Best of the best....
of the bestest....
It makes me laugh, all those 'Best Of' and 'Reviews' or my fav, 'Top 376 ___'
All mostly copy/pasted nonsense full of whoreish affiliate links, most never even seen by the reviewers never mind actually touched or used in real life, or just silly graphs and numbers to impress the ignorant.
There's only what's best for you.
As I'm concerned about costs with the rip off world we live in, here's my 'Best'.
Lens Filters:
As a Nikon user I like using Nikon Filters, just me but they can be expensive, even more so when your hobby fund is constantly draining....it's not even a quality thing, just a thing some have, so the next for me is a Hoya on cost and they are easy to find but can be similar to cost as some Nikon filters but I really like Hama Filters ('Pro Class' on the Packaging, it doesn't mean your pics will be 'Pro' if only but a good identifier of the type you look for).
A bit of a nice underrated find, cheap, well made, a lot unused or as new and do the same job as above but for less money, no one can tell the difference generally or at all unless you like looking at pics in a way no one ever does! The brand thing is just a quirk of many.
Although I've just bought an unused 52mm B&W 010 UV for my Nikon 85mm f2 AIS (No, this wasn't a 'find' I've owned it over 20 yrs) as a test to see what the fuss is about, it did cost £18 and way over my usual filter budget but it's for one my fav Lenses, I like to look after them and makes me feel warm inside, it better be good, ha!
Doesn't matter what you read about using them or not, if you want to, then do so, buy Hama ones and forget about it.
Lenses:
The ones that do what you want them to without thought.
I see lots of lovely 'looking' lenses on the fleabay for every camera with adapters....They are redressed crap that no one would pay a £10 note for, junk, dressed up with cheap bad fitting accessories from the land of 'look stupid westerners, sell sell....'
Buy your makers lenses if you can, they are designed to work together, buy older models, especially with AF if low budgets, a lens is a lens, the moment will be the same, I buy older Nikon MF lenses, don't need fast ones if the situation doesn't need them, my own fav recent examples:
Nikon - 80-210 f4 AIS - £30 (Mis labeled on EB)
Nikon - 50mm f1.8 AF (Gen 1) - £40 (EB- Time it right and not a greedy seller, your in luck)
Nikon - 35mm f2.8 AI - £20 (Came in a bundle, came to an average of £20 each item)
Vivitar Series 1 - 35-85mm f2.8 AI - £40 (EB Came with Hoya 72mm UV, original caps and just needed cleaning)
Nikon - 18-70mm f3.5/4.5 G ED DX - £30 (Came on a D70 that cost £60, it's the Kit lens and really not a 'Kit' Lens)
And lastly just waiting for the non fungus version of a 70-210 f4/5.6 AF D for £44, what a find, be perfect on the (£50) D80 my wife uses.
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The Best thing is research, do some reading, find sites by photographers that actually use the gear, you don't need to spend thousands or even hundreds on gear that people have been taking the same pictures of for years without the expense and technology, it makes it easier sometimes, yes, but as most of it isn't needed unless of course, you've heard on the club grapevine, Gregory just had delivered his new Leicaniksonfujiarsea so you know, my name is Jones, double DD.