Home > Consumer Reviews > Hoya HMC - Filter - circular polarizer - 72 mm

Hoya is the best when it comes to combining quality and reasonable price. It is used by professionals and amateurs alike. If you are using a film or digital SLR camera (with thru-the-lens metering), you must use a circular polarizer instead of a conventional one, or the metering will be way off. This unconventionally-sized 72mm filter is the one to use for those who have the Nikon 18-200mm VR lens.

This polariser works beautifully on my Canon 24-105 zoom lens.
It is better used outside in brighter conditions since the lens opening needs to be stepped up while it's on.
I have many family members who wear glasses that reflect light & finally I can make portraits of them where their eyes can be seen.

The Hoya filter arrived on time and has so far done a fine job for me. I am an amateur photographer, so I'm sure there are other filters out there that pro's would prefer, but this does what I wanted it to do. It is multi-coated, and so far I haven't had any lens flare problems. I am using it primarily on a Nikon 18-200mm lens. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a mid-priced, good polarizing filter.

Good to excellent color and light interplay (when used properly), capable of obtaining really desirable clarity and removing unlovely glare, shine and reflections. Unfortunately, the surface coating scratches very easily rendering the glass unusable. While walking around on a shoot, the camera twisted and brushed against my vest buttons. It might as well have been rocks as the accident scraped off some of the coating in the center of the glass. Granted, it could have scratched the lens (except I use a UV to prevent that) so it could have been worse. (Use your lens caps and hoods!)
I will be ordering the Heliopan Heliopan 77mm Circular Polarizer Lens Filter or the Heliopan 77mm Circular Polarizer Filter - SH-PMC (16 Layer Super Hard Multi-Coated) because Heliopan glass is "dyed in the mass" and as such it is far less prone to destruction from a simple act of carelessness. This route may be expensive, but so is replacing circular polarizers.
Another option, but not what I want to deal with is the Lee Foundation Kit LEE Filters Foundation Kit - Filter holder, an interesting way of building a flexible filter arsenal.
BTW, these filters are going to be thicker than others since that is the nature of the beast. I would recommend getting a 77mm (or greater) for a 72mm lens, then using a step-up ring to avoid (or reduce vignetting). Thinner rings are better, but cost more.

This filter is the most important piece of equipment in any SLR photographers gadget bag! I finally got one at a great deal thru Amazon. You won't believe what you're missing out on. I read the reviews and thought it was a lot for a filter but oh boy what a difference it makes! Deep blue skies is just the beginning. As long as you shoot at an angle to the sun you'll see the difference right in your view finder.
ps Don't forget to remove when shooting back in low light conditions,you lose about two f-stops with the filter on.