S&W Filters

[clintock]

I suspect some of us here have one or more, but nobody wants to admit it.😱
I went to my good local camera store and bought a B+W UV filter for my new Hexanon, and to my amazement, it would not screw onto the lens. The cheap five dollar rubber Bower lens hood spun right on first try, but the 39 dollar German B+W would not even try, new from the sealed box.

I looked closely and the dang thing was not round! It touched the lens threads in only two places, and just wouldn't start, it being not round. So I took it back to the store..
They couldnt get it to work either, on anything.

I thought B+W were supposed to be good!? I'm just kidding, they are good, and I already have three on other lenses, but for the price, I'd expect something as simple as being able to thread onto a lens could be accomplished. Threaded filters have been around a long time, making them round should be a given by now, especially in perfectionland (Germany).

So I'm going to see just how good (bad) the S&W filters are. All over ebay, they are a mere fraction of the cost of the B+W filters.

We'll see how the S&W compare. Being able to screw onto the lens will be a first step.

 

[back alley]

i don't think the s+w filters are coated.

 

[Ken Ford]

I use an S&W filter - it's a .357 one, used for removing extraneous people from the frame before taking the picture.

 

[back alley]

I use an S&W filter - it's a .357 one, used for removing extraneous people from the frame before taking the picture.

groan............😉

 

[clintock]

i don't think the s+w filters are coated.

The boxes in the ebay pictures all say say MC on them, and some auctions say multi-coated, but they probably are not super multi coated or super-duper mega T HMD multi coated, nor will they likely use radioactive glass, or teflon. I'll know soon enough.. the MC could mean master of ceremonies, or major cheapness.

 

[clintock]

My S+W filters arrived yesterday- way way better than expected!
They are multi-coated on both sides of the glass, they are round and fit into the threads of my lenses and they were cheap- in price only.

While they are multi-coated, they are not 'super multi coated'. Comparing the reflection from the glass to that from a B+W MRC, the S+W reflects more, and has a different color reflection. In fairness, those MRC are amazing, I bought a used lens with one on it and didn't know it was there for about three months- it just about does not reflect anything!
Compared to a single-coated Hoya, the S+W reflects much less from it's surface, so I guess that must mean it's multi-coated, like the box says.


I bought from americaneagle_camera and heavystar on ebay. Fast delivery and sane shipping. Got a couple of hoods too, which are excellent too.

The little boxes, the metal ring part and the glass are all just fine.

The closest thing to a gripe might be that the outer diameter of the whole filter assy is just a teeny fraction bigger than the hoya, and that prevents the hood of my newly-aquired CV 35/f1.7 fitting over it. No problem, just screw the hood on first, then the filter.. The rings are big and meaty.

 

[sleepyhead]

I bought an S+W UV filter a while back - was skeptical - but it seems fine. The price was right. But, I'm not super fussy about coating on my filters. I figure that there are much bigger factors that go into making a good photo, most of them beyond my control, like a good subject and good light

😉

 

[back alley]

sleepy,

are you still looking for 43mm filters?

joe