but try to get the multi-coated ones for better quality. I don't have any experience of other brands, so I can't comment on them. The filters I use most often are a circular polariser (to increase colour saturation), a UV (to minimise the bluish colour cast with landscapes, and general lens protection), and an 81B (to warm pictures on overcast days, or at sunrise/sunset).

 

As another poster said, the only catch with filters on this lens is you really have to use them one at a time to avoid vignetting at 28mm, else get the really thin filters.

 

Nik

[chris_fisher1]

Hope you like the new camera when you get it. I got the Elan 7E (EOS 30 in the UK) and 28-135 IS lens a couple of weeks ago. I upgraded from the Rebel 2000 with 28-90mm. Both nice cameras, but the 7E really seems good value, then lens is also very quick focus, and very quiet. Slight wirring sound with the IS turned on.

 

So far I have only a UV filter for lens protection. Replacing one of those is going to be much less than replacing the lens. Mine is a Hoya and is fine. I will add to this a polarizer, but I will probably pay out for hoya professional level one to get the thin mount. I am probably going to get a wide angle zoom, so I might go for a 77mm polarizer and then use a stepping ring to use it on the 28-135mm lens. Anyone else tried this.

 

I don't ever stack filters, why put more stuff in the way of the film than you need to? Take the UV off.

 

Chris.

[bill j.]

A Conon 72 mm circular polarizer is both good and a thin mount. Canon's polarizers, unlike their UV filters, are made in Japan, have a good coating and I've been pleae with mine.

 

Don't stack filters.

 

Unimportantly, because it is purely a matter of personal taste, I use Hoya multicoated skylights as protective filters and have been satisfied with them.

[adam_deglmann]

I second the vote for B+W UV filters. They're worth the money IMO.

[nigel whitaker]

Until a few months ago, I also had a 28-135 IS, used on an EOS5, and I found it to be a great lens.

 

All the comments about not stacking filters are right. Mine lived with a UV filter on all the time, except when I wanted to use graduated filters, or a polariser. I use Cokin P filters, and the filter holder would become visible in the corners of the frame if I tried using the filer holder without removing the UV filter.

 

I think it'sgoing to be a case of try it and see. If you only use round glass filters, and use them one at a time, you shouldn't have any problem, whatever the brand, but stacking filters onthis lens will lead to disapointment.

[wayne_yoshida1]

I agree with the above posters. I use a Hoya multicoated UV and a (normal) Hoya circular polarizer on a 28-135. Neither will cause significant vignetting by itself, but I've verified that both together will definitely cause you to lose your corners at 28mm.

 

So you're going to swap filters between UV and polarizer when necessary...In this case, you might want to be aware that I often have problems with the Hoya filters binding to the front thread of the 28-135 because the Hoya ring is made of aluminum. If you're going to change filters a lot, you may want to take Yakim's suggestion: B+W or Heliopan, which have brass rings and supposedly have less binding problems. B+W 72mm filters are horrendously expensive, especially the circular polarizers, but they are excellent and if you can afford them you probably want them.

 

As far as I'm aware, relatively few people use Canon brand filters other than the 250D and 500D close-up filters.

[rich_b1]

I have the older 28-135 lens without ISM, however I believe the specs are similar. While it usually performs well, it is prone to flare, and stacking filters will just increase that problem. You will definitely get vignetting at the lower end of focal length if you stack them. Even the thin filters are not the answer, since, at least the Hoya's that I use, have no threads on the outside, and you cannot stack them. Incidentally, since there are no threads, you cna't use the original lens cap and the thin filter comes with a cheesey slide on cap which always falls off. IMO, you should use the regular filters, but only 1 at a time.

[canon man]

Hoya and Tiffen Filters will give you the same quality get the multicoated if you can. For 77mm filters though you are not going to like th price and will be tempted to buy cheapo filters. don't it ain't worth it. I always here these stories about the filter protected my lens if it weren't fopr the filter.. A filter adds a piece of glass which will increase flare and is another peice of glass for the light to pass through and further defract. Its simple Physics. Definetly get a Pola, if you shoot B/W get the red green and yellow. I I also have filters to correct light temperature(orange blue to correct light. I do not have a UV filter. I carry my camera with me everywhere I go. Hell normally I have a 630 packed in the bottom of the bag as a backup with 400 ISO or color slide. If you don't make it a habit of bumping your lens into things or trying to get pictures of crips tagging walls, your lens should not need any protection. Just excercise discretion. I carry my filters in my bag, and I might screw one on on alternate Tuesdays if the moon is blue and maybe if Saturn is aligned with mars while perindicular to Mercury. They are nice when you need them but a necassary item 100% of the time.

[artie_kraemer]

I just bought the same setup but I got the 550ex flash unit. Anyway, I got a # of filters for my 28-135 mm. I got the tamron 72mm circular polorizing filter because I found the outer rotating ring on that filter seems to be smoother and it really gives nice effect. If you are shooting black and white go with a Tiffen med red filter, a med yellow filter, and a med blue filter. Aside from the Tameron filter everything else I have is Tiffen. I would also recommend getting a ND filter if you plan on using slow shutter speeds. DEFINATELY get the BP-300. I have it....its great!!!!! No need for the eyecup though. When you have to reload film you have to take it off because it is too big. Stick with the standard...

[maxasst]

I have the Elan 7E QD with 420EX, bp-300, Ed-E eyecup and 28-105 USM II and in my experience, the eyecup makes for nice shading when shooting in bright light or when light is over your shoulder, but I discovered that when I got the 420ex, I had to remove the flash before removing the eyecup in order to open the camera back to change film. Inconvenient.

 

The lens hood is very useful for side and oblique lighting, and can stay on the lens, placed backwards so as not to take up room in your bag. If light is from the front or back, the hood is useless.

 

I have a Tiffen circular polarizer, regular kind, on my 28-105 USM II lens and it will vignette when the UV filter is left in place, none without. It is aluminum and does bind. I am also worried that I might be cross threading since the binding is so firm. I like the filter's effect, but if this breaks, I'll look into the other kinds that reportedly don't bind, those made of brass. I use the Cokin P filter system with the UV filter in place because when I want to use a special effect or use a color/grad filter, I do it in a rush as my wife and children are not patient, so having the cheapo Canon UV filter is the one to take the abuse of threading the steel adapter cokin ring. These decisions were made more financially than practicality at the time, and if I were to do it again, I wouldn't buy the aluminum ring circle filters and just stick with the Cokin P. My thinking about filters has changed from "that effect looks cool" to considering how to manipulate the available light "how can I compress the EV range to fit the film in my camera" and in doing so, I have leaned more towards scenic shots with the heavy graduated filters, circular polarizers and colored polarizers for a nice tonal range without extremes, but judiciously using warm filter and the star effects on my kiddie's pictures during christmas shots, or soft effects "filters" and vignetters for our newborn son's pictures. In this regard, it is mandatory to have a tripod to allow quick changes of filters, and a good ballhead helps recompose shots of moving objects like kids. I mention this because there is light loss with filters and motion artifact will degrade the picture once you cross a threshold of shutter speed where handholding is difficult.

 

Roy

[bob_hayden]

Many thanks to all for the advice and opinions. Nice to see that there is a unified consensus, hahaha.

 

Seriously, it seems that B+W, Hoya Multi-Coats and Heliopan are generally regarded as the best filters. The jury is mixed on the Canon filters. The bigest concern seems to be the inability to stack filters (such as a UV and Circ Pol) without vignetting at the wide end of the lens.

 

Anyone use the Hoya Ultra Circ Pol/UV combo filter? This is a coated lens that seems like it would avoid the vignetting problem.

 

I'm looking forward to getting my new camera next week, so I hope to have some filters by then as well. Thanks again for the responses.

 

Bob in RSM, CA