On 8/20/06, Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I remember Gary Reese's admonitions on lousy filter quality and that it
> was almost independent of price. But I've always been curious about
> whether his tests with a vertical autocollimator actually translated
> into visible differences on the image. It always struck me odd that the
> majority of the filters he tested were deemed unusable.
>
> Any comments or recommendations?
>
> Chuck Norcutt
Not having a vertical autocollimator of my own, I once tested every
filter I own using a test shot that included a very large glare spot
off the paint of a black Weber grill (Gary's suggestion). I could not
see any indication that there had even been any glass in the filters,
using the inspection method I used at the time (light table and
loupe).
In the field I did notice that my 77mm Tiffen polarizer noticably
degraded the images from my Tamron SP 80-200, so it definitely can
happen. The Hoyas have always been good enough for me, as they have
apparently been for Olympus through the years. My recollection from
discussions with Gary on this is that more Hoyas passed his test than
others, but I think even he would admit it was not a scientific test
from that standpoint.
Whatever you buy, test it, and if it degrades the image, send it back.
That's the rule I took away from Gary's test.
Joel W.
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