Comments on Filters

Dan Baum (drb@studmuffin.asd.sgi.com) wrote:
: |> I'm afraid you've been mislead. The paperwork in the B+W filter box states 
: |> quite clearly that their filters are not coated! Coating must be ordered as 
: |> an option. I certainly feel ripped off after I paid nearly $150 for a 
: |> polarizer that is not even single coatad.

: Interesting, I just picked up a couple of B+W filters yesterday, and they
: clearly state "Coated" on the box.  My understanding was that the standard
: coating was the "double hard coating on both sides" to which Bob was refering.
: The literature supplied with each filter does state that Multicoating is available
: as an option on some filters. 

Hard coating is not multicoating, nor is it a fluoride or metal coat - it 
is protective, not intended for the improvement of transmission 
characteristics.  Yes, I'd buy that B+W hardcoat their filters, sure.  
But multicoating is available only on select filters, only at extremely 
high additional cost, and is NEVER standard on ANY B+W filter.  As such, 
given their base price, one would do much better to pay half the money 
and get TMC (Tiffen MC), or the same amount and get a BETTER quality 
BETTER multicoated Pentax SMC or Nikon NIC or Canon SC or Minolta MMC 
filter.  Pentax's Circular Polarizers SMC come from 49mm to 77mm and are 
to die for - I leave one on my 645 WA lens all the time.  Heliopan are 
good but not as good as the reputation that precedes them - they make a 
"warm" polarizer that is indeed the favourite of may pros, but my 
experience with them left me cold (they desaturate blues and greens 
they're so warm) - so back to Pentax and Nikon for me.

Best cost/performance:                    Tiffen TMC
Most excessive undeserved reputation:     B+W and Heliopan
Best performance in every regard:         Pentax SMC
Acceptable MC filters for pro use:        Nikon, Canon, Minolta
Best spectral transmittance (200-760nm):  Kodak Wratten
Best CR39:				  They're all ~same in quality
Best custom resins:                       Singh-Ray
Best didymium ("enhancer"):	          TSI K12 Didymium
Best interference filters:                Omega Tristimulus XB series

Don't use no-names.  Don't use un-multicoated UV or 1A or L37 or L39 type 
filters as lens protectors - it's WA flare suicide, and telephoto fuzzifying.
Glass circles should always be multicoated, glass squares depends on 
material, resin can't be coated.

Hope that clears up a bit.

jhouse@gpu5.srv.ualberta.ca