39mm X2 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter for Camera Lenses - AGC Optical Glass Polarizer Filter with Lens Cloth - MRC8 - Nanotec Coatings - Weather Sealed by Breakthrough Photography

I bought three circular polarizers: AmazonBasics ($13.99), Tiffen ($28.17), and Breakthrough Photography’s X2 ($89).The first test throws out the AmazonBasics due to color problems (it turns everything brown). A weekend of ruined pictures with that filter confirmed this.The Tiffen looks better than the X2. The polarization is stronger, and the X2 appears to be slightly brownish.A weekend using the Tiffen returned slightly brownish pictures. Breakthrough Photography's website shows tests of the Tiffen and their X4 ($129). The Tiffen looks worse at long (red) wavelengths and the X4 looks worse at short (blue) wavelengths.I usually leave my camera on AWB; this weekend I'll try other white balance settings. Also I'll pay more attention to the sun's position and leave the polarizer off when it's not doing anything. I suspect that the photographer's skill is more important than the differences between filters!

I will not claim to be a filter aficionado. I don't have a ton of experience with filters, but when I finally got some Canon L glass I knew I wanted some top-shelf filters. I've used cheap Hoya and Tiffen filters on my kit lenses and they were sufficient, but if I knew I wasn't going to stick a $20 filter in front of a $1200 lens. My first thought was to go to B+W since they seem to be the "go-to" for top-quality stuff. A little bit of internet research kept leading me to a Breakthrough Photography, a company I'd never even heard of before. After reading around about the company, their commitment, and the testimonials of a few people I figured I'd give them a try. Plus, I always want to support a company in the USA if I can and these guys are in San Francisco. I bought an X2 circular polarizer and an X2 3-stop ND. The first thing I was impressed by with these filters was the packaging; I know it has nothing to do with the performance of the product, but good packaging tells you how the company wants their product perceived. The Breakthrough filters come in a nice 2-piece box, then a hard plastic clamshell to hold the filter, which is surrounded in soft foam. There's also a nice red cleaning cloth and a warranty paper (25 years!). As for the filter itself, the quality and craftsmanship is immediately apparent. Probably the nicest thing is the scalloped edges which allow for effortless threading and unthreading. I've had other polarizers get a little stuck on the lens because the ring wants to turn but the threads won't come undone. Not the case with this filter. The rotation on the polarized ring is very, very smooth and not too stiff or too loose. With the camera in live-view the effects are very noticeable especially on highly reflective surfaces like water. I included a picture with and without the polarizer to show just how much glare it reduces on a running stream; it's incredibly impressive. I've also included another picture taken with both the CPL and a 3-stop ND to get a nice, sharp 6-second exposure. There's nothing I dislike about these filters and I might end up getting more if I find good use-cases for them.

Update 8 2021: This is the second time that your filters saved my bacon! My carrying case opened and a $2500 camera with a $2000 lens fell out. The lens and camera landed on the edge of your combined UV and Polarizing filters. The two filters bent, broke and absorbed the shock from the drop. I had no idea about the status of my lens until I cut away the broken filters. The lens was fine! The camera was fine. Wow! I have never been happier to purchase two new replacement filters!I recently travelled to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and quickly realized what I had expected. The sun is much harsher than in Maine and a very good polarizing flitter was critical and I needed it fast. The local shop had a Zeise filter for $199. While I do like to shop local, I went on Amazon and ordered a lens to be delivered in one day for half the price. This filter is amazing just as all the reviews assured that it was (thank you to the other reviewers). What an amazing difference and I could not be happier. I received a nice note before the filter arrived and follow-up which was appreciated. I am attaching a few photographs to show the impact that this filter had in the early afternoon sun and a fire at sunset. I highly recommend this filter and this wonderful new company that is really doing things right. THANK YOU Amazon and Breakthrough Photography for saving my bacon.Updated Review: This lens filter is tough and saved my bacon again. I dropped my Canon 100-400mm lens. I was actually taking photographs with it that I could see on my viewfinder. As a result, I ASSumed that it was secure on my camera. When I lowered my camera to look a the photographs on the screen, the lens fell off. Unfortunately, at the time, I was photographing the rugged and rocky Maine Coast in front of my house. Needless to say, upset doesn't begin to describe my reaction. After picking up the lens (luckily at low tide), my first shocking view was of this shattered 77mm polarizing filter (see the attached photograph). The fall jammed the lens filter onto the camera. Because it is dark, I could not see any damage to the glass on my lens. Before I sent the lens to be repaired (I had invested in Amazon.com insurance), I decided that I better remove the lens filter since it may not be covered as part of a repair. The force of the fall was broken by and had dented the edge of the filter and it could not be removed by hand. I ended up taking the filter apart one piece at a time. The filter's glass remained intact -- albeit cracked -- even when removed from the frame. It was an interesting exercise to see how well the filter was constructed. When I finally removed the filter, the lens was not cracked at all. The damage was to the thread at the end of the lens which allows a filter to be added. This is currently being replaced. The bottom line, this lens dramatically improved my photographs and saved a $2,000 lens from sure destruction. While I certainly did not buy this filter to protect this lens from my faux pas, it was a huge and totally unexpected bonus. What a great company and product! Thank you for what you do.

Really phenomenal lens filter worth the few extra $$$ vs competitors offering same or similar specs. The ridges make a huge difference when needing to change filters. Little to no vignetting and quality glass. Using on a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8. Photos are paired with their 6 stop ND filter

Not many manufacturers of filters that large.. Good build quality.. I have not tried it yet in challenging conditions ..

Best CPL I’ve used.

Awsome item worse any $ spent.