B&H Photo Video and Adorama are both discounting the B+W 77mm F-Pro Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC Filter — it’s now available for $79.95, a $30 discount from the regular price of $109.95.
B+W 77mm F-Pro Kaesemann Circular Polarizer MRC for $79.95
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If you are going to use a CPF, B+W is who I would suggest, and the Kaesemann is about as good as it gets. They are legendary for their quality of glass. I know a lot of togs are just using LR and PS to simulate what one of these can do, but not everyone wants to do that, and not everything can be simulated (removing reflections from non-metal surfaces is the big one there). I know that 80 bucks seems like a lot for a filter, but a CPF is going to be one of the most useful ones you can get, and you are going to want one that has the least amount of IQ degradation. The cheaper ones not only give worse IQ, a lot of them are poorly built, and fall apart pretty quick. These have brass rings, and the coating goes into the ring so that it will not peel up like you would see on a cheaper one. This is the same brand I use for CPF, and I once dropped one on it’s side onto rock bed by accident. Not even a dent in the ring, and no spider cracks!
I’d argue that the Breakthrough Photography filters are better, but those are more expensive and are never on sale. Not as expensive as say Singh Ray or Lee (and Breakthrough is arguably better than those), but definitely more that B+W, even when not on sale. But you can’t really beat B+W. I have several, mostly UV filters, and they are great. (Yes, I’m one of those who doesn’t trust myself to NOT have a filter on a lens. The past is prologue on that.)
I hadn’t heard of them, I’ll have to look into them, so thanks for that. Comparing prices they are almost twice the price of this filter, and I have a lot of doubt they deliver twice the performance. I’m sure they work well, but I feel that when it comes to polarizers, the high end ones at least with better light transmission, it kind of splits hairs from one to another, and it becomes more about getting one that can do what you want for the price you are willing to pay. And like I said before, more and more people are jsut using post to produce similar effects (enhanced color).
Yes, you are correct, on both accounts. Breakthrough Photography’s filters are not twice the performance, justifying the 2x price. However, what they do claim to offer is the most color-neutral filters on the market today. While I cannot prove this to be true, the reviews I’ve watched seem to back that up. So on a post-processing end, those color variances could well-justify the cost. That being said, I have an 82mm B+W Kaesemann that I use on my Sigma 10-20 ultra-wide, and so far I’ve noticed no color issues.
On the post-processing side, it does not help matters where there are numerous tutorials out there showing how you can duplicate the same effects as CPL’s and ND’s in Photoshop. You CAN, but it takes a lot more photos, and a lot more post-processing. And the techniques aren’t always perfect. From a time perspective, it’s far easier to buy a polarizer. The real question then is, do you buy standard screw-in polarizers, or square Lee/Cokin type filters? It comes down to cost vs convenience.
I think it is one of those things where once you are pretty good with LR or PS it seems easier to use editing (the more efficient your workflow, the easier it seems). For people that aren’t into it at that level, or just don’t even use post processing, I would say a CPF filter will be one of the most useful accessories you can get for your camera, since it basically adds a new dimension of shooting that you can’t just do in camera. They do take a little knowledge to use, but once that is mastered they are a lot of fun to shoot with. Even though I do a lot of post there are times I still prefer the CPF, especially if water will be in the shot. There are also times I don’t have one on me, or I really don’t feel like fishing it out of the bag, so I rely on LR to save me! LOL
Another thing I forget to point out earlier, the 77mm filter is also a nice deal since it can be “adapted” to smaller filter threads with inexpensive adaptor rings, and it will have the same effect. 77mm is one of the more common sizes you will encounter too, so it is likely easy to share it with other lenses. So even though it is 80 dollars, really, it can save you from having to buy other filters. One caveat here is that you won’t be able to use a lens hood on a smaller lens, but if you need to shade the lens you can use something to block the light coming at it, like a hat or a piece of cardboard, jsut something that will cast a shadow. Just be careful not to get it into the shot! 🙂