Filters... Heliopan v. B+W... which is better?

[Leigh]

I have limited experience with filters, most such work being with Hasselblad and the Hasselblad filters.

Which brand (in the title or others) would you consider best from an overall quality standpoint?

This is in the context of black & white contrast manipulation. I don't shoot color.

TIA

- Leigh

[Eric Woodbury]

I like 4x4 polyester and gels. Fit everything, cheaper, work better with wide angle lenses. Lee filter makes a universal holder.

[Bob Salomon]

Heliopan SH-PMC coatings reduce reflections to below 0.2% and repel dust and moisture. Heliopan uses thin brass, black anodized rings with front threads on their UV and B&W and warming and cooling filters. Their polarizers are the most neutral in the industry and are available with or without front threads. Their new HT Cir Pol passes 25% more light then a regular circular polarizer with the same effect. Their continuously variable ND filter goes from 0.3 to 1.8 density with no color shifts.

Now compare this to any other filters. Make sure to check how well it combats reflections.

[Oren Grad]

Something to chew on:

http://www.lenstip.com/113.1-article...roduction.html

[Leigh]

Something to chew on:

Hi Oren,

Thanks for that link (although I don't pay for filters in Polish złoty).

I'm surprised and somewhat disappointed by the performance of the Heliopan filters. I had expected better from them.

Bob, you might want to review those test results, particularly as regards flare.

- Leigh

[Darin Boville]

Hmmmm. Heliopan didn't do so well in the lenstip tests that Oren linked to. From the summary:

"We were very disappointed with the Heliopan products. The German filters are not only very expensive, but they also presented very mediocre optical parameters."

Thoughts?

--Darin

[Bob Salomon]

Hmmmm. Heliopan didn't do so well in the lenstip tests that Oren linked to. From the summary:

"We were very disappointed with the Heliopan products. The German filters are not only very expensive, but they also presented very mediocre optical parameters."

Thoughts?

--Darin

Maybe you want to try the Foto Magazin test from Sept. 01 which went head to head with:
heliopan
B+W
Leica
Minolta
Hoya Pro 1
Hama Wide
Nikon
Canon
Rodenstock
Contax
Tiffen
Hama Silver
Rowi
Soligor
Doerr
Cokin
Pentax

This one. among other criteria, compared resolution with and without on the same test subject.

[Brian Ellis]

I've used those two brands of filters as well as Tiffien, Hoya, and probably others I don't now remember. To tell you the truth I can't say I've ever noticed that the filter brand makes any noticeable difference. But I usually buy B+W filters on the theory that even if they're no better than any others they're probably no worse either. And many of my B+W filters do have a nice, solid feel that I don't find in Tiffen and Hoya.

[Sal Santamaura]

Something to chew on:

http://www.lenstip.com/113.1-article...roduction.html

Useful data. I'd temper them with knowledge that only B+W and Heliopan (I think) use brass for their filter rings. Just one filter galled to an aluminum lens' threads might be enough to convince you the higher price of B+W was worth it.

[Leigh]

... only B+W and Heliopan (I think) use brass for their filter rings.

The product listings on the B&H website way that they both use brass rings and Schott glass.

- Leigh