Digital UV filters vs. other UV filters

I've recently invested in a Sigma 18-50 2.8 and a Nikon 70-200 2.8 to go with my

D-70s and D-200. I've used multi-coated Hoya UV filters on other lenses and

I've been happy with the results. I was just wondering what the difference is

between a digital UV filter vs. and non-digital UV filter and is it worth

investing in the digital version? Thanks for your time!

What's a digital filter? Is it some marketing ploy?

I was wondering that too, Stephen. I've seen a few filter companies offer their "regular" filters as well as digital. Here's Hoya's digital filter page; http://www.hoyafilter.com/products/hoya/pro1d-01.html

Tell me what you think, I'd appreciate your input.

Marketing bunk, IMHO. Are they more expensive than the Hoya multi-coated filter for film cameras? I didn't bother checking because I don't have a digicam, but you may try bhpoto.com and see. There are plenty of companies making multi-coated filters. Reflections are also a problem with film cameras. Hoya makes fine filters. They also supply optical glass to Leica.

I didn't know Hoya supplied optical glass to Leica, good to know! And to answer your question, yes, the Hoya 72mm UV Pro 1 Digital Multi-Coated filter is $73.50 at B&H and the Hoya 72mm Haze UV(0) (HMC) Multi-Coated filter is $37.50. Makes me wonder if there really IS something different about it to justify the 2x price. Or do they hope to bank on people being gullible...

I do not think it's worth the price. I guess, the only advantage it gives is more layers of multicoating. Hoya promotes their Pro1 series "for digital", but there aren't any vast differences - unless logo;)

 

I never used the Pro1 series hoya filters - I've got a few B+W and Hoya HMCs - the last ones are quite sticky to wipe, though. I don't know, are the pro ones more reliable in a long run.

 

'Cause I remember how easy it was to destroy some sort of coating on an old russian Zenith lens in my childhood. Adults didn't like that...

One person I asked about digital filters said that they are slimmer and thus less likely to add to light falloff at corners on a digital lens which has a smaller light ring.

 

But I am not buying it. Well, I am buying it (I bought a filter marked 'pro1 digital' but I don't believe it has any powers over a filter that isn't marked digital.

 

The camera equipment industry has gone through a revolution in the last decade with so many new technologies. Even new lenses are coming out for digital. The filter makers were probably just feeling disappointed that nobody had a reason to buy new filters.

 

So they 'invented' something to change about the filters.

 

Get a Pro1 Digital or a Pro1 without digital, whatever they have in stock. It doesn't matter.

Come to think of it, the Pro1 digital and Pro1 non-digital are both slimline. And both have the same number of coatings as far as I know. So now I don't know.

To Paul and all the other confused ones: the answer is totally obvious:

 

We all need to buy "digital" bags, "digital" tripods, etc.

 

If it does not say "digital" you do not want to use it with your DSLR! No way. Just be cool and "digital".

Speaking of gullible, there isn't a thing coming out of China that shouldn't cost the consumer 1/5 to 1/2 what it does......Jim

I agree with Frank; it's becoming the same delusion within pros as well as the megapixel race within amateurs, "digital amateurs" - or whoever they are...

 

As for the question, I already decided not to spend big bucks on that unless I'm convinced it really works. I don't know any strong advantages of it yet (it won't reduce all flare and ghosts anyway, and trusted B+W MRC didn't...)

 

tnx, Ali

It really doesn't matter, in the case of Hoya. A traditional UV filter has a slight yellow tint, because the ultraviolet absorbing chemicals also absorb a little bit of visible violet. So Hoya makes a "digital filter" that's just clear glass, no UV absorbing yellow tint. It still has anti-reflective coatings. This works because the camera's sensor has a good UV filter already, and modern zoom lenses (with 22 layers of thick glass, optical cement, and anti-reflective coatings) do the rest of the job of blocking UV. Since the yellow tint of a traditional UV filter is easily white balanced out (and it's just a drop in the bucket compared to the tint of most lenses) the UV filter vs. "digital filter" really doesn't matter. Do avoid the visibly amber or pink "skylight" filter.

 

Now, what Heliopan calls a "digital filter" is an entirely different matter. It has a dichroic coating that blocks infrared, so cameras with high IR sensitivity (My old Nikon D100, Nikon's current D70, D50, and D40, most Pentax models, and the Leica M8, to name a few) will have less IR problems. The filter keeps blacks from turning magenta, greens from acquiring yellow or brown casts, skin tones from getting blotchy, etc.

 

And for whoever mentioned Leica earlier: Schott makes glass for Leica, not Hoya.

There are a number of glass makers providing a number of manufacterers, and Hoya is one that supplies Leica and many others, as does Schott. Leitz used to make their own glass, but not all.

Well, there seemed to be little good info out there (I Googled a lot) so I went on a research

campaign. I don't think the Hoya Pro1 Digital filters are a marketing ploy, I think they

offer something good and are a good value. I've ordered some, we'll see how they do.

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I chiefly compared these to B+W MRC filters, and I was mainly looking at UV haze filters

since I wanted to have something protective on the lens.

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Yep, the Pro1 Digital filters are more expensive than Hoya's non digital filters. But, if you

look at their specs, they're all low-profile/wide-angle-"compliant"...and every filter maker

charges more for low-profile filters (I've heard because the higher-precision machines

needed to make thin frames cost more). A B+W MRC slim filter costs more than the Hoya

Pro1D filter. And the Hoya's have front threads so you can put on a "real" lens cap. So

while I can't say if Hoya or B+W are "better", it seems clear from the basic specs that at the

least the Hoya Pro1D is not purely a marketing rip-off.

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And I wanted to know more, so I called THK (U.S. distributor for Hoya) and talked to a tech

guy there who seemed pretty good. He claimed some other things.

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The "Digital multi-coated" is just their latest, highest quality multi-coating. It's supposed

to be easier to clean (more on that below). And, the tech said Hoya felt that it actually IS

more important to cut reflections for digital cameras, because the sensor itself can act as a

rather mirror-like surface (something also mentioned by Bob Atkins <<a href="http://

photo.net/equipment/filters/digital">here</a>>), thus exacerbating any reflection

issues. This is also why the Pro1D has black frames with black-rimmed glass, to minimize

reflections.

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All the Pro1D are low-profile...because so many DSLR users are using wider-angle lenses

(to make up for the focal length "magnification").

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As for having threads...the tech's claim is that lots of "wide-angle" filters could have

threads...but that filter-makers haven't put them there to prevent stacking filters on a

wide-angle lens and thus causing vignetting. He said Hoya had so many complaints about

push-on caps that they decided to add threads...and now it's just up to the consumer to

realize they ought not to stack filters at wide-angle.

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BEWARE: IF you wish to get the Pro1D filters, check the part #. I found mistakes in the

titles & descriptions of the Hoya filters at both B&H & Adorama. Some items are mis-

labelled, or have inappropriate extra words in them (like "digital" or "S-HMC")...if the mfr.

part # for the Hoya filter starts with "XD", then it's a Pro1D, if not, it isn't. I saw a filter at

B&H that one would think from the slightly-messed title is a Pro1D...but it isn't.

<br><br>

As for cleaning...the tech admitted that the previous coatings could be harder for

consumers to clean. Commercial folks can use chemicals that are classified as "controlled

substances" to clean, so they can clean better with stuff consumers can't get.

<br><br>

Their S-HMC coatings are harder to clean...a consumer is pretty much limited to using

"purified" (distilled? I forgot to ask) water.

<br><br>

As for their DMC coating (Digital multi-coating), he recommended 2 routes: Either go to a

hardware store and get denatured alcohol, or get Eclipse cleaner made by Photographic

Solutions (I notice that you can get free samples of it at <a href="http://

www.photosol.com/samples.htm">http://www.photosol.com/samples.htm</a>).

Personally, I'm buying Eclipse since they expressly claim it's great for lenses (I see that

Adorama will ship it...I like B&H better, but they will only sell it in-person).

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So there you have, interesting info, no? It was a lot of work, I hope someone else finds

this info useful.

I use a Hoya SHMC Pro1 with my Tokina 10-22mm (and its lens cap). There is no vignetting.