I've bought many UV filters for my cameras, from Hoya and B&W to Promaster and I must say that the Sigma EX MC is the best one. Although most companies claim that their UV filters cut down haze, in reality my experience has been that they really don't. However, I found the Sigma UV filter to noticeably cut down haze and produce very clean, sharp images without altering picture quality in any way. I strongly recommend this filter to protect your camera lens and reduce haze that can ruin your pictures. Sigma DG 52mm Multi-Coated UV Filter
My previous filters from a cheap set I purchased off ebay. They did the job just fine, but had obvious reflections and all at times. When my Sigma arrived, I held it in the light beside my previous filter. There were practically no reflections on the Sigma!
Do yourself a favor, get a decent filter! Multi-coated is the way to go. Eventually reflections will disrupt your photos.
Flat-out, the Sigma EX DG ultraviolet filter is hands-down the best UV filter I have ever used. I've had a handful from Hoya, Tiffen, and Zeikos...and always truly believed that it was just to protect the lens, and the clarity of picture was changed in such minute ways, that it was more or less unnoticeable. However, just holding this lens up next to any of my other UV lenses side-by-side, and you can genuinely see the difference. While $20+ does seem just a little on the steep side for just a UV filter when there are so many out there for less than $5, it's good knowing that unless something tragic happens to this one, I'll never need another. I fully intend to buy one in each diameter I need to cover all my lenses.
PROS:
+ Amazing quality UV filter
+ Excellent finish on the entire product
+ Reduces haze noticeably by simple sight, as well as in all pictures
CONS:
- $20+ may be more than some people are willing to pay for a UV filter
To protect my newly purchased Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor Lens, I needed to find an adequate UV filter. This was a great purchase. You can tell that it is solidly built. I thought about buying a cheaper filter, but decided not to skimp and pay $15 more. And it was sure a good choice!
When buying a UV filter for your lens, this is the one to get.
This Sigma is better at dispersing reflections than the Tiffen UV filters I've been using. Just looking at a reflection on both filters shows the difference: the Tiffen shows a bright white reflection of a window, while the Sigma shows a dim green reflection, much like the lens of a camera. The threads also seem to be better machined, as the filter goes on and off more smoothly than the Tiffens.
Any sort of cleaning seems to remove part of the multi-coating. There was a dust-like spot on a brand-new Sigma, and when neither a Rocket Blaster nor a Lens Pen could remove it, I tried ethanol lens cleaner with both a cleaning cloth and a Pec Pad. Some of the multi-coating came off and smeared: I bought three of these filters, and could compare an untouched one with the cleaned one. The untouched one has a "greener" reflection than the cleaned one. Both are still a lot better than the Tiffen.
Turns out that cleaning the second Sigma filter with just a Lens Pen also removed some of the multi-coating, so maybe it wasn't the ethanol. I could try water or soap-and-water on the third one, but am not anxious to do so until necessary.
Did side by side comparison with Hoya's basic $7 52mm UV Filter - the difference is night and day. C'mon, you've spent hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on your DSLR / lens / tripods / accessories all for that flare- and ghosting-free image. Don't skimp out on a quality filter - it's the only thing between your subject and your glass.
This filter is an incredible bargain - high quality multi-coated glass at 1/3 of the price of similarly crafted filters. Go out and get one now!
I use this filter on my Nikkor lenses that take 52 mm. Overall very happy with this filter, I own 3 of them, all purchased from Amazon. Unlike other posts, all of mine have come in sealed packages, clean, brand new appearing.
Pros:
+High quality feel and construction
+Excellent multi-coating, reduces glare very well
+No noticeable image degradation
+Very affordable for the features, the best filter in this price range
Cons:
-As others have noted, can be difficult to clean
-There are better filters out there, but at only $20 (roughly 1/3 or 1/4 the cost of those better filters) this is a no-brainer
Very clear. Looking through the filter straight on, it's basically invisible. (Reflections show at shallow angles, of course, but that's not relevant.) What is interesting is that I could tell it filtered UV without even putting it on the camera! Our office has coated windows to cut down on infrared and visible light. (We're in Tucson, it's hot in the desert.) It is obvious that ultraviolet light is still coming through at full strength, since some white things are visibly fluorescing.
The filter casts a yellow "shadow" when it blocks window light from fluorescing paper, but when I move the filter aside from the paper, so I can still look through it at the paper, but it doesn't block window light from the paper anymore, the paper is completely purplish-white, not yellow at all. Cool!
And it's nice that it has a metal ring threaded on both sides, instead of a plastic ring. I just had to make sure I threaded it carefully when putting it on my Canon 50mm 1.8f II (plastic). - Lens Filter - Photography - Filter - Uv Filter'
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