Filter Quality

[frankie_frank1]

I have several brands of filters on hand. Could you help me to rank

their quality?

 

Nikon, Hoya, Tiffen, Rolev, Fotoace.

What other brands of filters are normally considered great quality?

[jimstrutz]

Just a guess... 1)Nikon, 2)Hoya, 3)Tiffen, 4)Rolev, 5)Fotoace

 

Actually, I'm not sure where the Nikon filter fits in. Perhaps after the Hoya? And I've seen some Tiffen that seemed better than Hoya. What are Rolev and Fotace?

 

You can usually tell quality by looking at them. Look at the ring. Is it alluminum or brass? Brass is heavier and better and sticks in the lens barrel less, but a massive alluminum filter ring works well too. Thin alluminum creates probelms.

 

Do you see any imperfections in the glass? Is it coated? Multicoated? Multicoated lenses usually say somthing like MC, SMC or UMC on the ring someplace, and will cause less reflections/flare.

 

B&W filters are good.

[carl smith]

I've never been a huge fan of Tiffen, my experiences with them just haven't been as good. I've had more problems with Tiffen's aluminum rings binding and with their polarizers delaminating. B+W and Heliopan have great optical quality and a nice brass ring, but I really like Hoya because it's the optics that count. I've never had problems with the aluminum rings on Hoyas and their HMC coated optics seem pretty good for the money.

[erick_kyogoku]

Almost all of my filters are B+W. They are more expensive but in my view worth it -- the

brass rings and construction make them easier to thread on and off. Tiffen also has brass

rings but I find them to be the worst filters: the glass actually rattles within the ring, and

the threading is not as smooth as B+W. I've also been pleased with my Hoya filters.

[beauh44]

I like B+W and Hoya. Good luck!

[carl photography]

I buy used B&W, Nikon, and Hoya HMC filters at B&H, Adorama and KEH.

 

Last week I bought three of them, which were rated above "9" at B&H or "Excellent" at KEH. Their glass looks perfect (to my ol' eyes).

 

"Brandon's Dad"

[k_michael]

Well, I had a bad experience with an B&W tha I purchased. The inside retaining ring loosend up and continues to loosen up every so often. I've never had a problem with a Tiffen filter at all. Although, one time the salesman at Adorama told me Tiffen was garbage.

 

I'm really not much of a filter guy at all. Why put a $30 filter over a Zeiss lens for other than protection?

 

Tiffens seem to work well for me when I need them.

 

Who's better? Lincoln or Cadillac? I own both.

[joseph_wisniewski]

I'd rank it something like this

 

B+W, Hoya, Nikon, Tiffen, SWCMM, CWALRB, Rolev, FotoAce.

 

SWCMM = Saran Wrap, Colored with Magic Markers

 

CWWRB = Candy Wrapper Attached to Lens with Rubber Bands

 

Seriously, Rolev is about the worst filter I've ever seen.

[peter_cofran]

I always felt its criminal to charge $30 plus for a tiffen sky filter considering you can buy a nikon 50mm lens for $99. I'm no expert but I'd say it requires hell of a lot more skill to build a percision lens than it does to make a coated piece of flat glass.

[vatovec]

Heliopan and B&W all the others must keep up.