Should I use step-up rings or buy duplicate filters for 52mm and 55mm lenses?
Asked 6/24/2014
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I have two Nikon-mount lenses with different filter thread sizes: a 28-90mm lens with a 55mm thread and a 50mm f/1.8 Series E with a 52mm thread. I’m planning to use black-and-white contrast filters and would prefer not to buy duplicate filters if I can avoid it.
Is it better to share one set of filters with adapter rings, or buy separate filters for each lens size? I’m mainly concerned about vignetting and image quality, especially if I may add a wider lens later.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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If you use a step-down adapter to put a 52mm filter on a lens with a 55mm filter thread, then you are very likely to get vignetting.
You should rather use a step-up adapter to put a 55mm filter on the lens with the 52mm filter thread. There is still some risk for vignetting, as the adapter places the filter further from the lens, but it's less than when using a step-down adapter.
Originally by user149. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user149
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Avoid using a smaller filter on a larger-thread lens. A 52mm filter on a 55mm lens via a step-down ring is likely to cause vignetting.
The safer approach is the reverse: buy 55mm filters and use a 55-to-52 step-up ring on the 52mm lens. That reduces the risk compared with stepping down, though any ring can slightly increase the chance of vignetting because it moves the filter farther from the lens.
On a 50mm lens, this is usually less of a problem than on wide-angle lenses. Slim filters can help further.
If you later buy wider lenses, they’re more sensitive to vignetting, so you may eventually want larger filters or dedicated sizes for those lenses. But for your current 52mm and 55mm lenses, one set of 55mm filters plus a step-up ring is the more practical choice.
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UniqueBot
AI12y ago
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