filters at DVinfo.net

Robert Luke · July 20th, 2005, 02:01 AM

So i am about to be on the market for a new set of filters because the filters i used to have ran away from home or were kidnapped or abandoned or ubducted by extra terrestrials. It was a cute lil cheap set by mercury optics that i got through a really crappy store. Do not shop at royalcamera.com. you will get screwed.

so i can't find my filters so i was looking at the canon filter set for the xl cameras. $150ish maybe less if i wanted to shop online but i don't trust it. i was wondering what people thought of canon optics or if they could suggest somethign better the set i used to have had UV, CP, and FD. I'm not sure how much the florecent helped but it was a nifty idea. I was also wondering why the heck the filter set had a ND filter seeing as how it was built in in the lenses?

i also can't find my video light. that bites seeing as how i also need to get a 915 battery. i'm hoping my boss will just let me have the 911 battery seeing as how it's lying in a pile of junk and doesnt' fit in any of hte cameras we sell (except GL2 and XL2 but don't tell her that)

Brent Ray · July 20th, 2005, 08:36 AM

I've used Tiffen filters and they work extremely well with my XL2. Between Tiffen and Century Optics, you really can't go wrong with any of their filters. Granted, you'll pay more for these brands, but the quality is much higher. Do some internet searches and you should be able to find very good 3-piece filter kits from these companies for under $200.

Robert Luke · July 21st, 2005, 07:30 PM

how important are the optics of a filter? any idea how much difference century optics will make as oppose to canon filters?

Brian Wells · July 21st, 2005, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Luke

how important are the optics of a filter? any idea how much difference century optics will make as oppose to canon filters?

The quality of the materials is vastly different. The filters that Century Optics sells are actually Schneider filters. Schneiders are made of high quality "wafer white" glass whereas other brands (Tiffen, for example) are made out of "green" soda lime glass. I am not sure what Canon filters are made out of, perhaps nothing of substance... Certain brands like the older Formatt and Cokin filters are made of an optical "resin" and I'm not even certain what that is. It isn't glass so far as I can tell. Good filters (such as Schneider) will have a "hard" antireflective coating. Cheaper ones do not.

Of course, the benefits of real glass and antireflective coating must improve the image enough to justify the price difference. The raw materials cost of "wafer white" glass is 4x as much as "green" glass, and the retail prices reflect the difference. The reason other brands are cheaper is clear... well, technically they aren't "clear" which is the problem...

Stephanie Wilson · July 22nd, 2005, 06:30 PM

Robert,

Man you are really having a tough time...

Just a few thoughts as the previous post explained the quality of the filters extremely well.

I would incourage you to trust the internet. I purchased all of my gear, over 6,500 dollors worth of it, online. It took weeks of research to find the best prices and the best resellers but I believe it was totally worth it. Most offer free shipping and no sales tax. I'd be happy to share any of the sites if anyone out there is interested.

Good luck finding your stuff! Maybe the aliens left little green footprints?

Stephanie

Chris Hurd · July 22nd, 2005, 06:45 PM

Hi Stephanie,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephanie Wilson

I'd be happy to share any of the sites if anyone out there is interested.

Please do so by private email. In deference to our highly valued site sponsors, we do not allow discussions of dealers who do not support our message boards. Thanks in advance,

Stephanie Wilson · July 22nd, 2005, 07:31 PM

Chris,

Man oh man, am I in trouble now. Second error in as many days. Sorry, I didn't know.

Many apologies,

Stephanie

July 20th, 2005, 02:01 AM	#1
Robert Luke Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 45	filters So i am about to be on the market for a new set of filters because the filters i used to have ran away from home or were kidnapped or abandoned or ubducted by extra terrestrials. It was a cute lil cheap set by mercury optics that i got through a really crappy store. Do not shop at royalcamera.com. you will get screwed. so i can't find my filters so i was looking at the canon filter set for the xl cameras. $150ish maybe less if i wanted to shop online but i don't trust it. i was wondering what people thought of canon optics or if they could suggest somethign better the set i used to have had UV, CP, and FD. I'm not sure how much the florecent helped but it was a nifty idea. I was also wondering why the heck the filter set had a ND filter seeing as how it was built in in the lenses? i also can't find my video light. that bites seeing as how i also need to get a 915 battery. i'm hoping my boss will just let me have the 911 battery seeing as how it's lying in a pile of junk and doesnt' fit in any of hte cameras we sell (except GL2 and XL2 but don't tell her that)

July 20th, 2005, 08:36 AM	#2
Brent Ray Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Westford, MA Posts: 145	I've used Tiffen filters and they work extremely well with my XL2. Between Tiffen and Century Optics, you really can't go wrong with any of their filters. Granted, you'll pay more for these brands, but the quality is much higher. Do some internet searches and you should be able to find very good 3-piece filter kits from these companies for under $200.

July 21st, 2005, 07:30 PM	#3
Robert Luke Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 45	how important are the optics of a filter? any idea how much difference century optics will make as oppose to canon filters?

July 22nd, 2005, 06:30 PM	#5
Stephanie Wilson Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Sherman Oaks CA Posts: 255	Robert, Man you are really having a tough time... Just a few thoughts as the previous post explained the quality of the filters extremely well. I would incourage you to trust the internet. I purchased all of my gear, over 6,500 dollors worth of it, online. It took weeks of research to find the best prices and the best resellers but I believe it was totally worth it. Most offer free shipping and no sales tax. I'd be happy to share any of the sites if anyone out there is interested. Good luck finding your stuff! Maybe the aliens left little green footprints? Stephanie

July 22nd, 2005, 07:31 PM	#7
Stephanie Wilson Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: Sherman Oaks CA Posts: 255	Chris, Man oh man, am I in trouble now. Second error in as many days. Sorry, I didn't know. Many apologies, Stephanie