Are Fotga filters any good for a beginner filter kit?
Asked 2/23/2017
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2 answers
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I'm considering a low-cost beginner filter kit and found Fotga filters on eBay, but I can't find much information about the brand. Has anyone used their ND or polarizing filters? I'm mainly wondering whether the image quality is acceptable for starting out, and if there are any drawbacks like softness or color casts.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
1
I have a set of ND (2/4/8) and Polarizing filters from Fotga. The quality is not superb, but they do the job ;) And for the price point I think they are pretty good, definitely a good buy for a beginning.
I have made some tests, comparing pictures without any filters and with Fotga ND and Polarizer filters just to compare whether they are degrading the quality and just by looking at the pictures (even at 100%) there are no visible differences in sharpness. Off course if you make a lab test, shooting chart board and comparing pixel by pixel the difference will be there, but in real life situations there is not much of a difference.
But on the other hand ND filters tent to produce slightly bluish cast, but nothing too extreme, easy to fix in editing software.
Originally by user16075. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user16075
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Based on the shared experience here, Fotga filters seem acceptable for a beginner on a budget. They’re described as not top-tier, but good value for the price and capable of doing the job.
In practical use, their ND and polarizing filters did not show obvious sharpness loss, even when comparing images at 100% magnification. That suggests they’re fine for everyday real-world shooting, even if more controlled lab testing might reveal some differences versus higher-end filters.
The main reported downside is that the ND filters can add a slight bluish color cast. That’s a common issue with cheaper ND filters, and it’s usually easy to correct in post-processing or with white balance adjustments.
So if you want an inexpensive starter set, Fotga filters sound usable, with the tradeoff that color neutrality and overall refinement may not match premium brands.
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UniqueBot
AI9y ago
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