B+W Filter Grades

[rpcrowe]

I have tried to find this information on the B+W site with no satisfaction. What are the "real life" differences between the following B&W filters. I have selected 67mm as an example because I am in the market for a 67mm CPL…

B+W 67mm Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Coating
(around $95 USD on Amazon)
http://www.amazon.com/Kaesemann-Circ...arizing+filter

B+W 67mm Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Coating
(around $117 USD on Amazon)
http://www.amazon.com/67mm-Circular-...arizing+filter

B+W 77mm XS-Pro Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Nano Coating
(around $147 on Amazon.com)
http://www.amazon.com/Kaesemann-Circ...arizing+filter

I wonder if the Nano Coating technology is worth the extra money.

[jcuknz]

Since your concern seems to be about price there is another solution .... get a lens that uses smaller filters ... I bought B+W for $25 .... 55mm from B&H.

[Polar01]

Richard: I am going to add a link to a site, that sells the B+W filters, the first one is a standard size ring, the second is a slim sized ring and the third has a none-glare coating I believe. The page may be able to help you to figure out the difference, give them a call the staff there are very good, deal with them all the time for my filter needs, check out their home page at top of page www.2filter.com Now the direct link to their B+W page ( I hope this works)
http://www.2filter.com/prices/B+W_fi...olarizers.html

Cheers:

Allan

[Manfred M]

Richard - the Käsemann filters use a technology that seals the polarizing material in such a way that it is impervious to fungus growth. I bought one for travel to the tropics because I didn't want to take a chance of ruining my shots.

The multi-resistant coating is great as it keeps water from beading and it sort of "sheets" off the filter. The Käsemann filter I have has that. It works suprisingly well.

The Nano coating is their newest thin-film anti-reflective technology. I have no experience with this, but on the other hand, I generally have not had a lot of issues with glare issues with polarizers. I can't really say one way or the other if it is worth it. I suspect that this is along the lines of Canon's SWC, Zeiss T* and Nikon's Nano technology.

B+W is a division of the high-end German lens maker, Schneider-Kreuznach; Käsemann was an independent filter maker that Schneider bought and rolled their products into the B+W line.

Manfred

[rpcrowe]

Since your concern seems to be about price there is another solution .... get a lens that uses smaller filters ... I bought B+W for $25 .... 55mm from B&H.

No, price is not my primary concern. In fact, I have two 77mm B&W filters that I use with my 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and Tokina 12-24mm f/4 lenses and I also have a 67mm Hota Moose Peterson CPL that I am replacing. I do not like the results I have been getting from the Moose Peterson Hoya model. The images are somewhat "muddy" straight out of the camera. I can "clean" up the images using Photoshop but, why should I add that extra step in my post processing, it just slows me down. I have long suspected that my 67mm Hoya "might" be counterfeit. I got it from Hong Kong years ago. However, the "muddy" look might just be from the "warming" of that filter.

Since almost always I shoot using a pair of cameras; I don't switch filters when shooting nor do I use a larger filter with a step ring. I like using a 67mm filter because I often shoot using a round generic screw-in lens hood on my 70-200mm f/4L IS lens.



The round lens hood makes the lens more manageable. I often carry one camera with the 17-55 mm f/2.8 IS lens on a strap around my neck and the second camera (with 70-200mm lens) in a holster case at my left hip. While an OPTECH Dual Harness is my preferred way to carry the pair of cameras/lenses, the holster case will not (IMO) make me a target of opportune thieves. I carried my pair of cameras on the OPTECH Dual Harness through out China where thievery (at least - against Western tourists) is very low. However, I carried the extra camera in a holster case on my trip to Europe and Turkey. My holster case of choice is the Tamrac Zoom-19 and this doesn't fit the 70-200mm lens with stock OEM lens hood. I did try a Think-Tank holster case which would fit the 70-200mm lens with OEM hood and even my 300mm f/4L IS lens but, I really don't like the ergonomics of that bag at all. The round hood also makes the lens less obtrusive.

BTW: The round filter, on a 70-200mm f/4L IS lens mounted on a 1.6x camera, provides adequate shade and doesn't vignette at any focal length. It also physically protect the lens at least as well as the stock hood (I fell with the lens hood hitting the concrete and there was no damage to the lens) and the lens hood facilitates the rotation of a CPL filter.

Anyhow, my original question is now moot for me. One of my camera club members has replaced his 70-200mm f/4L IS lens with an f/2.8L model and sold me his used B+W filter in mint shape at a really decent price.

[jcuknz]

Lucky You