Customer Reviews

Zeikos ZE-UV72 72mm Multi-Coated UV Filter

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

...but you sure can't tell by looking at it.

The purpose of multi-coating is to reduce reflections from the surface of the glass. These filters appear to have the same reflectivity as a plain piece of glass. And, unlike every other multi-coated filter that I own, reflections from this Zeikos filter are untinted. As far as I know, that's pretty much impossible with a true multi-coated filter.

My conclusion? Either the filters I received have serious manufacturing defects or somebody is shading the truth. Since other reviewers have commented about the lack of tinted reflections, I'm assuming it's the latter. Both filters (the 52 and 72mm) have been returned to Amazon for refund.

It is just a piece of glass which can protect your lens against scratch, Nothing more. BTW, a lens cap serve protection better. Anyway, you will need to take it off before you take photos. You can actually see your reflection from the filter (like a mirror). It is how bad the filter is (a good filter should let you question if there is a glass in the rim or not)

I bought the Zeikos filter for my new Tamron 18-270, hoping to save a few bucks. In the past, I paid more for Hoya and even B+W filters, but thought that I didn't need to do so again. I was wrong. I could easily see image degradation with the Zeikos that I didn't with a Hoya Pro-1 Digital. You'd think a piece of glass is a piece of glass, but... The advanced coatings of the Hoya do seem to make a difference. I bought a Hoya and put the Zeikos on the shelf, and I could see the improvement.

The filter is multicoated and reasonably well constructed. For the price, it's a great value. I've owned Hoya filter before, and honestly can tell very little difference in terms of optical quality. The Hoya filter is better constructed with observable better workmanship. However, in case you hit the lens or drop it, both filters perform exactly the same function: sacrificial protection for the lens. You'd feel not as bad breaking the Zeikos than the Hoya.

I tried this filter (not bought via Amazon) and threw it away. I could see my reflection in the "Glass" (looked like plastic to me).

A good UV filter should make you wonder if there is anything there at all. It should never create reflections from the anti-glare coating on the lens.

You know those Claritin commericials where they peel away a haze to see clearly? Photos taken with this filter seemed to always have the haze. I might not even have noticed, except that I took a shot without the filter (I had taken it off to clean it and then something came up so I made some unfiltered shots.) The difference was amazing, so I did a test, on a tripod, of a bunch of tulips getting good light through a window. One with the filter, one without. There should have been no difference, but the one without the filter showed more color saturation and was sharper (tho both were in focus.)

I replaced it with a B+H filter (again, not sold here) and can't tell the difference between filter on or off for most shots, but a recent trip to Tibet (photos at 14,000 feet on a bright day) demonstrated real UV filtering power. Without the filter, they had a slight blue cast.

Recommendation: Get a good UV filter to protect your much more expensive lens from stray scratches. Don't let your lens' high quality optics suffer from putting cheap glass (or plastic) in front of it.

I have used a kenko uv filter for a long time and had to changed a new filter.
I though i didn't need to buy a expensive one. so I decided to buy Zeikos filter.
In short, i made a mistake. After put this filter on my lense, I had to see serious flare
when I took a bright spot such as the sun. I campared this on with Kenko.
obviously, kenko was better.

It doesn't seem to affect the pictures. Since I'm using it as a shield for the lens and not for any effect, this is the desirable behavior. I've never dropped the lens to which this is always attached, so I don't know how tough it is.

I bought this filter, and my friend bought the costlier HOYA filter. I took pics, using tripod, with both the filters, on the beach and I did not find any difference. The performance is the same.

Buy this filter first, it is just $7, try it out before you buy costly ones.

R

I bought this as a protective filter for my 72mm lens. I Worked well and did not affect the IQ o fthe lens.

This has been said to death, but the glass isn't coated as the package suggests. That being said, it is a nice piece of glass, and has worked very well in the function I purchased it for, namely protecting my lens. Get this if you're afraid you'll scratch your lens, get a polarizing lens if you are dreaming bigger.