Skip Williams wrote:
>Typically, manufacturer-branded filters are ridiculously priced, as people
>think that they're better-matched, better-made, blah, blah. I just think that
>C is trying to rip their users off. Leica doesn't even make their filters,
>and charges more than the "real" maker: Heliopan.
>
>These days, I buy exclusively B+W Multi-coated filters, which will give you
>the best results and the coatings are very, very durable, IME. Hoya also
>makes a highly-regarded Multi-coated filter, but I've heard that they scratch
>much more easily than the B+W (no experience).
>
>B&H pricing is weird:
>
>All 58mm
>
>B+W non-MC +1, +2, or +3: $21.00
>Canon: $87.00 or $40.00, proprietary designation
>Hoya HMC +3, +4, +5: $138.00 (weird that one filter is $138, while a set is
>$65!?)
>Hoya HMC Set +1,+2,+3: $65.00
>
>I'd buy the Hoya HMC set or the B+W filter individually
>
Skip, you are comparing apples to oranges a bit here. The $40 Canons are
single element, while the $87 ones are 2 element achromats. The others
you list are listed single element, although at that price the Hoya HMC
should be, but I souln't find any further info on it on the web.
Achromats are the way to go for best results, especially at higher
powers and with more complex lenses. Notice that Oly sold a single
element in the early line for use with the relatively simple prime
lenses. When it came time to offer C-U lenses for the IS zooms, they
went to 2 and 3 elements. The B-Macro is an Oly +2.5 2 element, 58mm
thread lens. I got mine from Oly America on the 'Bay for $28, including
tax and shipping. It appears to be MC. I use the A & B-Macro lenses
rather than single element C-U lenses
For 58mm, absent the B-Macro, I would buy a Nikon 5T (+1.5) or 6T
(+2.9), which only come in 62mm, but are $47 apiece, and use a 58-62mm
step up ring. Nikon C-U lenses are fairly reasonably priced.
A list of available multi-element close-up lenses is here
<http://www.angelfire.com/ca/erker/closeups.html>.
The Hoya 58mm set I see on B&H is not HMC.
Moose
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|