Screw on filter size for multiple lenses

[Scott S]

I'm new to the forum. I apologize in advance if this topic is covered elsewhere, but after doing some searching, I couldn't find anything.

I'm returning to SLR photography after being away for many years, but now in the digital form. Recently picked up a Nikon D5600 and now have a several lenses with filter sizes of 52, 55, 58 and 67mm. Of course, who knows what the future will bring in terms of lenses I don't have yet!

I'm just looking for advice on building an inventory of filters. At the moment, I would get 67mm filter size with a few step up rings for the other lenses. But perhaps that's being too short sighted. 77mm seems to be a popular MAXIMUM lens size, at least in the Nikon world.

It would be nice to get this right the first time! So in an attempt to try to buy good quality filters in a size that will most likely carry me through future lens purchases, what are your recommendations? Buy 77mm thread size filters and corresponding step up rings? Or a different size?

Thanks a lot for any comments.

[Shadowman]

Hi Scott,

You can buy a set: https://www.amazon.com/Neewer®-Step-...ep+up+ring+set

I would purchase based on the combination of lenses that meet your specific needs.

[Polar01]

Most common for Nikkor I found was 67mm and 77mm, for everything under 67 purchase step-up rings to fit a 67mm screw in filter, as for the 77mm I purchased the filters that I needed at that 77mm size.

Cheers: Allan

[Manfred M]

Scott - what filters are you looking at?

In the digital world most people will work with polarizing filters, neutral density filters and sometimes graduated neutral density filters. Some of the other filters that we used in the film days are "obsolete" in the digital world. There is often heated discussion on whether we need ND grads as the effects can often be emulated with post-production software.

The 77mm filter mounts for Nikon lenses are often the high-end "pro" glass for full-frame cameras. Crop sensor camera lenses like your D5600 generally use smaller filter sizes, often maxing out with 72mm. I'm not a fan of step up rings as I find they often bind and are a pain to use in the field. I have purchased polarizers for each of my different lenses that I have, so I have a decent collection of different sizes. For my ND and ND grads I generally use rectangular filters with adapters for the various lens sizes I use. I use both Lee and Formatt-HiTech rectangular filters and they are quite expensive.

[Tri Danimal]

I'm a huge fan of the idea of getting the filter in the largest size you have and then using the step-up/down rings as needed. As a hobbyist, I would rather use the money saved to fund a trip/outing to actually use the camera.

I would suggest getting a variable ND filter, and a polarizing filter. Some might even recommend a UV filter to help protect the front of your lens against abrasion as they are cheap and could save your front element.

[William W]

Welcome.

. . . I'm just looking for advice on building an inventory of filters. . . [etc] . . . It would be nice to get this right the first time! So in an attempt to try to buy good quality filters in a size that will most likely carry me through future lens purchases, what are your recommendations?

“It would be nice to get this right the first time”

My recommendation is that firstly more work from you is required, please, because this is not a question of "to rings" or "not to rings" and if you approach the matter as that simple question, you enhance the risk of not getting it close right, the first time -

Q1. > What Filters are you look at using? (“I don’t know”, is a reasonable answer)
Q2. > Are you a “Protection Filter” advocate?
Q3. > What is the general climate where you live?
Q4. > What type of Photography do you like doing?
Q5. > What are the “future lens purchases” that you have on the table at the moment?

Thanks,

WW

[george013]

Is it possible to use a lens hood when using step down rings? I don't think so.

George

[William W]

Is it possible to use a lens hood when using step down rings? I don't think so.

Yes, it is possible.

This might depend upon how the Lens Hood is attached, some (most?) Lens Hoods are attached to the outer rim of the lens barrel, in which case the step down rings and filter will simply sit ‘inside’ the chamber of the Lens Hood.

In relation to stray light, the Lens Hood will still be as effective on the lens’s front element and depending upon the diameter of the filter being used, it may be as effective apropos stray light hitting the Filter.

***

However, the OP is asking about Step Up Rings (not Step Down Rings), and you might have meant to ask the same question regarding Step Up Rings.

The answer is still yes.

Typically, you’d need to use a filter with a front screw, and buy a suitable Lens Hood to screw into it.

For example, imagine that the lens below had a Step Up Ring attached the end of it and then the Filter (with an outer screw) was attached to the Step Up Ring.

A suitable diameter screw in Lens Hood can then be attached to the outer screw of the Filter as it is in the image.



WW

[Scott S]

Wow! Some great comments and ideas. Thanks to you all.

To continue and further clarify.... I'm considering whether it makes more sense to buy filters that are larger than my current largest lens (67mm filter size), assuming that one day I will end up with a lens with an even larger filter size. Therefore I can continue to use the filter on the new lens. Comparing that to if I buy filters to fit my current largest lens filter size (67) and worry about the future in the future!

In my mind it kind of boils down to cost and convenience. There is no right answer.

From what I've read, if you go the step-up ring solution, it's best to spend a little extra, get brass threads and things screw on and off much easier. True?

I'm looking at definitely getting a polarizer and ND filter(s). For the ND filters, if I'm doing mostly images (not so much video), I've read that several solid ND filters is better than a variable one. Would appreciate any comments on that.

Thanks again for your input!

[William W]

Thanks for replying with that extra information, it is helpful.

I'd still appreciate answers to Q2, 3 and 4 if you would, please: the answers will assist me in making a best response to your questions.

Thanks.

WW

[Scott S]

Hey Bill. You're right, you asked and I didn't totally answer. Here goes...

Q1. > What Filters are you look at using? (“I don’t know”, is a reasonable answer)
Polarizer, ND (solid vs variable?).
Q2. > Are you a “Protection Filter” advocate?
Not really. I normally have a lens hood on, but that may or may not change if I get into using step-up rings. Or I'll have to get a different style of hood.
Q3. > What is the general climate where you live?
I live in British Columbia, so hot summers and potentially cold winters.
Q4. > What type of Photography do you like doing?
Pretty general really, indoor and outdoor, some macro, landscape, sports.
Q5. > What are the “future lens purchases” that you have on the table at the moment?
Nothing planned but like every other hobby, there will be future purchases!

Thanks... appreciate your help.

[William W]

Thank you.

[xpatUSA]

I'm returning to SLR photography after being away for many years, but now in the digital form. Recently picked up a Nikon D5600 and now have a several lenses with filter sizes of 52, 55, 58 and 67mm. Of course, who knows what the future will bring in terms of lenses I don't have yet!

I'm just looking for advice on building an inventory of filters. At the moment, I would get 67mm filter size with a few step up rings for the other lenses. But perhaps that's being too short sighted. 77mm seems to be a popular MAXIMUM lens size, at least in the Nikon world.

When I went into full-spectrum/IR, I chose 77mm for all the various filters I bought for that genre. Not cheap but I'm glad I did that. I think that you would be too ...

[rpcrowe]

I would expect that using a 77mm filter with a step up adapter on a lens with 52mm filter threads would be pretty unhandy because you would have this large circular thing sitting in front of your lens which has a small size barrel. If I were you and presently, the lens I owned with the smallest filter size was 52mm while the largest was 67mm, I might bite the bullet and use a 67mm filter. I could always purchase another 77mm filter if I purchased a lens with a larger filter diameter. And who knows... you might get one of the Sigma lenses with a really large 87mm or 92mm filter size.

Additionally, if I were going to go up several filter sizes, I would not do it by combining several step up rings - like in the Newer step up ring set. I would purchase a step up ring that goes from each size lens I had to the large sized filter - like 52mm to 67mm; not a combination of 52mm to 55mm, then 55mm to 58mm and so on. The extra cost would not be prohibitive.

I did purchase the Newer step up set set and for aluminum rings, they are made quite decently. I don't use step up rings very often but, lately I have been accumulating a batch of vintage lenses - some of which have off the wall filter sizes. Since I really use these lenses so seldom, it is not worth buying individual filters to fit them.

I tend to keep the filters on my lens during a shoot and I will often be shooting with two cameras. It is a big enough PITA to be changing lenses but, having to switch filters at the same time really compounds the problem. So I own a pair of 77mm CPL filters because I use CPL filters a lot in shooting and have two lenses that accept 77mm filters and could not shoot with two cameras and lenses unless I owned the filters.

I like shooting with screw in hoods for most of my normal angle and long focal length lenses. They are great for shooting with CPL filers because I can turn the hood and the filter will rotate. The screw in hoods don't usually vignette with a lens unless I am shooting with a wide angle lens. When I use a wide lens, I will often use a butterfly shaped hood to prevent the vignetting.

I have one or two stop ND filters in the sizes I need, CPL filters in those sizes and I also have protection filters which I use when I know that I an going into an area where damage to my lens could occur. This could be the result of mother nature as in a dust storm or man-made like in the Indian Holi Festival where you get covered with colored powder (I am attending such a festival in Southern California on March 24th). I don't normally have other filters that I carry on a regular basis.

Finally, I always carry two sets of filter wrenches in my camera bag. One set each in small and large sizes. They cost very little and weigh next to nothing. However they can be saviors when (I say when, not if) your filters get stuck.

[george013]

Step-up or step-down, depends on from where you name it. I might have used the wring start point.
I own Nikon and all of my lenses have the lens hood attached to the lens with a bayonet lock.. If the filter is bigger as my lens I can't use the lens hood anymore.

George

[Scott S]

Richard - thank you for your lengthy reply. Great information and advice.

A follow up question for you. At the moment I have several Nikon lenses with the normal bayonet style lens hoods. You mentioned using screw in lens hoods in the right thread size, which obviously gets around the problem of the filter preventing the normal hood from being used. I haven't checked yet, but Nikon perhaps sells screw on hoods (pricey??) vs third party hoods on B&H, Ebay or Amazon? Any recommendations there?

Thanks.

[Polar01]

Scott have used Nikon for over 30 years, I know of no Nikkor lens that uses a screw on mount. Hardly use a lens hood in good weather, usually it the weather is wet, rain, mist maybe fog.

Cheers: Allan

[DanK]

They are great for shooting with CPL filers because I can turn the hood and the filter will rotate. The screw in hoods don't usually vignette with a lens unless I am shooting with a wide angle lens. When I use a wide lens, I will often use a butterfly shaped hood to prevent the vignetting.

rotating a butterfly hood can cause vignetting. The butterfly shape is determined by the angle of view as constrained by the sensor shape, which is widest at the corners and shortest at the top and bottom. That's why the cutouts are in the corners and the top and bottom parts are the longest. If you rotate it, those will not line up, and you will get vignetting in some spots at a longer focal length than if it is in its proper position.

[george013]

Richard - thank you for your lengthy reply. Great information and advice.

A follow up question for you. At the moment I have several Nikon lenses with the normal bayonet style lens hoods. You mentioned using screw in lens hoods in the right thread size, which obviously gets around the problem of the filter preventing the normal hood from being used. I haven't checked yet, but Nikon perhaps sells screw on hoods (pricey??) vs third party hoods on B&H, Ebay or Amazon? Any recommendations there?

Thanks.

That might introduce another problem: the shape and size of the lens hood. You will have to choice the size and shape for the widest aov. What will be over for the smallest aov?

Ask yourself how often you use a filter and when?

George

[rpcrowe]

My primary use of a screw on hood is with the 67mm filter of my Canon 70-200mm f/4L IS lens. I use it for the following reasons:

1. The screw-in hood is smaller and I am able to carry the camera/lens ready to shoot, with hood attached, in my holster camera case. The OEM hood makes the lens too long and wide to effectively fit in that case.



2. Although smaller than the OEM hood, the screw-in hood provides good protection against flare and doesn't vignette at any focal length.

3. This hood provides EXCELLENT physical protection for the lens. I had the camera around my neck with lens and screw-in hood attached when I fell while walking. The lens hit the surface of the street hood first propelled by the weight of my body. The hood was demolished but, the lens wasn't hurt a bit. That Chinese made eBay hood was about the best four dollars I ever spent on photo equipment because it saved a lens worth about a thousand dollars. So much for crappy Chinese quality

4. I can rotate the CPL filter by just turning the hood.

5. The screw-in type hood is attached solidly to the lens. I have lost hoods that popped off when they came in contact with something. I was leaning out a hotel window in China to get a shot and knocked the lens against the window frame, just hard enough to dislodge the hood and send it down several stories into a courtyard. I also dinged the hood of my Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens when I was boarding a water taxi in Venice. The hood went to the bottom of the Grand Canal...

If you are shooting with lenses that max out at a 67mm filter size, I would expect that you could buy a 67mm screw-in hood and use this for all your lenses with step-up rings. But, I don't think that you could use the OEM hood for a lens with a 52mm or 55mm filter size if you added a step up ring and a 67mm filter. I suspect that the OEM hood just would not fit.