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 Camera Filter Facts
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So...What's the difference ???
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2007 Filter Rings

This list does not cover every camera filter brand sold in the USA,
but the major ones are listed here

BRAND/TYPE
OPTICAL FILTER MATERIAL
OPTICAL COATING
RING MATERIAL
 
GLASS
GLASS
C39
Mono
MULTI
BLACK FINISHED
 
SOLID
LAMINATE
RESIN
COATED
COATED
ALUMINUM
BRASS
Bower UV filters
yes
--
--
--
--
yes
--
B+W XS-Pro FILTERS 3mm
YES
-
-
-
YES
-
YES
B+W F-Pro FILTERS 4mm
YES
--
--
YES
--
never sold here! at 2filter in aluminum
YES only!
B+W ROUND GRADS
--
--
YES
--
--
--
YES
B+W POLARIZERS
--
YES
--
--
--
--
YES
B+W MrC F-Pro FILTERS
YES
--
--
--
YES
--
YES
B+W MrC POLARIZERS
--
YES
--
--
YES
--
YES
COKIN FILTERS
--
--
YES
--
--
SQUARE FILTERS
Cokin X Pro
--
--
yes
--
--
--
--
HELIOPAN FILTERS
YES
--
--
YES
--
--
YES
Heliopan MC
Filters
yes
--
--
--
yes
--
yes
HELIOPAN POLARIZERS
--
YES
--
--
--
--
YES
HELIOPAN GLASS GRAD
--
YES
--
--
--
--
--
HITECH CC's, GRADS
--
--
YES
--
--
SQUARE FILTERS
Marumi Filters
Japan
YES
--
--
YES
--
YES
--
Marumi UV
yes
--
--
 --
--
yes
 
Marumi NDs
YES
--
--
YES
--
YES
--
Marumi DHG
YES
--
--
--
YES
YES
3mm
--
Marumi DHG Star filters
yes
-
-
-
yes
yes
--
Marumi Super DHG 3mm
--
YES
--
--
--
YES
--
Marumi R-B-G
Enhancers
--
--
YES
--
--
YES
--
Marumi DHG
APO close-up
YES
--
--
--
YES
YES
--
OPTIFLEX GELS
--
--
YES
--
--
SQUARE FILTERS
Sunpak Filters
yes
-
-
-
-
yes
-
Sunpak DHG Filters
yes
-
-
-
yes
yes
3mm 
Dbl T
-
Sunpak Graduals
-
-
yes
- -
yes

Sunpak DHG Cir Polarizers
yes
- - -
yes
5mm 

Dbl T
-
Sunpak Polarizers
-
yes
-
-
-
-
-
 All TIFFEN FILTERS
--
YES
--
--
--
yes
--
Tiffen UvP
yes
-
-
-
-
yes
-
TIFFEN POLARIZERS
--
YES
--
--
--
YES
--
TIFFEN ROUND GRADS
--
YES
--
--
--
YES
--
TIFFEN cokin P SERIES/GRADS
--
YES
--
--
--
--
--
TIFFEN ENHANCING
YES
--
--
--
--
YES
--
Tiffen Slim
Enhancing
yes
-
-
-
-
yes
-

 Filter Packaging
Important if you are going to carry
your filters in your camera bag

BRAND/TYPE
PACKAGING, BOXES, CASES
HARD
SOFT
PLASTIC
SOFT
PLASTIC
round
cases
PLASTIC
cases
SQ. BOX
cases
padded
POUCH
B+W FILTERS
--
YES
--
--
B+W ROUND GRADS
--
YES
--
--
B+W POLARIZERS
--
YES
--
--
B+W MC FILTERS
--
YES
--
--
B+W MC POLARIZERS
--
YES
--
--
COKIN FILTERS
--
--
YES
--
HELIOPAN FILTERS
--
--
YES
--
HELIOPAN POLARIZERS
--
--
YES
--
HELIOPAN GLASS GRAD
--
YES
--
--
HITECH CC's, GRADS
--
YES
envelope
--
--
Marumi Japan
yes
-
-
-
OPTIFLEX GELS
--
YES
envelope
--
--
Sunpak Filters
yes
large sizes only
-
yes
small
sizes
only
-
TIFFEN 
FILTERS
YES
--
yes
--
Tiffen UVp
filters
yes
some
yes
some
yes
-
TIFFEN POLARIZERS
YES
some
--
yes
some
large
sizes
only
TIFFEN ROUND GRADS
YES
some
sizes
--
yes
--
TIFFEN cokin P SERIES/GRADS
--
--
--
YES
TIFFEN ENHANCING
YES
--
yes
--

 

Some additional information on the various filter brands 
All screw in brands work with each other, as long as the size is the same. You can screw a Tiffen on top of a Marumi.  The German brands use the letter codes E, ES along with the mm size to indicate the thread pitch of the various sizes. Tiffen only uses the size markings like 52mm etc. So a B+W 62E is the same as a Tiffen 62mm, in thread pitch they work fine together.

A little about the glass itself and the coatings


Marumi Filters
made in Japan

Sunpak made in Japan,  by a major filter manufacturer,   The polarizers are very equal or better than most of the brand H and K. The enhancing series of filters are priced, very competitively with the other similar brands. The Sunpak C39 optical resin graduals come in large sizes at a good value

Tiffen UVP (Uv-Protectors) are solid glass filters, with no optical coatings. All other Tiffen filters Uv-1's and skylights are laminated (2 pieces of glass, with the laminate carrying the color or effects) and no coatings. For more Tiffen Information

B+W filters are solid Schott Glass, water type, crystal clear. No B+W filter has ever been made with green glass. and they never will, I hope. Quality should always have its standards and the word quality should be more than just a word on a box. Most of all B+W filters have mono coatings on both sides (in some places called double coatings, the double = one on each side)
Please note:  All of the B+W filters 2filter.com sells are mounted in B+W German brass rings only , In markets around the world you can purchase B+W filters in mounting ring materials other than brass. The boxes and the filters look the same in a picture. When you feel the quality of the brass mount you know you have the right one. The B+W MRC coatings are the quality that B+W customers need , the B+W MRC coating is as good as it can be 99.5% transmission.  the MRC coating is on all the Multicoated polarizers we sell. 

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