Hama Circular Polarizer Filter 40.5mm

I was concerned about buying this filter because the price was very low compared to Hoya. The decision to purchase was eventually influenced by the fact that the price was an 'offer' from a higher price and other reviewers seemed happy about the optical performance (except one). In the end, I decided I wanted to experiment with a polariser and this seemed to offer a good starting point. So what I got?As an engineer, I think the mechanical quality is good and the thing seems to do what it says on the box. To newcomers , I would make the point that the setting of a polariser seems to be quite critical and it is easy to miss the effective part of the rotation. That brings me to my one criticismm of the design...The filter has a little handle screwed into the side. Would you believe that the weight of the little handle can cause the filter to move off setting with very little provocation. It is difficult to find when on the camera. This makes it awkward to use compared to the excellent knurl on the filter body. A previous reviewer has complained that the handle was easily broken and not much missed.My advice to users is... take the handle off!. It unscrews easily. Then you have a nice filter that stays put when you take your hand off it.

This is an excellent polarising filter from Hama. Polarisers should be used at an angle close to 90 degrees to the sun and when this is done the filter should give a very strong blue effect and any white clouds should stand out impressively against the dark blue background. The Hama polariser does this exceptionally well and is very effective at dawn and dusk. It is also very well constructed and there is also a front facing thread on it so that a lens hood can fit be fitted onto the front of the filter. I have had some excellent results from this unit and I will look forward to using it overseas this winter in sunnier climes.On the downside, the filter box is not of a good construct being fiddly to open; I managed to break mine in the first week. In addition the filter unit does have a little 1cm long handle or nipple on it so you can rotate it with one of your little 'pinkies'. This works very well but the nipple tends to catch on things and could cause some damage if you knock it due to its obtrusive nature. For these two reasons the items gets four stars instead of five.

I got this filter for my Panasonic FZ18. This filter is quite thick, and using it at the widest angle with this camera produces a (in practice unnoticeable) tiny vignetting at the corners - but in practice it's not a real issue (just zoom in the smallest you can, and it will disappear). Note that this is when putting the filter directly on the camera - if you have some UV filter on top, you'll have some proper vignetting at the corners (which will still disappear if you just zoom in a little).The quality of the polarisation is very good. As any polariser, you need to know how to use it to get the most out of it, it won't just work by pointing it anywhere (like I was trying initially). Used in the right condition will give you excellent results. The sun needs to be at 90 degrees from the camera (i.e. either on your left or on your right side) to have the best effect.

I have a couple of lenses for micro four thirds cameras that use 37mm filters. This appears to be quite a nice one in that it is the only one that I have that has an adjustment lever at the side. This not only allows easy adjustment but also provides a crude reference point about its alignment.In its retail pack, the filter appears to have a slight blue tint but is quite neutral. Although intended to reduce glare from certain surfaces, it can also dramatically darken skies and enhance the appearance of clouds. It can also be used as a neutral density filter, allowing use of a wider aperture for greater separation of foreground from background or a slower shutter speed giving a larger degree of movement blur and a greater impression of speed of movement. A minor property is also that it will reduce haze at least as well as a UV filter. Although it will have an impact upon exposure, with modern cameras and their in-built exposure metering, you need make no manual adjustment but just leave it to the camera to resolve.Not especially expensive in this small size, it makes a useful addition to available kit, even if it will not be a permanent attachment.

I was not completely impressed with this item. Quality of build is fine; I have no issues with that at all. It feels solid and not tacky, and unlike  some filters I could mention  it has not yet exploded at me. The small handle to aid filter rotation is only screwed in so it can be removed if it annoys you or if you need to use a lens hood.Arrival condition was poor considering this filter was brand new. There was a significant amount of dirt and general detritus actually inside the case. Hama also felt the need to package the filter with a folded-up marketing leaflet advertising their filter range, and this was squashed between the filter and the protective foam insert. That meant that the pictures and text from the leaflet were imprinted on the filter surface and had to be removed with a Lens Pen. Quite why they could not insert the leaflet between the foam liner and the wall of the case is beyond me.Note that being at the cheap end of the market this filter is only single-coated. This increases the chance of visible flare ruining your shots, which is avoidable given the right circumstances but buying a more expensive multi-coated filter will mean you don't have to worry about it so much. I found the polarising effect of this filter to be weak compared to others I have tried. Like reviewers Haemaru and Yarhoo, I would suggest investing more money if you need a filter which will deliver reliable, consistent, and as-specified professional performance. I have found the Hoya HD range to be very well suited to professional lenses, but be warned that they are pricey! Personally, since replacing the filter with  this one , I have not once looked back.