B+W Lettering on Filters

[eric black]

I have several B+W Filters with the letter E following the size numbering on the rim and am curious if anyone has a translation guide to let me know what the letter "E" stands for. I also am curious if B+W puts MRC on all multi-coated filters or if some do not have that lettering. I did a search and came up with nothing that seemed to answer my question. While were at it- are there any other letterings that B+W uses on their filters other than the obvious (at least to me) KSM- Kaesemann. Thanks in advance.

[Bob Salomon]

E and ES are the indicators on Heliopan and B+W filters to indicate if the thread pitch is fine or coarse. It is not an indicator of any other specification for the filter. Normally the user does not have to ask or specify pitch as the filters normally sold are the common pitch for the size filter purchased. Many years ago it was not uncommon for two filters of the same diameter to use different thread pitch depending on the lens manufacturer.

[Bob Salomon]

Some examples:

39mm diameter screw-in filters are made in two different pitches, 0.5 and 0.75. The 0.5 is the common type and has the coarse thread it is listed as a 39mm x 0.5 E. The less common version is listed as a 39mm x 0.75 ES.

Most common filter types are 0.75 pitch so 25, 27, 28, 30, 37, 38 and one of the 39, 42, 43, 46, 48, 49, 52, 54, 55, 58, 60, 62, 67,69, 72, 75, 77, 82 and 127mm are all 0.75 pitch.

19, 24, 25.5, 22, 27 is available in both , 28.5, 32, 34, 35.5, 37.5, 39, 41 are 0.5 pitch

86, 95, 100, 105, 110, 112 (one version) and 122 are 1 pitch

112 is also made in 1.5 pitch.

So now you should know more then you wanted about E and ES pitch filter threads.

[eric black]

Thanks- how about the multicoating or single coating designations- I have one filter that has the lettering MRC- I can guess what that means but have others that look to me under a incandescent bulb to possibly be coated, but have no designation that states as much. Are there some B+W filters out there that dont label the coating they recieve?

[Martin Aislabie]

B+W provide a range of coating options from uncoated to coated and finally multicoated (MRC)

All my multicoated have the MRC designation and my uncoated filter carries no designation

Hope this helps

Martin

[Bob Salomon]

Thanks- how about the multicoating or single coating designations- I have one filter that has the lettering MRC- I can guess what that means but have others that look to me under a incandescent bulb to possibly be coated, but have no designation that states as much. Are there some B+W filters out there that dont label the coating they recieve?

Like Heliopan B+W marks their multicoated filters, SH-PMC for Heliopan and MRC for B+W (these are the current designations. Before MRC and SH-PMC they had different designations - PMC for Heliopan and MC for B+W).

Not all filters can be coated so soft focus, fog, diffusion, cross, lenticular filters, for example, so it is very possible to have no coating on some of your filters and still have them be the best from Germany or anywhere else.

Also please bear in mind, older MC is nowhere as efficient as a modern SH-PMC coating that has less then 0.2" reflection (MRC a bit less effective). So multi-coating, in itself isn't necessarily better if it is an older or less effective coating technology.

[Peter K]

"E" stands for "Einschraubfilter" (screw-in filter), "ES" for "Einschraubfilter spezial" (screw-in filter special) in contrast to "B" for bayonet socket, "A" for "Aufsteckfilter" (slip-on filter).

Peter