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Hoya YYE4252 Star 6X 52mm Filter — main product image
Hoya

Hoya YYE4252 Star 6X 52mm Filter

★★★★★5.0 (1 reviews)

Rotate this 52mm six-point star filter to aim dazzling light streaks from any point source — city lights, candles, and sun flares transformed with a single screw-on attachment.

$35.90*
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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jul 14, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.

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Overview

The Hoya YYE4252 Star 6X is a 52mm screw-in creative filter that imposes a six-point diffraction star onto every specular point light source in your frame. The effect is generated by a grid of precisely etched lines on high-quality optical glass: when a concentrated light source — a street lamp, a candle, sunlight piercing through a gap — passes through those etched lines, it diffracts into six symmetrical arms radiating outward from the source. Hoya's multi-coating suppresses the secondary ghost reflections that the etching itself can create, keeping the star arms crisp and the surrounding image free from the muddy halos that cheaper star filters introduce. The slim aluminum frame threads to 52mm lens rings, minimizes vignetting compared to standard-profile frames, and retains front filter threads for a lens cap or additional filter layer. The filter is fully rotatable, meaning the orientation of the six arms is compositionally adjustable at the time of shooting.

This filter is a deliberate creative tool for photographers working with night cityscapes, golden-hour landscapes, candle-lit interiors, automotive lighting, and any scene where point light sources are compositional elements rather than incidental. It is not an always-on filter — in flat or diffuse lighting conditions, there are no point sources to diffract and the filter adds optical elements to the path for no visual return. In the right scene, though, the effect transforms ambient light sources into designed graphic elements, adding cinematic energy to an image that would otherwise be a straightforward exposure. The Made in Japan manufacturing standard means the etching is precise and consistent, producing star arms that are evenly spaced and equally defined — the quality difference from budget alternatives becomes visible when the arms are closely examined at full resolution.

Key Features

CREATES DRAMATIC 4-BEAM STAR EFFECTS FOR STUNNING VISUALS – Elevate your creative photography with this star filter, transforming bright light points into dazzling starburst effects. Add a cinematic touch, enhancing outdoor scenes with this must-have accessory.

PRECISELY ETCHED OPTICAL GLASS FOR CLEAN STARBURST RESULTS – Experience superior clarity with this star lens filter, featuring expertly etched lines on high-quality optical glass that delivers clean, four-point flares. Enhance light sources while maintaining sharpness.

PERFECT FOR NIGHT, BACKLIGHT & CREATIVE OUTDOOR SCENES – Capture dreamy light streaks from street lamps and reflections using this 4x star filter, designed to excel in low-light and creative scenarios. Transform ordinary scenes into extraordinary, eye-catching images every time.

MULTI-COATED SLIM FRAME FOR ZERO GHOSTING – Designed with a slim aluminum frame that prevents vignetting and multi-coating to reduce reflections, this lens filter ensures sharp, high-contrast images for stunning results.

VERSATILE FIT WITH SCREW-IN DESIGN FOR DSLR & MIRRORLESS CAMERAS – Compatible with a wide range of lenses, this screw-in camera lens filter fits securely and is built for everyday use, making it a reliable addition to your kit.

Specifications

Filter Size
52mm
Effect
6-point star / cross flare
Frame Material
Slim aluminum with front filter threads
Coating
Multi-coated optical glass
Rotatable
Yes
Origin
Made in Japan

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • The rotatable frame gives precise directional control over the six star arms, allowing deliberate compositional placement of light streaks rather than accepting a fixed pattern.
  • Multi-coated optical glass preserves contrast and suppresses secondary ghosting from the etched diffraction lines, keeping the rest of the frame clean while the star effect renders on point sources.
  • The slim aluminum frame threads cleanly onto 52mm lens rings without the front-thread blockage that prevents adding a second filter or lens cap — practical for field use.
  • Made in Japan optical glass construction means the etching precision is consistent across the filter, producing symmetrical, evenly-defined star arms rather than irregular or unequal streaks.
  • The 6-point star pattern is a distinct look from the more common 4-point and 8-point variants, giving images a specific character that reads clearly without becoming visually cluttered.

👎 Cons

  • The star effect only activates on true specular point sources — in overcast, flat-lit, or softbox-lit scenes, the filter produces no visible effect while still adding a glass element to the optical path, reducing transmission for no creative return.
  • At very wide focal lengths (below 35mm equivalent), the slim frame may still introduce slight corner vignetting despite its reduced profile — a lens-specific limitation that requires field testing.
  • Stopping down to f/8 or narrower with this filter active can cause the star arms to merge or become over-defined, so optimal aperture range for clean star rendering requires experimentation per lens.
  • The filter's physical etching is the diffraction mechanism — any cleaning with abrasive materials or improper cloths risks damaging the engraved lines and permanently degrading the star effect quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

The filter is fully rotatable — once threaded onto your lens, you can turn the filter ring to adjust the orientation of the six star points relative to your composition. This lets you direct the streaks toward or away from the frame edges, align them with architectural lines, or position them symmetrically in a night scene. Rotation is smooth and precise enough to dial in during live view.
The slim frame design is specifically engineered to minimize vignetting, and for most lenses at 52mm it performs well above 35mm equivalent focal lengths. At very wide angles (24mm equivalent and below), some darkening at the corners is possible. Test your specific lens-filter combination before committing it to a shoot.
The multi-coating is applied to reduce ghosting and reflections from the etched star pattern itself — without it, the refracted star arms can generate secondary flares that degrade the overall image. In practice, the coating preserves center sharpness and contrast well. As with any optical element added to your imaging chain, there is a marginal effect on transmission, but it is not visually significant in properly exposed shots.
Specular point sources — street lamps, LED lights, candle flames, sun through foliage, and catchlights in product photography — produce the sharpest and most defined star arms. Broad, diffuse light sources like overcast sky or large softboxes will not generate a defined star effect because there is no concentrated point of light for the etched lines to diffract. The effect is most dramatic when the point source is small and bright relative to the surrounding scene.
The filter does not interact with the lens's autofocus system — it sits in front of the glass and has no electronic components. In very high-contrast situations where the star effect creates strong local contrast variations, phase-detect AF may occasionally hunt slightly, but this is a scene-dependent edge case rather than a consistent limitation of the filter itself.

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