Filter question

Is there a big difference between
http://i16.ebayimg.com/02/i/06/15/4f/e4_1.JPG

and

http://i10.ebayimg.com/04/i/05/b7/af/d8_1.JPG

?

I really want a polarizer, but I don't want to spend over $100 on one. I have pro 1 UV filters which are really nice.

I think you answered your own question.
Pro1 filters are better than "high quality" which is marketing speak for ordinary.

Yes...But how much difference will it make in photos?

This is what a "salesmen" told me when I bought my first Canon "L" glass. I wanted a cheap protection filter. He told me a cheap filter would degrade the quality of the lens. So in my mind, if you have a high quality lens use a high quality filter.

It has been said in other threads that cheap filters cast a color hue on photos.

I have two cheap PROMASTER circ polarizers at different sizes. I use them and they do what I expect. If my cheap polarizers are causing me problems then my untrained eye can't see it anyhow.

http://gallery.photographyreview.com..._7334_w640.jpg

What lens are you going to put it on?

I'm going to put it on a Tamron 17-35 f/2.8. I love that effect it did to the sky.

Could I find a medium level polarizer from another company that would be better tha hoya, or would a low level hoya still be better (all at similar price range)?

Does anyone else know?

My Hoya polarizer case looks like the second one except it doesn't say "Pro 1". Bought it a couple of years ago, maybe they've changed it. I think mine was about $100 or slightly more, and it's a 77mm slim mount. I kind of considered it a mid-grade compared to B+W or Heliopan filters. It's a good filter and a good value.

The problem that you might run into with less expensive polarizers is that they may not be perfectly neutral. They're very close and in 99% of situations should be close enough. For the rest, you'd really need a calibrated system (camera, monitor, printer) and have very tight control over the complete workflow before it would be much of a concern. I've heard that some polarizers can polarize light more than others but this one seems similar to the Nikon polarizer I had - these are the only two I really have much experience with.

One thing to remember when using a polarizer is that it's not an "on-off" effect. In some cases, the maximum effect may be more than what you want and you can turn it back a bit to lower the effect.