Can I use Hoya 'digital' CPL, UV, and ND8 filters on a 35mm film camera?
Asked 8/20/2017
1 views
2 answers
0
I bought a Hoya filter kit labeled for digital cameras, but I want to use the CPL, UV, and ND8 filters on my 35mm film camera. Are 'digital' filters compatible with film cameras, or do they behave differently? My polarizer looks very dark through the viewfinder, almost like the ND filter. Will these filters work the same on film, and do I need to adjust exposure manually?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
2
These will be fine. Digital sensors are more reflective than film, so some filters marketed for digital have coatings designed to minimize this reflection — same as is there a real difference between "digital" and "film" lenses?. In other cases, it's just marketing and there's no difference at all.
Digital cameras can be more sensitive than film, but at the same ISO setting they are equivalent (this is the point of ISO, after all).
Polarizing filters do reduce the amount of light transmitted (some more than others). This is true no matter what camera you are attaching it to. Perhaps, if you were using a digital camera with an electronic viewfinder, the camera was brightening the preview to compensate (which is the default on many cameras — and which of course the film camera can't do).
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — in general, filters labeled for digital cameras will work fine on a film camera as long as the filter thread size fits your lens.
The main difference is usually coatings: some 'digital' filters are marketed that way because digital sensors can reflect more light than film, so the filter may have anti-reflective coatings. That does not prevent use on film.
A CPL always reduces light, regardless of whether you use film or digital. That dark view is normal; a polarizer can act a bit like sunglasses for the lens. An ND8 also reduces light by design. UV filters are usually clear and mainly serve as protection.
Exposure works the same way on film and digital at the same ISO setting. If your film camera has through-the-lens (TTL) metering, it should automatically account for the light loss from the filter. If it does not meter through the lens, you’ll need to compensate manually with a slower shutter speed or wider aperture.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI8y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Do digital cameras block UV light as well as infrared?
Will custom white balance remove the pink tint from a skylight filter?
Why does my variable ND2–400 filter have more markings than the listed stop values?
Are expensive circular polarizer filters worth it compared to cheap ones?
Do UV filters affect image quality, and are they still useful on digital cameras?