What brand of filters do you guys like? I once read that they're really all the same in terms of quality.

-- Tom Nutter (tmnphotos@erols.com), February 05, 2002

Answers

I use mostly B&W. Some Heliopan and Hoya. No worries.

-- Ronald Wills (youngdeer@earthlink.net), February 05, 2002.

I use mostly B+W, but I have a couple of Heliopans. Call me a sucker for believing the B+W and Schneider marketing, but I have never been comfortable with the idea of putting a cheap filter on an expensive lens. There are substantial differences in the physical finishing quality between B+W and the lesser brands. Whether the glass is all that different, I'm honestly not sure.

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), February 05, 2002.

I concur. B+W has excellent glass from Schott and is about to deliver a new thinner lens brass ring of only 4mm in width. The other important factor to consider is lens planing and lens coating. The former deals with the "flatness" of the lens whereas the latter is key in decreasing light loss through reflection. The B+W are flat and the newest ones have MRC stamped on the filter ring. MRC stands for multi-resistant coating. The heliopan filters are good but the coating is not as good. The Leica filters are grossly overpriced and not multicoated. Hoya is in a lesser league. Any questions? Contact the filter connection at filter4@mindspring.com.

-- Albert Knapp MD (albertknappmd@mac.com), February 05, 2002.

I believe the "Leica" filters are made by B&W and simply re-badged. B&W make filters for many of the Camera manufacturers.

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), February 05, 2002.

i heard that of the b+w and leica connection too

-- stefan randlkofer (geesbert@yahoo.com), February 05, 2002.

This is not from personal experience, but some people here and in other fora has noticed some Leica filters also bearing the B+W inscription (probably a manufacturing error) which supports the theory. I doubt that B+W makes filters w. better specs. especially for Leica, and since the single coated Leica filters are more expensive than the multicoated B+W filters -then this is a no brainer!

-- Niels H. S. Nielsen (nhsn@ruc.dk), February 05, 2002.

Make sure that the mounting ring is brass (such as B+W) or the filter may seize up on the lens.

-- John Layton (john.layton@valley.net), February 05, 2002.

I too prefer B+W. They are of excellent quality, and their rings are made of brass which does not bind on the lens like an aluminum ring can. I'm not sure if it is true, but I have also heard that B+W actually makes all of the Heliopan line now, as well as Leica's filters.

:-),

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), February 05, 2002.

B+W MRC multi-resistant-coating. Head and shoulders above the rest. Glass is almost invisible due to the coating, and it is very scratch- resistant and does not smear when you clean it like other MC filters. I have replaced all my Leica filters with them, have one on order for my Hasselblad 40CFE, and will replace my 77mm Nikon L37C filters (on Canon lenses)as they need replacing.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), February 05, 2002.

I always have B+W UV MC on all my Leica and Nikon lenses.

-- Hung Huynh (hungqhuynh@hotmail.com), February 05, 2002.

I've had no problems or complaints with Hoya filters. I've taken some extremely sharp pictures through them. My first choice is B & W, but I'll gladly settle for a Hoya if need be. I have less confidence in Tiffen who seem not to even coat their filters.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), February 06, 2002.