Formatt brand filters - anyone familiar with them?

[Leigh]

They think quite highly of their product, based on their prices.

Have any of you used their b&w contrast filters? TIA.

- Leigh

[vinny]

They make both resin and glass. Which are you looking at?

[Leigh]

They're 105mm threaded, so I presume they're glass.

I went back and checked... Yes, they are glass.

- Leigh

[David A. Goldfarb]

Haven't used them, but I believe they're considered fairly high-end, made with Schott glass, if I'm not mistaken.

[Leigh]

Thanks, David. For the price they sure better be high-end. :D

- Leigh

[brucetaylor]

Yes, they are very well made. I bought a bunch on ebay a few years ago very inexpensively. There was a seller in the UK that was blowing them out.

[Leigh]

Thanks Bruce. Makes sense. I think Formatt is a UK company/brand.

I'll order one and have a look. I'm reluctant to drop $400 for a filter without getting some opinions first.

Thanks again.

- Leigh

[welly]

I believe they're also known as Hitech filters. Hitech filters seem to sit between Cokin and Lee. I used to have a sit of Hitech grads. They were ok but would get a little bit of colour cast with them. I upgraded to Lee filters and haven't looked back.

[Leigh]

Hi welly,

I think they're different.
The Formatt filters I'm looking at use Schott crown glass with a guaranteed flatness of 2 wavelengths.
That appears to be a lot tighter spec than either Cokin or Lee.

Thanks.

- Leigh

[Sevo]

Hitech is the Formatt brand of rectangular plastics (CR39) filters. LF trivia: They were the makers behind the Sinar filter system.

[Sevo]

Hi welly,

I think they're different.
The Formatt filters I'm looking at use Schott crown glass with a guaranteed flatness of 2 wavelengths.
That appears to be a lot tighter spec than either Cokin or Lee.


I don't think the Hitech filters will be 2 wavelength flat either - such a degree of planarity simply is not needed with (low refraction) plastics filters.

[Leigh]

I just did some research on Hitech.
It appears they're square/rectangular resin filters rather than threaded circular glass.
Different systems.
Thanks.

- Leigh

[dave_whatever]

I think "Hitech" is the stills photo brand name of the Formatt company. I think they also make screw-in filters, and filters for TV/motion picture under the Formatt name.