El' cheapo filters from the Bay

[Shootar401]

I need a 77mm R72 filter for some IR photography. I don't want to spend the $140 for a name brand so I was thinking of getting one of the $15 ones from the big auction site. I use all Tiffen and Hoya currently and I know there "might" me a IQ hit when going with the cheap filters, but if I remember correctly from shooting IR in the past that IR isn't too sharp compared to standard film. Will I really be loosing anything?

[Corran]

I recently gave away an IR filter I got on eBay for $15. It worked fine but in anything other than complete gray overcast weather it flared horribly, I mean worse than I could imagine possible. I double-checked and it wasn't my lenses or anything - it did the same thing regardless of lens.

[RawheaD]

IR tends to be extra unforgiving when it comes to flares and other light related stuff. Don't go cheap.

Get a Kenko Pro-1 Digital R72, they tend to be slightly cheaper than Hoya/Tiffen

[Jody_S]

I recently gave away an IR filter I got on eBay for $15. It worked fine but in anything other than complete gray overcast weather it flared horribly, I mean worse than I could imagine possible. I double-checked and it wasn't my lenses or anything - it did the same thing regardless of lens.

Strange. I have 2 of the 'Neewer' brand IR filters from the 'bay, I haven't had any flare problems at all. I haven't shot directly into the sun, but I've certainly shot on bright sunny days.

Edit: sorry, I just realized why. The Konica film I'm using wasn't intended for photography. Most IR films are also sensitive to daylight, they're standard films with an added emulsion layer that is IR sensitive. The film I have only has the IR emulsion, so it turns out I can get an IR effect with no filter at all. I only figured that out when I accidentally did a 3-minute exposure with the camera back improperly attached, and I developed the film anyway just to see what came out. It should have been almost completely black, but in fact I couldn't tell which corner of the back was out of place from the neg. So if I had flare from the filter, I wouldn't know (provided it was in the visible light spectrum), because it wouldn't show on my film. Therefore I can't comment on flare with 'Neewer' IR filters, until I run one of my 35mm Kodak IR films through the camera.

[Corran]

I was actually looking for a replacement and I was thinking about buying a Marumi R72 (which I understand is made by Hoya?), only $70 or so. Any of you guys shot with one of these?