Home > Consumer Reviews > HOYA 58CIR 58mm Circular Polarized Filter

This is a proper polarizing filter. It has a marking line on the forward (rotating) half of the filter, so you can keep track of the angle. Rotating the forward half is what changes the shadows reflecting off of the subject. It is also a true circular polarizing filter (I verified this myself). This is necessary for use with the autofocus systems of SLRs and Bayer filters over the sensors of DSLRs.

The 52mm circular polarizing filter is the size for inexpensive the Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 "kit" and DA 50-200mm f/4.0-5.6 telezoom lenses for the Pentax dSLR cameras, like the entry-level $400 K100D and expert $800 K10D. For those that don't know (new to SLR), you need a "circular" polarizing filter on auto-focus lenses, as a "linear" polarizing filter will prevent autofocus from working. Adding this filter does bring out the rich colors of the sky and water without breaking the bank. Such lenses are not fast (higher f-stop), so be aware that the additional f-stops this filter will add (it's not the most transparent) will limit your capabilities.

E.g., with the filter off the DA 50-200mm at its full 200mm zoom and f/5.6-6.3, I could get a 1/1000th shutter which was good enough to shoot F-15/18/22s at 400 knots in overcast. However, putting this filter on brought my shutter down to 1/350th or less, and I couldn't capture aircraft unless they were moving very slowly.

But if you're trying to capture such motion and want a better filter, you're already spending more money for a faster lens as well. If not, then this is the filter you want, at the right price. I give it four (4) stars because it is a great value for still or slower motion photography when you have inexpensive lenses where speed is not your consideration, but cost is. Again, remember, you need "circular" polarizing filters for auto-focus lenses, or auto-focus will not work (such as with "linear" ones).

We put this filter on our Canon S3 IS and took a picture of a car. With filter, we can see through the glass windows into the interior. No filter, we see reflections and glare on the glass. Mission accomplished! This filter does exactly what we want such a filter to do. Comes in a good hard plastic box to protect it (some of our other filters from other makes come in paper boxes or simple cloth bags). Price was nicely competitive.

Spending $14 bucks for this quality Hoya polarizer was a no brainer. My roomate has a Hoya HMC filter for his 18-55mm D50 Kit Lens that costed him $90. The difference in quality and function is extremely minute to the naked eye. I see no reason to purchase a filter than is $75 dollars more unless you are shooting professional photography, where optical quality is of the upmost importance. For me, the Hoya 52MM Circular Polarizing Filter on my 50mm prime and 18-55mm works fantastic. The contrast is amazing, the colors are vibrant, the skies are blue and there are no surface reflections if used properly. Its a bargain for $14 bucks, just get it.

There are better circular polarizers out there, and there are worse ones. But for a 52mm thread, you are probably considering this for your canon 50mm f/1.8 lens, which is under $100. So why spend another $100 on a circular polarizer? This one works great and hasn't degraded my pictures as far as i can tell. When filming blue skies or green grass, the filter really brings out those colors. It's not one of those filters you will use all the time, but it definitely has its uses, and is good to have in your collection.

The quality on this lens is not too bad. a lens cap easily fits on the end of the filter, and the circular ring turns smoothly. Sometimes with these filters, there will be a small amount of haze on the glass when you first get it. Using some mild soap diluted in water with a mircofiber cloth should remove it. Be careful on the edges because sometimes the grease used to lubricate the ring can sometimes get on the lens and smear it. It can be easily cleaned off, but do not use harsh chemicals as they may effect the coating of the lens (I'm not 100% sure but I don't want to find out).

For the price, this is a great circular polarizer and I highly recommend it in the 52mm size.