Best Filters for 24-105 f/4

[bglanzbe]

Recently purchased a Canon 6D and LOVING it. I have the 24-105 f/4 and 50 f/1.8. What filters would folks recommend? I mainly photograph portraits and landscapes. Welcome thoughts! Thanks!

 

[duydaniel]

B+W UV or CPL

 

[ahab1372]

A CPL for landscapes is pretty much standard.

To protect the front element of your lens, a UV filter or a clear filter. The sensor in a digital camera is not sensitive to UV light, so it doesn't matter which one you buy, so once you decide on a brand, just choose the one that is available or less expensive. For many lenses, a filter also completes the weather sealing. I'm not 100% sure if that is the case for the 24-105, but I believe so.
Btw there are two groups of users - the ones that recommend having a filter on the lens at all times to protect the lens, and those who don't. You will likely receive advice from both groups I belong to the former.

Avoid cheapo filters as they will degrade IQ. B&W is one of the better brands. Try to get the Xs-Pro versions, they are slimmer than the F-Pro, so you can stack filters if necessary without getting too much vignetting. Avoid the "slim" version, they don't have front threads, and you lens caps won't attach to the lens anymore.

Edit: type

 

[TexasBadger]

+1 on B+W

 

[gferdinandsen]

+1 on B+W

+1 I use exclusively B&W for for my screw-in filters.

 

[AlanF]

B+W for the 24-105 as the lens is not cheap and the front element close to the front filter ring.

The 1.8/50 is very cheap and the front element is way back inside the mount where it is quite well protected. So don't buy a filter as it is unlikely to be needed for protection and the filter is relatively too expensive to warrant buying for "insurance" against damage.

 

[Vossie]

As a protection filter I either use a clear (007) or UV (010) filter from B+W; normally I take the XS-PRO MRC grade (quite expensive; or non-wide angle lenses I sometimes use the cheaper F-Pro MRC version). On cheap lenses such as the 50 1.8, I would recommend not to use a protection filter.

For landscapes you may want to have a look at ND (neutral density) filters; homogeneous to allow use of very long shutter speeds or graduated to balance between light skies and darker grounds. I use the Lee filter system, which is not cheap but very good. You could have a look here: http://www.leefilters.com/index.php/camera/ndgrads to see what it can do for your landscapes.

 

[duydaniel]

I have B+W UV F-pro on my 24-105.
I have read on Amazon that if you put a Tiffen on your 24-105, it will scratch the center of your lens when focusing as the element moving back and forth.
There is slight vignetting if you stack B+W UV and CPL on that lens at 24mm.
I don't know about the slim version of F-pro.

 

[Click]

...Another vote for B&W.

 

[duydaniel]

People need to understand that there is no B&W filter. It's a myth!!!!

 

[jdramirez]

I was cheap, I picked up a hoya. it is ok...I don't do landscapes and when I do portraiture i don't want the skin color altered at all.

 

[Dylan777]

I have B+W XS-Pro Clear MRC-Nano 007 Filter on my lenses. It's so clear that you don't even know it on there.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/756818-REG/B_W_66_1066111_77mm_XS_Pro_NANO_Clear.html

 

[Dylan777]

I was cheap, I picked up a hoya. it is ok...I don't do landscapes and when I do portraiture i don't want the skin color altered at all.

Highly recommend B+W XS-Pro Clear MRC-Nano 007. I see zero effect in IQ - color, contrast, sharpness etc.

You can add or remove CPL filter on top of clear filter, without worry dust, rock or water hitting the front glass.

 

[RLPhoto]

CPL & clear B&W filters. They rock.

 

[Marsu42]

I mainly photograph portraits and landscapes. Welcome thoughts! Thanks!

For landscapes I bought a 10x Heliopan nd to get the silk water, blurred clouds effect plus for "people removal" in long exposures. Nice, but I use it not very often. Any nd will do for this, coating not essential since a nd is made to block light, and dark nd filters all have some color cast if you don't get a really, really expensive "hot mirror" one.

Concerning the cpl other people recommended: Note that you cannot really use a polarizer on wide angle (and 24mm is) since the sky will have a strong color gradient depending on the angle. I use my cpl for reflection removal esp. on water, and here this is essential equipment. Only buy a premium cpl with the best coating since it's easier to clean, prevent color casts/flars and will lessen the light falloff.

 

[Zv]

I've hardly used my CPL as I don't do so much landscape stuff anymore but it's good to have one in case. I use a Kenko (Hoya) Zeta CPL. Good quality and reasonably priced. Since almost all filters in Japan are Kenko ones I just use them rather than B+W or Tiffen ones that I'd have to order on ebay.

The ND400 is next on my wish list for long exposures. If you do portraits an ND 8 or 16 might be of some use, help bring that shutter speed down for outdoor flash sync situations. Shame that Kenko don't make a zeta version of the ND 16 but by that point better glass is making no real difference I guess!

The only other filter of use to me is a Cokin 0.9 soft Grad ND. Works wonders in a pinch and can be easily adjusted to suit the scene.

 

[jhanken]

I recommend that if you are getting into filters for artistic purposes (i.e. anything beyond using a clear or daylight filter to protect your lenses), that you look into getting a Cokin P system, comprised of a holder and rectangular filters.

Vossie said

For landscapes you may want to have a look at ND (neutral density) filters; homogeneous to allow use of very long shutter speeds or graduated to balance between light skies and darker grounds. I use the Lee filter system, which is not cheap but very good. You could have a look here: http://www.leefilters.com/index.php/camera/ndgrads to see what it can do for your landscapes.

I actually have some Lee filters that are compatible with my Cokin holder, in my mind the two systems are interchangeable for the most part, and Singh Ray makes good ones too.

First off, a system like Cokin or Lee is pretty much the only way you can use graduated ND filters properly. I recommend getting both soft and hard edge, and maybe reverse grad ND if you like to do sunrise/sunset landscape shots. Two stops is a decent compromise.

Another factor in favor of Cokin for me is that I have lenses with 77mm, 67mm, 62mm, 58mm, and even 52mm with the new EOS M. With a Cokin P system, you can buy the filters once and get adapter rings for your lenses. They are a bit bigger than the screw in ones, but holy cow, you could go bankrupt buying good quality circular polarizers for your whole lens collection. With Cokin P, if you get a new lens with an odd filter ring size, your total cost to adapt your filters to it is a $20 ring.

One thing to consider is that the P series doesn't work with the widest angle lenses. I don't have a 16-35mm or 17-40mm, and I think they work down to about the widest on those lenses, but I am not sure about that.

 

[KyleSTL]

I would also say any of the B+W MRC filters (XS Pro for UWA, and F-Pro for all others). I've had a couple Hoya HMC and S-HMC lenses, and they are damned near impossible to clean off without leaving streaks. UV or Clear are both equally good for a protection filter (get whichever is cheaper). A CPL is also a must, but I have seen way too many people who just leave CPLs on all the time. Take the time to learn how CPLs affect the image and only use it when you need it. I've seen a bunch of people with Rebel+kit walking around at weddings, museums, etc with a CPL mounted in dark, indoor conditions. I've also seen wedding pictures and landscapes that absolutely should have used a CPL (reflections from eyeglasses obscuring eyes and water reflections, respectively) and would have resulted in substantially better photographs.

ND filters are also very useful, however I have not used them often, so I'll refrain from giving advice.

 

[Cali_PH]

Another factor in favor of Cokin for me is that I have lenses with 77mm, 67mm, 62mm, 58mm, and even 52mm with the new EOS M. With a Cokin P system, you can buy the filters once and get adapter rings for your lenses. They are a bit bigger than the screw in ones, but holy cow, you could go bankrupt buying good quality circular polarizers for your whole lens collection. With Cokin P, if you get a new lens with an odd filter ring size, your total cost to adapt your filters to it is a $20 ring.

One thing to consider is that the P series doesn't work with the widest angle lenses. I don't have a 16-35mm or 17-40mm, and I think they work down to about the widest on those lenses, but I am not sure about that.

I was going to mention the Lee system, but I see you edited your response as I was finding some links I switched from the Cokin to the Lee system because it has wide angle adapter rings (49 through 82mm). I use them with my 17-40L and can stack 2 filters fine.

 

[Zv]

Another factor in favor of Cokin for me is that I have lenses with 77mm, 67mm, 62mm, 58mm, and even 52mm with the new EOS M. With a Cokin P system, you can buy the filters once and get adapter rings for your lenses. They are a bit bigger than the screw in ones, but holy cow, you could go bankrupt buying good quality circular polarizers for your whole lens collection. With Cokin P, if you get a new lens with an odd filter ring size, your total cost to adapt your filters to it is a $20 ring.

One thing to consider is that the P series doesn't work with the widest angle lenses. I don't have a 16-35mm or 17-40mm, and I think they work down to about the widest on those lenses, but I am not sure about that.

I was going to mention the Lee system, but I see you edited your response as I was finding some links I switched from the Cokin to the Lee system because it has wide angle adapter rings (49 through 82mm). I use them with my 17-40L and can stack 2 filters fine.

On the 17-40 (on FF) the cokin P adaptor becomes visible / starts to show vignetting at around 24mm.