filter wallet

[Bruce Watson]

I'm changing my standard from 52mm filters to 67mm filters. I need a new filter wallet. From what little I can tell, the old Gara Gear wallets were considered to be the best, and now that Gara Gear has faded out of the picture, the MC Photographic wallets seem to be well liked.

But where do you find these things? I've done extensive searches with Google and on this and the photo.net sites, and turned up darned little. Anyone have a source?

[David A. Goldfarb]

I think Photo Gizzmo carries MC Photographic products.

I like the Tamrac filter wallets. I have a couple of them.

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Bruce,

I just got two new filter wallets yesterday. A Tamrac 5329 that holds eight filters up to 82mm. This one replaces the Gara Gear one I bought about 15 years ago and has seen it's better days. The design is very similar to the Gara Gear, but on first impression I'd say the materials and construction are even better.

The second is an f64 FCX Large Multi-use Case. I bought this one to hold center filters and my Singh-Ray GNDs. I'm not nearly as impressed with this one. It also has eight pockets, but the design is poor. It's basically a four pocket case with a second four pooket insert sewn in the middle. There is absolutely no padding between the eight filter slots. The Singh-Ray filters fit, but stick out beyond the tops of the pockets. Given this exposure and the total lack of internal padding, I probably won't risk damage to these resin filters by carrying them in this case. It will hold round filters up to 95mm (which is why I bought it), but I'll probably just use it to carry four filters to avoid damaging them due to the lack of internal padding. After seeing the design of this filter wallet, I wish I'd have saved a little money and just bought the four pocket model. This one also lacks any convenient handle for hanging it on my tripod. It has two belt loops, but they aren't velcro. So, you'd have to undo and redo your belt everytime you want to put this thing on or take it off. Since it would interfere with the waist belt on my backpack, I can't see me ever wearing this thing on my belt anyway.

If you just need a wallet for 67mm filters (or anything up to 82mm), I'd heartily recommend the Tamrac wallet over the f64 product. It's a much better design.

Kerry

[Steve Hamley]

Another vote for the Tamrac. I picked up a couple at MPEX. I've also used a Lowe which is well made, but they made the plastic over the filters almost opaque, so it's difficult to see what's in the particular pocket. Small things do make a difference!

I use the Lowe for B&W contrast filters because the strong colors can be seen through the nearly opaque material and it's easy to tell apart from the Tamrac so I'm not grabbing the wrong pouch in the field.

Steve

[Brian Ellis]

I have the Tamrac that holds eight filters. I like it fine but the plastic pieces that form the pockets are kind of loose and don't hold the filters in very well. Every time I take the wallet out of my pack I find several of the filters floating around loose inside the wallet. Not a major problem but an aggravation.