This may be a stupid question, but is there a noticeable difference between Tiffen, Hoya, B&W, etc filters? I am looking at getting a 52mm circ polarizer and there is a significant cost difference ($25 to $75) between the makes. Is the more expensive filter worth the extra $$?
As with lenses, there is a difference, so it seems this would hold true for filters. What is your favored maker of filters?
Thanks
I remember reading a write up about filter brand comparisons and the gist of it was that the dirt cheap ones were horrible where the middle and high end were for all intents and purposes basically the same. I think when you get to the higher end you get nifty features like brass rings, thinner glass and shallow rims.
I purchased a couple new circler polarizers this year and bout the new B&W MRC Kausment with the nano coating, and it appears to be much better than the nIkons that I was using.
Having had them all at one time or another...from 52 to 77mm we're talkin' Heliopan/ B&W/ Nikon/ Hoya/ Singh Ray etc.
I've come to love the Marumi line of filters. Great quality that won't break the bank. You're lucky you only need a 52mm,
so get yourself a good one the 1st time around.
When I looked into it a few years ago, it was clear that there were three tiers, best to lowest:
1) B+W, Heliopan, Hoya's top line
2) Hoya's second line, Nikon
3) Canon, Tiffen, QuantaRay and renamed brands.
I don't think much has changed. Tiffens use gel cemented between glass for six surfaces. Canons may have improved; I don't know. I hear more about Marumi and will have to look into them later; I already use a Marumi lens hood for my 100 mm EF macro.
I have been very impressed with the B+W Kaeseman Circular Polarizing Multi-Resistant Coating (MRC) Filter. The B+W brass rings do make a difference in installation and removal - just feel nice.
I agree with Monito above - B+W, Heliopan and Hoya are top of the line.
The kaeseman B+W filters are edge sealed and can help durability in harsh environments (high humidity or salt spray come to mind).
If you only use your CP occasionally - a lower priced filter will probably be fine, but if used a lot or you are concerned about getting the best image quality, invest in the better filters.
There are some good prices for B+W and Hoya filters from Hong Kong - just watch for fakes. Do a search for reliable shops (often around 1/2 list price).
i have both the Kaeseman in the new nano version and the tiffen HT. they both do the same job of polarizing but the light loss is a lot less through the tiffen.
Thank you for all the feedback. I had not heard of the Marumi brand before but the reviews (and comments here) show them to be a top contender. For my budget it starting to look like the Marumi or the Hoya Digital.
Scott
The best CPs I've had are the Hoya HDs. They are very thin, clean easily, turn smoothly and don't impart weird color casts. I've had no problems with scratching, and they are claimed to be much more break-resistant also, though I haven't had occasion to test that and don't plan to. I haven't used the high-end B&W (Kaesemann) filters, but the lower-end B&Ws are unimpressive to me. Similar in price to the better Hyas, but not good mechanically - very sticky to turn and prone to getting stuck, despite being brass, and the thin models have no front threads.
Y'all want low loss ...the Singh Ray LB only costs ya ~2/3 stop. It's not coated but this was a non issue
when used as a custom drop-in with my 300 f2.8 VR. Sick IQ, but it'll cost ya.
I have couple of Zeiss CP filters and I can't get them to flare in any situation and they are very high quality. I had couple of cheaper CPL:s earlier and they lowered the image quality too much and tend to get stuck to the filter thread.
trenchmonkey wrote:
Y'all want low loss ...the Singh Ray LB only costs ya ~2/3 stop. It's not coated but this was a non issue
when used as a custom drop-in with my 300 f2.8 VR. Sick IQ, but it'll cost ya.
quote from SR: "using the LB Polarizer adds only 1-1/3 f-stop to your exposures!"
its roughly a 2/3 stop diff from the B+W and other standards ones but the same as the Tiffen HT and Hoya HD
...the Singh Ray LB only costs ya ~2/3 stop. 
It's not coated but this was a non issue 
Well, I knew there was a 2/3's in there somewhere 