Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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36 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Further Insight, February 20, 2007
I own the 52mm version of this kit, and found it a shame to see this kit only received one star. Below is my review I wrote about the 52mm kit, I have recommended this kit (in several different sizes) to fellow photographers, they all have been very happy with their purchases, baring in mind Tiffen's quality control problems.
This is one of the best bargains that i've seen, "essentially" you get 3 filters for the price of one. The image quality with these filters is great, the 812 (warming) filter is by far a favorite giving back the color richness that flash photography so often washes out, that is unless you have the patience for constantly tweaking your flash power. Aside from the 812 the UV protector is basically a clear protective filter. While it obviously has advantages over clear glass, I tend not to think of it as any different. This too is a great filter which I use about half the time because it doesn't affect color hues or change f stop values too greatly while it takes the worry out of carrying the camera around ready for any candid shots that may occur. Finally included is the circular polarizer. This filter adjusts the amount of uv light entering the camera by spinning the filter to the direction the uv rays are entering (or turning the thingy till things look better). This lens is great for sunny days and will take surface glare off lakes and glass making them transparent again. It also makes colors more crisp in general when photographing buildings and other large "reflective" man-made things. So things sound great so far, but now to why I only give this item 4 stars. While Tiffen is known to be one of the best at photo and video filters, they have quality control issues that do no live up to thier reputation. In my case the 812 filter arrived with a discoloration in the glass. While it was didn't hurt image quality, with the flaw being towards the edge of the filter, I none the less didn't want to find a situation in which the flaw would diminish quality. Seeing as it was not amazon's fault my first e-mail went to Tiffen for a replacement which they said they would gladly do, but only after I send them the filter and they recieve it would they ship my replacement (not an option in my circumstances). Instead Amazon's wonderful customer service shown through again, and within 3 days they had replaced the entire set. The second set arrivided without flaw but since my other two filters were in perfect condition I traded just the 812. I havn't had any other issues and i'm very satisfied with my filters. The only other word of warning would be to that of the circular polorizer. While I recieved 2 that were flawless occassionally I have read in reviews customers have received ones that were assembled backwards making the lens useless. A quick way to check to see if your CP is working correctly is to hold it, thread facing yourself, and look at an LCD monitor or TV and spin it until the picture dissapears(obviously working correctly). I still wouldn't pass up this deal knowing what I do now, chances are everything will show up perfectly but none the less if you're concerned order it before you need it and check everything over carefully. Amazon is always the best for returns and will often ship a replacement the next day with overnight shipping.
And a little further insight...
I was recently doing some black and white film photography, and decided to use my 812 warming filter as a protective lens as I was carrying 3 lenses with me. Just thought that I would mention that using this filter will produce a "White" sky in some outdoor photographs. The shots were taken with a gradient blue sky to which the entirety showed up white, even on bracketed sets, that should have shown something in one of the series. While itself was a interesting effect for some shots, it mostly just caused me frustration in the darkroom. I just wanted to add this as fair warning. I discovered this on accident, so I don't know if it applies to all sky conditions as I didn't do a lot B&W sky shots, I might test it using Photoshop later as I see they have the 812s effect built in. Anyways, good luck and have fun photoing.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tiffen Essential Filters, June 26, 2007
This filter set was of the high quality I've learned to expect from Tiffen. None had any flaws in the glass. The UV filter performed excellently in desert sunlight and the circular polarizer made some great water shots possible without glare. I look forward to using the warming filter in portrait settings.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential, March 3, 2007
A must have for any photographer. The kit is a great value. Buy it. Great quality, above expectations. Made in the USA.
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