I have recently bought a Jessops UV Filter to use on my Sony VX2100, to protect the lens. I have found that I now get quite significant reflections between the UV Filter and the lens, and wondered if this was fairly normal for a £11 UV Filter. Do more expensive filters manage to significantly reduce this problem?
I am not interested in the UV filtering aspect of the filter, merely its use to reduce any chance of damage to the lens.
Yes, more expensive filters make a HUGE difference. Just like you, I first used a £11 UV filter, and saw major reflections between the filter, the lens and the lens surround when used in sunlight at certain angles.
I then relented, after Tom H's (and others') advice here, and bought a pukka £25 super-duper genuinely multi-multi- coated UV filter (Hoya, I think). What a difference! Even just looking at the two filters side by side you can see an enormous difference in the extent of reflection. And the resultant video also shows this.
To go the whole, hog, you also need a matte box as well as a decent UV filter, but that's another story....
Thank you Mooblie. I'll say it again - a 58 mm filter costing £11 won't be coated at all, believe me. You go to your Sony shop and hand over £1700 for a VX2100. The salesman smiles and tells you matter of factly that the front element of this fine 12x zoom lens is completely uncoated. How do you feel now? Would you still buy this model when the fully multi-coated version cost just £13 more? No you would not, and for very good reason.
I have a test I show people. I have two VX2ks. One has an uncoated UV and the other has a Hoya S-HMC UV. In less than 3 minutes I would have you skimming your £11 UV out over the lake, and you'd be smiling as you did it.
As you say, ignore the UV side of things as all glass absorbs UV. The mechanical insurance protection offered by another slab of glass in front of the VAP has to be weighed against the disadvantage of adding two more (dust-attracting) surfaces and the fact that converter lenses require you to take the filter off.
Use the excellent, efficient, expensive, shadowed, aspect ratio hood that came with your VX2k and dispense with the filter. This is my recommendation.
tom.
Thanks for the replies. That is pretty much what I was expecting, except that I was not expecting the cheap filter to be as bad as it is!!
I see Jessops sell the 58mm Hoya HMC UV Filter for £18.49 and the 58mm Hoya Super HMC Pro-1 UV Filter for £31.99. Their website seems to imply that the main difference is the thickness of the ring. Can you tell me whether the 'Super' version is likely to be any better for my purpose? Also, will the standard Hoya version fit on the VX2100 with the lens hood attached?
Incidentally, I always use the lens hood, but I'm just a bit worried about something happening to the VX2100 which could have been avoided by a decent UV filter!
Go for the Hoya HMC Pro-1 Supers - I did. The Supers have more multi-coating layers (12?) than the Ordinaries(?), don't they?
The Sony supplied lens hood fits over it, and yet the filter DOES have a female filter thread if you want to add more.... some filters only have the male thread, and hence won't take any more filters/hoods on the front. You never know, you might need it one day.
All this supposes the PD-170 and VX2100 are the same in this department, I'm sure.
I'd back mooblie again and say go for the best filter you can afford. You can be sure that Sony know the value in coating their zoom's front element (the non moving half of the vari-angle prism actually) with the best coating available, as this is THE most important element to coat. Adding a filter simply means you have a new front element, and this becomes the important element.
Sony make some UV and ND filters with absolutely superb coating, but they generally don't have filter threads. This is designed to discourage stacking filters - a good idea with tiny chipped camcorders. I've just seen some expensive Tiffen filters, and was very surprised to find they were completely uncoated. Beware 7dayshop.com too. They describe a lot of their filters as 'coated', yet they aren't.
The PD170 and VX2100 both share the same 'lens cap' lens hood. It's not as good a hood as that supplied with the 2000/150, but it has the added advantage of including the shutter.
tom.
Tom,
I've got a HDR-HC1 on order, and you've convinced me to get a high quality multi-coated UV filter for it. It has a 37mm mount.
I've checked locally (Bath) and online, and I can't find anyone who carries the Hoya Super HMC Pro-1 UV Filter, or any other multi-coated filter, in this size. Can find lots in the larger sizes. I've also seen a B&W MRC one recommended, this one http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=120346&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
But I can't find that in the UK either. I can find both the cheaper B&W and Hoya ones, but not these "premuim" ones in this size. Any suggestions where to look?
If I may jump in again, I fear you're right, Mark, Hoya don't make a Super HMC Pro one that small. The suppliers I use don't have it anyway that small. And I'm sure you don't want to use a stepping ring? Problem....
Maybe Sony's own is the best you will be able to get?
Mooblie,
The Sony is an option, though I read some poor reports on it. Or I can order the B&W one from the US. Thanks.
Mark
I'd be really wary of buying filters unseen. My experiences with the Tiffen brand and the lies told by 7dayshop.com lead me to say that.