I have a new 45mm f4 lens for the Pentax 67 and I am thinking of purchasing a protective (UV) filter for beach work / seascapes. Can anyone advise on suitable manufacturers of filters. I am used to B&W / Rodenstock (eg. brass holders and easy to clean) but I am wondering whether Pentax's filters are bayonet mount. Also will the lens cap still fit onto B&W types?

-- Tony Estcourt (tony.estcourt@talk21.com), February 19, 2001

Answers

Pentax's 82mm UV is a bayonet type, last I heard. The old style Takumar bayonet caps will not fit over B+W filters. The newer Pentax clamp type will fit on them however. Pentax makes both bayonet and screw type filters. I've had problems with one of my Tiffens coming apart. SR

-- Steve Rasmussen (srasmuss@flash.net), February 19, 2001.

Hi Tony, The Pentax bayonet filters are "real neat" and worth getting if you will be interchanging filters often because they are so easy to remove and replace. However, from memory they are about double the price of the single-coated B+W filters.

My screw-in Hoya HMC 82mm often sticks on my 45 just when I want to put on my polariser, so I have picked up a scratched and cheap Pentax bayonet filter with the hope of having a the glass swapped over. The B+W filter I have tried since didn't feel sticky at all (at least, not in the shop, anyway!) Enjoy the lens!

Regards, Rod.

-- Rod Sainty (georod25@hotmail.com), February 21, 2001.

Thanks for your help here. I think I will aim to get a Pentax bayonet type and if that proves too expensive, stick to B&W/Rodenstock.

-- Tony Estcourt (tony.estcourt@talk21.com), February 21, 2001.

If anyone is still listening to this thread I thought it was worth recording the results of my product search for posterity!

The cost (sorry price) of the Pentax filter was horrendous, to make matters worse I would have to order one in without seeing it (price about £150), the lens cost £400.

I like B&W but I could not source an 82mm one in the UK, a single coated model would be about £70 if I sourced from the web.

Hoya single coated was £45 but as stated I have always found them difficult to clean properly compared to the lens surfaces (don't know why).

I eventually settled for a Sigma EX multi-coated filter which was purchased second hand at MXV (mxv.co.uk) at £22 (£60 list price) This has a hard coating which allows easy cleaning and I am happy with the quality of the EX brand which I use on 35mm.

Finding any new filters proved hard and second hand even harder due to their size. I found MXV were the only suppliers in the UK that regularly stocked 2nd hand models.

-- Tony Estcourt (tony.estcourt@talk21.com), April 05, 2001.