A bad CP-filter

[DonSchap]

About two years ago, I bought a ø86mm CP-filter for the TAMRON SP AF 200-500mm f/5-6.3 Di LD lens off of ebay, at an unbelievable price, considering its size. Believe me, this is no small piece of glass, either.

So ... for some reason, I placed it in the padded pouch and on one of my many "shelves", forgetting why I had, after using it at Oshkosh AirVenture 2007. I just found it, again ... put it on the new 200-500, autofocused on my focus target and immediately found out why:

No Filter


UV-Filter


OEC CPL-Filter


How in the heck do you deal with that?

Can you imagine reaching into your bag ... placing this filter on your lens and then shooting an entire event unaware of the damage it was doing to every single shot? I had caught it early, back then, and "shelved" the thing. I think it would simply be better off in the trash. It's even worse than a kit lens. LOL <- not!

In fact, yours truly went looking to see if other people have enjoyed this kind of distortion and you have to watch this video clip (<click on this) & video clip 2.

Here it is ... in all its ... distortion-filled self. A great way to ruin the performance of a great lens!

EXIF: A700 w/ CZ 135mm f/1.8
@ f/19 - 1/90 sec. - ISO-400 - CW Avg. Metering - Spot Focus - M - Pop-up Flash

[Visual Reality]

It's big enough to be a small cup holder.

[dr4gon]

Oh my..... yeah definitely a cupholder. It's a good thing you didn't end up with an entire series with that on it!

[DonSchap]

Well, the "shelves" are not a great location to be.

If it isn't in my bags ... it has issues. Cheap CPs will usually ruin your images. I've even had ø77mm UV-filters that screwed up the autofocus ... and on a $1700 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, that is like the last place you want your autofocus getting screwed up! It is a learning experience. Some lessons are a lot worse than others.

[seanhoxx]

I can shoot like that all by myself I don't need no stinking CP to help me LOL
O.K. lets all say it together on three... you get what you pay for, except for most tamron lenses, there you get more then you pay for. I can imagine the frustration of a newbie "like me" trying to figure out what the hell he was doing wrong.

[DonSchap]

Well, I replaced that awful ø86mm, today, because I am attending the Chicago Air & Water Show (exactly why you would need one of these). Yeah, another $100+ bites the dust, but I am covered for the event. Wish I had been able to get one, for the AirVenture, Oshkosh Show ... but, believe it or not, the entire Chicago-area was out of them, the Thursday before the event. So ... I bit one more time ... and Calumet Photographic, Oakbrook had ONE (1) Tiffen CPL in stock!

And here is the parting shot, with the SUNPAK MC-UV and the Tiffen 86C Pro CPL stacked ...

Wow, what a change! A change I can really live with.

Even the filter case is "quality" ...

[dr4gon]

How is tiffen quality? I always thought of them as being on the lower end. I was thinking of getting a 67mm CPL for my 18-50mm. I was looking at a multi coated one that was like $80ish at B&H and adorama by Hoya. HMC I think was the line of the filter.

[DonSchap]

I coordinate pretty close with the local TAMRON representative/distributor when trying to get some inside track on lenses and filters. Tiffen Pro CCP ($108) has often turned up to be one of the most cost-effective filters available. If you can pop another $40 for effectively equal performance, then you go with Hoya ($145), another $70 ... B+W MRC ($214), or for an additional $130 over the Tiffen ... yeah, the Heliopan ($241).

I've shown you the results I quickly got right out of the box with the Tiffen CP ... it is sharp and does not interfere with autofocus. That's pretty darn useful in my book. But, I am the last to restrict the use of big bucks ... so I suggest you buy what you want, I have chosen mine and it goes out in the sunshine, tomorrow.

I'm not going get in a contest with Tiffen against the others. The prices are all over the place and if you choose a Heliopan Kaeseman MRC Circular Polarizer ... you are close to $400! LOL ... yeah, now that's quality for my next photography lifetime.

If you do come across a "CP-filter shoot out" ... where these large filters are clearly demonstrated, I'm up for examining it, but I'm not put out that kind of cash for my own personal efforts. I feel it would be used in a superior lens.

[dr4gon]

Yeah like I said I'm wanting to spend at most like $85 on something like this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...izer_HMC_.html

cheapest, most decent, multi-coated digital camera filter, just wondering how they all stacked up. Thanks for the your time and effort as always!

[DonSchap]

Yeah like I said I'm wanting to spend at most like $85 on something like this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...izer_HMC_.html

cheapest, most decent, multi-coated digital camera filter, just wondering how they all stacked up. Thanks for the your time and effort as always!

Hey, that is a ø67mm filter ... not an ø86mm ... size is usually everything, when it comes to price! LOL

On my ø67mm filter-ringed lenses, I'm using SUNPAK CP on the 28-75mm and a Tiffen CP on the 17-50mm, because I routinely use the lens hood and avoid the coating issue, that way. If you opt to shoot w/o the lens hood ... then the coating is the best way to avoid lens flare.

The ø55mm; ø62mm; ø77mm (UWA-only) filter-ringed lenses all use the SUNPAK CPLs.

On my ø72mm filter-ringed lens ... TAMRON CPL ... yeah, no kidding!

The last Hoya CPL filter I had sprung for was for the 77mmø Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens. It went with that lens when it was sold off. The SUNPAK CPL did not perform well on this lens. It change the autofocus by almost 2-inches at seven feet. I already suspect I may have to go with a Tiffen or Hoya ø77mm CPL for the upcoming TAMRON SP AF 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD MACRO lens.