 As excellent as it gets |
| Review Date: August 28, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Steve Tracy, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan. |
I felt I had to write these observations after conception all of the other reviews on this companionship's filters. Having been a working photographer for more years than I care to dredge up, my main reason for settling on B+W filters was/is their optical rectification capabilities, as well as the "evident to the touch" construction feature.
The brass rings never bind (often a riddle with aluminium rings), so you'll never find yourself struggling & cursing while trying to remove it! Smooth as silk.
The primary function of any UV filter is to deactivate the presence of haze, something mostly noticeable over long space. Consequently, the only right benefit comes when shooting scenic panoramas with wide lenses, or the exact contrary; long telephoto work. In fact, telephoto/long zoom lenses are the ones that seem to benefit the most, be it with either film or digital. Don't get suckered into this "Designed for Digital" sales-pitch either. Some of my filters are years ancient, and function perfectly well on newer digital cameras. Even B+W themselves are guilty of this by having the nerve to place the very same type of filter in a silver ( brushed aluminium?) ring in lieu of the usual black one, stick the word DIGITAL on it, AND charge extra for it! Cheeky!
Many people I've met over the years have made the mix of buying cheap, nearly useless filters for high feature lenses, and for all the excellent they do, they might as well be shooting through a window pane! If you're going to buy a high feature optic, then do your research on filters, too. They are an absolutely elemental part of the optical train. Among photographers, it's always been a bone of contention!
I personally haven't come across any other filters (apart from Heliopan: they use "Schott" glass; some of the finest in the world) that can cut through murky haze quite as effectively as B+W's. I'm no optical engineer, so I have no thought how the companionship has gone about it, I only know that it works exceptionally well. Crisp, well-defined images in situations where lesser lights may likely have failed.
In what is now going to seem like a contradiction, not all B+W filters are capable of this high level of rectification. You'll notice that they often come in two, and sometimes three uncommon labelings at vastly uncommon prices, (something that some devious dealers have been known to take benefit of!) so watch what you're buying.
If it's going to be just a protection filter (no real benefit in B+W here), or used primarily for Macro work, then the plain or Single-coated ones will suffice. Though, if your intention is to do landscapes, or a lot of Tele work, then the Multi-coated version is elemental. Just look for the "#010 UV-Haze MRC (2C)" on the inner front of the ring.
You may have also noticed that B+W manufacture slim-mount filters (more costly) especially for wide-angle lenses. A point worth noting is that this particular type of filter has a wider-than-usual front, so comes supplied with its own slip-on Schneider lens cap (in this case, 95mm, on a 77mm filter), meaning that you cannot use the first one supplied with the lens. The only real drawback is the rather fiddly decent of the filter if you're using a lens hood (advisable) as it must be attached AFTER decent the hood. Not simple, I can tell you!
The standard models do very slightly vignette at the 16mm setting on my full frame digital body, so the wide-angle version (not the above-mentioned model) are the way to go if that is your set-up.
The Heliopan versions do have a slimmer ring admittedly, but for some weird reason, even if their rings are also brass, they often tend to bind. Odd?
One note here for anyone with a large aperture, drop-in filter type lens.... B+W MRC filters in both 48mm & 52mm will slip in perfectly, unlike some others. The variation to the eye may be purely a creation of my imagination, but I still feel it is noticeable!
If you're also in the market for a Circular Polarizer, and you don't mind costs twice the usual price, then look no further than B+W's Kaesemann MRC model. It knocks the socks off anything out there by a mile!
(See my review on the 77mm version)
B+W (and Heliopan) are untouchable, and their graduated ND filters are also truly something else! |
You should have one of these on all your feature lenses!! All my Canon L glass has them!
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| Review Date: November 27, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Alaskan Photo Workshops & Tours, The Wonderous State of Alaska |
If you have feature glass, like the Canon L series, then you need feature filters. the B+W are made from ground optical glass, not a piece of plain glass like as you see in the tiffen and hoyas filters (even the expensive ones are still cheap grade glass). Only B+W and Heliopan place the time and $$ into making filters that are designed to be used with your feature lenses and not distort and reduce the optical feature of them. I have a Heliopan as well, and I prefer the B+W a small bit more as its a brass ring and not aluminum and thus does not bind up as simple, and thats vital when you want to change filters quickly! If you use a cheap filter on a pro grade lens, you are manslaughter your money, on the lens and the filter as the filter just hurt your image feature, and thus you lowered the feature of your lens! In filters, like lenses, you get what you pay for!!!
I shoot in all kinda of ride out conditions, from sunny and warm, to windy and cold or snowy, and I have never had any major issues with any of my B+W filters acting up! I prefer the MRC, but even their entry level one is ground glass, so you still get a fantastic feature filter at that price point.
You need a UV filter on all your lenses, as it helps to protect your front element, as I have seen many lenses saved when bumped or dropped by the UV filter. If you are out-of-doors shooting or around kids or food at all, you have to have a UV filter no matter what! The B+W does not degrade your optical feature from a feature pro-series lens, like a Canon L Series, where a lower grade window glass filter would, like all the Tiffen, Hoys, etc. Even the Canon filters are not ground glass, and thus why I dont use them! Just be aware if you are using excellent filters, you can't blame a terrible image or blurry shot on the glass or filter then, you will have to own up to really taking a terrible picture every once and a while... :) |
I thought a filter was just a filter--I was incorrect!
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| Review Date: February 15, 2008 |
| Reviewer: J. Mansard, Clovis, NM |
| I have always used Hoya filters since I thought they were a excellent value--which they are! Though, I have always found Hoya filters hard to clean. I just bought my first B+W filters and now I plot to exchange all my other filters with B+W filters. Yes, they are more expensive, and I thought the reviews were over-inflated and I don't know a small snobish. I am now a beliver! The feature of the filter construction is unmatched and they can be meticulously cleaned lacking any smudges in under a minute. The photo feature is exceptional as well! I like this product and it is certainly worth the extra money in the long run. |
Superb Product
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| Review Date: May 18, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Chuckykhan, Maryland |
| If you are using a $1200 lense, you want a filter that won't distort. B&W makes highly superior filters. You'll pay a small more for this filter but you'll never have to worry about the feature. I bought mine to protect the lense from wind blown sand and possible bumps. I've been more than please with my photos with this filter. |
fantastic filter th
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| Review Date: June 28, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Susan Peirce, Lyons, CO USA |
| These filters are well made. I have a few of them on a variety of lenses and they function perfectly. I notice no degradation of image. They are expensive but worth it for excellent photos and lens protection. |
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