Hoya or B+W filters?

The B+W F-PRO that don't say MRC on them.. these ones are not brass right?

DStanic wrote in post #5452657
The B+W F-PRO that don't say MRC on them.. these ones are not brass right?

Not sure as they actually manfacture filters for the Asia market that differ from others. I believe all thier "slim" type filters are aluminum.

login wrote in post #5452828
I prefer B+W as I could not clean the Hoya Pro-1 for anything

I never have had an issue cleaning my Hoya filters. My newest B+W on the other hand was kinda tough to clean the first time though. Go figure -

JSJR4 wrote in post #5450941
What are better filters? (CP, neutral density, gradients, etc...) Hoya or B+W?

Define your criteria for 'better' and you may find an answer ...

CP - never seen a difference with my ex Hoya and Kenko Pro 1's and so the Kenko Pro 1's are cheaper so I recommend that one. I dunno B&W. I'm sure they're good.

On ND and NDG's I would say Lee or Hitech and use the Lee Foundation kit with the correct lens adaptor, either standard or wide-angle and correct mm. Screw in NDG's seem a waste of money to me as can't really be adjusted.

My experience rather than 'wot I heard somewhere' is that Hoya Pro 1 are easy to clean. I cleaned three per day over a 21 day period in Namibia and Botswana last year and they are very dusty places I used the cheap Zeiss glasses cleaner tissues that are moist. Sometimes I used my shirt

I only use filters when I need to and so 'threads getting stuck' and 'welding' to each other has never been an issue. I don't believe in wasting my money for a 'feature' that I'll never use.

doidinho wrote in post #5451357
B+W have brass threads which are less prone to get stuck on your lens. I have also heard that Hoyas filter give a tint to your images. Never heard anything negative about B+W.

Hoya will not tint your images just as B+W will not as long as you get the better models (Pro-1, Multicoated, etc.)

I've had both and prefer B+W build-wise. I had a Hoya MRC CPL that just fell apart on me in under a year. Switched to B+W at that point and have no reason to switch back. Make sure to get the MRC versions. Good luck, Mike

Hoya is a pretty decent grade of filter - for window glass. Scheider only uses Schott glass which they make and diamond cut t their very high specs.

The easy answer go to the store break out the UV filters and look at them on a color balanced light table - you will see clear differences between filters from the same maker. Not so w/ B+W.

LBaldwin wrote in post #5452999
Hoya is a pretty decent grade of filter - for window glass.

That's a ridiculous statement.

Hoya supplies glass to numerous high technology industries that demand the highest quality and precision for their own products: http://www.hoyaoptics.​com/industries/index.h​tm

Hoya crystal is also known throughout the collector world for its purity and clarity: http://www.hoyacrystal​.jp/product.html?Lang=​e

Hoya also makes optical glass for other lens manufacturers and for eyeglass applications (I've had several of their lenses in my glass frames).

B&W makes quality products (I have some), but the pedestal on which some users place their products reeks at times of sheer snobbery.

EORI wrote in post #5453157
That's a ridiculous statement.

I'm sure he read it on the internet somewhere

bwahahahar... shuldn't this thread be in "accesories"? I doubht there is really that much of a difference between the two for pete's sake. Just get one and enjoy knowing that your glass is safe.

OK again. So do my little test. take 5 or 6 HOYA filters UV will work. Put them on the light box and take a good look. You will see varitions in thickness, quality of the rings and variations in the color.

Cast any doubt you wish, but unless you have done some testing you have no backup just yoru opinion. Next (if you have access to one, put a few on an optical comparter) I Have> And there more ripples in the surface than you would believe. All lenses and filters have issues, most are not a huge issue. But when yu compare filters you need to have a fair sample size.

And BTW Hoya and several others use or have used window glass in the construction of their filters. Hoya has made major changes to their quality, but they still cannot hold water against Leitz, Schneider

It's really funny you never see anyone complain about the quality of Schneider optics -just the prices. As far as knick-knacks are concerned - who cares. Schneider is one of a hand full of companies that makes ALL of their own glass - they grow the glass they cut, and they assemble it. I have 3 LF Schneider lenses, they kick the stuffins out of anybodys other LF glass. I wish I could mount them on my Canon body (reasonably). I thought about the conversion kit for my Horseman but it was just too much $$$.

So call me a snob if you wish, I wish I had more schneider lenses and filters to work with.

EDIT: I forgot to add a few tidbits - Heliopan the other TOP filter maker also uses Schott glass & Hoya's parent company? Tokina...

So not only are Hoyas made from regular window panes, but they have ripples, variations in quality of rings and colors and are inferior because Hoya's doesn't "grow" glass like Schott? I thought we were talking about photographic filters, not some hallucinogenic drug.

EORI wrote in post #5456201
So not only are Hoyas made from regular window panes, but they have ripples, variations in quality of rings and colors and are inferior because Hoya's doesn't "grow" glass like Schott? I thought we were talking about photographic filters, not some hallucinogenic drug.

All glass have ripples. Glass is a liqued, not a solid. It just moves really really slow. And yes the Hoya filters do have color variations (not as bad as others).

I have not looked at their top of the line, A #1 filters so..... But when I sold gear to both the porfessional photographic and scientific community - filters were a daily sales item. I had entire racks of Wratten filters in all colors of the spectrum. Each was printed with a number letting the buyer know if there was a varition on the color temp, thickness or transmissive propeties.

We carried every filter for Hassy, Nikon, Kodak, B+W, Heliopan, and Ilford, Agfa and several that were spectrum specific. IR, UV-A, UV-B, were a walk in the park. Every Seminductor company in the valley and many that were not came to us just for our filter knowledge. We had books in german, russian, and japaneses as well as english - all about filters, their appliations, sizes etc.

No one here has ever mentioned the East German filters - some of the best but always in non-western sizes- so hard to use.

I actually like some of the stuff that Tiffen has been doing lately.

If consistant color from lens to lens is your goal, you need the best filters - plain and simple. Anyone that has ever done pro color darkroom can show the correction filter packs neede for each lens they use. Another way to see the variations between filters shot on color film.

Digital killed all of it. Nearly.

LBaldwin wrote in post #5456419
I have not looked at their top of the line, A #1 filters so.....

Maybe you should, otherwise, as you said earlier it's all just opinion innit. In fact, it all smacks too much of 'salesman talk' to take seriously IMO.

BTW I have two B+W 77mm MRC UV 010 F-PRO filters and three Hoya Pro 1 Super HMC whatever's at different sizes. As necessary, in dusty conditions for protection, I will use them with no care as to which is better because, frankly, if I could see the difference I wouldn't be on POTN I'd be featured in Marvel Comics I just care about what these things do in use. I really don't care about what they look like on a light table or with a microscope or that some company or other makes its own glass, etc. I mean, MacDonalds makes its own burgers but I wouldn't wanna put one in my mouth (or on my lens!) If folks wanna go throw good money at filters then I am happy for them. If they wanna achieve the same and save cash then cool. If they wanna use 'em for special circumstances then nice. But at least do it based on an open mind.

I use Hoya and they are great, although they are hard to clean. they tend to smear a bit, but once they are clean, all is good.

condyk wrote in post #5456821
Maybe you should, otherwise, as you said earlier it's all just opinion innit. In fact, it all smacks too much of 'salesman talk' to take seriously IMO.

BTW I have two B+W 77mm MRC UV 010 F-PRO filters and three Hoya Pro 1 Super HMC whatever's at different sizes. As necessary, in dusty conditions for protection, I will use them with no care as to which is better because, frankly, if I could see the difference I wouldn't be on POTN I'd be featured in Marvel Comics I just care about what these things do in use. I really don't care about what they look like on a light table or with a microscope or that some company or other makes its own glass, etc. I mean, MacDonalds makes its own burgers but I wouldn't wanna put one in my mouth (or on my lens!) If folks wanna go throw good money at filters then I am happy for them. If they wanna achieve the same and save cash then cool. If they wanna use 'em for special circumstances then nice. But at least do it based on an open mind.

So question if you don't like filters, and only use them in dusty environments why bother to post? Also smacking salespeople is not nice <vbg>.

The reason I use B+W has nothing to do with cleaning or any of that other crap. I use them because they are consistant in their color from filter to filter. Many of us here use L lenses, and I demand color consistancy from image to image. If I use a WA L for one image and a 200 2.8L on the next few frames I do not want to see a color shift that will have to fixed in post. I used to do a boatload of catalog work, and teal needs to be teal. The color contrast and reflectance need to be as close as they can. It is just that simple. If Hoya or Tiffen, or any other maker had that as a quality control guideline then I would use them.

I do not know how much color or B&W darkroom you have done, me way too much. Color variences are a PITA. Nuff said.