filter size question

Hello,

I have a Canon S3 with a 52mm front thread. I'm looking to buy a couple of
ND filters and have some concerns about vignetting if they are stacked. I'm
also considering a telephoto adapter with a 55mm thread, forcing me to get
a 52--55 step up ring.

Any thoughts as to which would be more likely to vignette....... 2 stacked
52mm filters or 2 55mm filters plus the 52--55 step up ring?

Thanks

"cJ" wrote in message
ink.net...
Hello,

I have a Canon S3 with a 52mm front thread. I'm looking to buy a couple
of ND filters and have some concerns about vignetting if they are stacked.
I'm also considering a telephoto adapter with a 55mm thread, forcing me
to get a 52--55 step up ring.

Any thoughts as to which would be more likely to vignette....... 2 stacked
52mm filters or 2 55mm filters plus the 52--55 step up ring?

Thanks

Stacking 2 52mm filters would be more likely. However, depending on the
focal length of the lens, there is a possibility that neither combination
would cause vignetting.
Jim

"cJ" schreef in bericht
ink.net...
Hello,

I have a Canon S3 with a 52mm front thread. I'm looking to buy a couple
of ND filters and have some concerns about vignetting if they are stacked.
I'm also considering a telephoto adapter with a 55mm thread, forcing me
to get a 52--55 step up ring.

Any thoughts as to which would be more likely to vignette....... 2 stacked
52mm filters or 2 55mm filters plus the 52--55 step up ring?

Just try it first usin a hollow tube of paper in front of the lens, mimicing
the stacked filters.

Rutger


--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zwaarddrager/

cJ wrote:
: Hello,

: I have a Canon S3 with a 52mm front thread. I'm looking to buy a
: couple of ND filters and have some concerns about vignetting if they
: are stacked. I'm also considering a telephoto adapter with a 55mm
: thread, forcing me to get a 52--55 step up ring.

: Any thoughts as to which would be more likely to vignette....... 2
: stacked 52mm filters or 2 55mm filters plus the 52--55 step up ring?

: Thanks

I do this with my two main lenses. I have a wide angle zoom with a 52mm
filter thread, and a tele zoom (with lots of overlap) with a 62mm filter.
By installing a 52-62mm converter I only have to have one set of filters
that can be used on either lens. By experimenting I have found that I can
stack up to 3 62mm ND filters on my wide angle zoom and have no vignetting
even at a focal length of 18mm. Of course since your setup would be a
change from 52 to 55mm there would be more vignetting at a larger focal
length, so you would have to explore what your particular limits will be
with your lenses. So the converting to a larger filter size would add to
your ability to stack filters without vignetting. But notice that the
larger the filter size the prices for the filters (most apparent with ND
filters) goes up drastically. You'll have to balance the best filter size
for reducing vignetting with price.

Oh, one other concideration, when you use a filter converter to go with a
larger filter size you also can no longer use most lens hoods with filters
as it is impossible to get the hood over the converter and it is nearly
impossible to install the filter after the hood (without getting finger
prints and smudges on the filter).

Randy

==========
Randy Berbaum
Champaign, IL

cJ wrote:
Hello,

I have a Canon S3 with a 52mm front thread. I'm looking to buy a couple of
ND filters and have some concerns about vignetting if they are stacked. I'm
also considering a telephoto adapter with a 55mm thread, forcing me to get
a 52--55 step up ring.

Any thoughts as to which would be more likely to vignette....... 2 stacked
52mm filters or 2 55mm filters plus the 52--55 step up ring?

Thanks

If you DO get vignetting from the stack you can reduce the effect by
going to aperture priority and forcing a smaller aperture (higher f/#).
There may be some wide angle focal lengths that will likely vignette
with ANY filter.

Look at a square filter system like the Cokin P series. You have a
square universal filter holder that holds the square or round filters.
You attach the filter holder to the camera's lens by an adapter ring.

http://www.geocities.com/cokinfiltersystem/index.htm

cJ wrote:
Hello,

I have a Canon S3 with a 52mm front thread. I'm looking to buy a couple of
ND filters and have some concerns about vignetting if they are stacked. I'm
also considering a telephoto adapter with a 55mm thread, forcing me to get
a 52--55 step up ring.

Any thoughts as to which would be more likely to vignette....... 2 stacked
52mm filters or 2 55mm filters plus the 52--55 step up ring?

Thanks

In article .com, Don
Stauffer in Minnesota wrote:

cJ wrote:
Hello,

I have a Canon S3 with a 52mm front thread. I'm looking to buy a couple of
ND filters and have some concerns about vignetting if they are stacked. I'm
also considering a telephoto adapter with a 55mm thread, forcing me to get
a 52--55 step up ring.

Any thoughts as to which would be more likely to vignette....... 2 stacked
52mm filters or 2 55mm filters plus the 52--55 step up ring?

Thanks

If you DO get vignetting from the stack you can reduce the effect by
going to aperture priority and forcing a smaller aperture (higher f/#).
There may be some wide angle focal lengths that will likely vignette
with ANY filter.


Or you could use a Cokin P series system (www.cokin.com) and stack
filters. The P series is wide enough that you will get no vignetting
at all on a 52mm system, even with 3 filters stacke... plus the ability
to slide them around into differing positions, which is highly useful
for graduated NDs - no longer do you have to move the lens framing to
get the transition where you want it, you can move the filter and frame
your scene as you want it (don't forget to use your aperture preview
mode to see precisely what you are going to get).

I used Cokin NDs (up to and including their "NDX" which is so dark it
allows for solar eclipse shots) on my 58's for a long time until I
moved up to L series glass - now I have to get Pro series (Cokin "Pro"
is NOT the same as Cokin "P" - they're even larger). eBay has what you
need, cheap. Search for "Cokin P".