Filters - Which Manufacturer ?

I am sure that this has been discussed before, but I am not sure where.

I am thinking about going down the Cokin P Series route.

Should I be considering any other manufacturers :

For P-sized stuff there's quite a few
Kood do a reasonable polarizer.
Hitech do filters that seem as good as the Cokin.

Check out www.srbfilm.co.uk - they stock most stuff.

(Then there's the Z-Pro too... the Cokin filters in Z-Pro are better than their P sized ones. Odd but true!)

Also check out www.speedgraphic.co.uk who have (had) some good deals on filter kits!

Matt

Lee Filters are considered the best and are the most expensive.

I have the Cokin P filter set up, including the Polarizer. However, it is a bit of a pain to use and I sometimes think I should have gone for a Hoya or B&W filter to screw on to the front of my lens.

It all depends on what filters you are looking for and if you are using wide angle (P series may not work on a 10mm lens).

Depends what you want, but 90% of mine are SMC Pentax in 49, 52 and 58mm.

I don't really get on with big square filters (I did have a set of Cokin ones but sold them due to lack of use), I only tend to use the screw-in variety and have found that Hoya ones are consistently good quality. I do own a couple of B+W ones but can't really say I notice any improvement over the Hoyas so I don't think I'd bother with them again.

The problem I found with the system filters is that I carried them around for ages (taking up acres of camera bag real estate) and never used them because they were too much hassle 90% of the time which meant I then ended up leaving them at home. Sod's Law then dictated that when I actually did need them they were sitting in a cupboard miles away from me and my camera.

The screw in ones may not be as versatile but at least I can carry half a dozen of them with no discernable weight gain / space loss meaning they're there when I actually want them.

Just my $0.02...

My initial requirement is for a circular polariser and then I thought do I buy three different sizes to suit my main lenses or do I opt for a system, so that I only buy one filter of each type + the adaptors etc.

You could always buy a 77mm one and then step-up rings to adapt it to other lenses - I don't think there are any lenses in Pentax-land bigger than 77mm so that should account for future needs as well.

You could buy one to fit the biggest lens, and then two step-down rings. That way you can spend more on the filter.

G

Good idea.

I need 77mm, 67mm, 77mm (!) and 58mm so I just need to investigate step down rings from 77mm to 67mm and from 77mm to 58mm or from 67mm to 58mm.

If you go this route, check that the larger filter will fit inside the Pentax dedicated lens hood.
I use a step down ring to enable use of a 58mm Kood circular polariser on the DA 18-55 and DA 50-200, and it fits 'just',a 77m would almost certainly not fit and I find it quite fiddly attaching the step down ring first followed by the filter. I am considering getting a dedicated 52mm to avoid the hassle.

Another good point

Life is never easy.