Why should I buy a B+W Filter?
Filters are an indispensable tool for creative photography. B+W filters impress with their impressive quality and are therefore used by professionals and photographers with high standards. They are designed to be user-friendly and follow the trend in creative photography.
The quality standard of B+W filters is tightly specified. The heart of every B+W filter is the polished and finely ground glass substrate. It is equipped with our excellent B+W MRC anti-reflective coating, which largely prevents stray light and ensures very high transmission.
High-precision filter mechanics made of particularly stable and durable brass, equipped with an innovative functional coating for easy screwing on and off, guarantee top-class photo filters. B+W filters are produced in Germany. They are suitable for the best Lenses, even for high-resolution camera sensors up to 4k and 8k. In addition, the current filter holders have a newly designed knurl for optimum grip.
B+W filters can be screwed onto all lenses and cameras with a filter thread, whether DSLR, MFT, CSC, APS, full-frame, medium-format, bridge, video cameras and camcorders. They are suitable for wide-angle, telephoto, zoom and travel zoom lenses.
Special features
- High-quality ground and finely polished filter substrates
- Effective B+W multi-layer coating
- Precisely manufactured brass filter mechanism particularly robust and durable
- Made in Germany
Are filters necessary for photography?
Filters are essential for the best image results. They perform a variety of tasks. A UV haze filter blocks disturbing UV components and prevents a blue cast. It is an indispensable companion for a vacation in the mountains or by the sea. A protective filter can remain permanently on the Lenses and protects the front lens. Polarizing filters ensure stronger colors and reduce annoying reflections. Black and white filters increase the gray contrast for more vivid images. Light reductions for experimental photography are created with neutral gray filters. Trick and effect attachments such as infrared filters support the photographer's creativity and achieve image moods that would simply not be possible without them.
B+W Filters increase individuality and creativity. A filter protects, corrects or is used creatively to deliberately change images. Always with the aim of achieving optimum image results.
Where can I buy B+W Filters?
B+W products are available from your local photo retailer or online. Unfortunately, direct shipment is not possible. Here you will find a list of retailers who stock B+W filters.
When buying a B+W filter, two pieces of information are important: firstly, the B+W filter type and secondly, the diameter of the front thread on the Lenses. The filter description can be found in the current B+W brochure or on our website. Information on the lens thread can be found in the operating instructions for your lens/camera or from the camera/lens manufacturer. Often the information is also given on the lens or in the lens cap.
What is the difference between the B+W Filter lines?
Our top models are the T-Pro and Master line filters. The difference lies in the design. The T-Pro models have an exclusive titanium finish and are slightly flatter. They harmonize with the popular silver-colored lens mounts or are often used as a contrast to the predominantly black camera and lens designs. Both lines are particularly slim and are suitable for wide-angle lenses and wide-angle zooms. The filter lenses on offer are identical with the MRC nano quality coating.
With the Basic filter line, every enthusiastic photographer can draw on the variety of filter types and find the right B+W quality filter for their task. Basic is the all-rounder among the B+W filters. The whole world of B+W filter types and diameters is accessible with this filter mechanism. The B+W Basic filter line is characterized by high mechanical stability with a relatively low overall height and is suitable for wide-angle photography. Vignetting-free images are possible with many wide-angle lenses. The Basic mounts also have a complete front thread for additional accessories.
How is my B+W Filter coated?
An effective AR (anti-reflective) coating is essential, especially for high-resolution cameras with their sharp Lenses. With a few exceptions (IR filters), B+W filters are equipped with the 16x MRC or MRC nano coating system. Both variants have an additional outer layer which protects the surface of the filter and is remarkably easy to clean.
The B+W MRC coating system consists of several AR layers, which are applied in a thin-film process in a complex high-vacuum coating process. The base of the coating materials, consisting of various substrates, is vapor-deposited in several wafer-thin layers. The degree of quality of a coating is determined by the anti-reflective coating thickness and the nature of the outer additional layer.
MRC
MRC is a multi-layer coating system with 2x7+1 layers. The 7 layers are an MC (Multi Coating) layer design that achieves maximum anti-reflective coating with high transmission (on average* >99.5%). The residual reflection is reduced to less than 0.5% on average*. As a result, more brilliant colors and higher contrasts can be achieved.
An additional outer layer, which has no influence on the optical properties, serves a special purpose: it protects the surface of the MC coating and the glass substrate from fingerprints, dust and scratches. Excessive dirt and scratches impair the image quality and reduce the image contrast and therefore the sharpness performance. MRC-coated filters have a hardened surface and are therefore scratch-resistant to a certain degree. In addition, the B+W MRC coating has dirt and water-repellent properties. The result is significantly simplified and quick cleaning.
MRC nano
The MRC nano outer layer is an innovative additional layer based on nanotechnology (lotus flower effect) with a surface texture to which dirt hardly adheres. The dirt and water-repellent effect is significantly increased compared to the B+W MRC coating. The beading effect is even more effective on water droplets and literally rolls off the glass surface. The effectiveness of the anti-fingerprint effect and the oil-repellent property is significantly increased.
Cleaning the filter is amazingly easy and even quicker. The super-hydrophobic surface ensures rapid acclimatization and when changing from a cold to a warm environment, the fog comes off the filter surface even faster.
* On average means: The effective efficiency (transmission and reflection) of the coating is distributed over the visible light spectrum, from 480 - 680 nanometers. The reduction in reflection is not evenly distributed over the entire effective range. It varies depending on the wavelength. On average, it is <0.5 %.
How do I attach my filter to the lens?
Screw-on filters are most commonly used, which can be screwed directly onto and off the camera's Lenses. There are also plug-in systems, bayonet connections, clip-on filters or so-called series (insertion) filters. Some Lenses require insertion filters or the filter is placed in front of the rear lens. In the cine sector, filter disks in special designs such as matte boxes are used.
Two pieces of information are required to fit the Lenses correctly: Filter diameter and thread pitch, whereby the latter is fixed in the photo sector, as most photo threads also have the appropriate thread pitch. Very exotic or very old Lenses sometimes deviate from this.
The specification of the required filter thread can often be found in the operating instructions of the camera or Lenses, possibly under the technical data. There is often a note on the lens or in the lens cap. If no information is available, you will have to search the Internet or ask the lens manufacturer. If necessary, the thread must be measured precisely.
Screw-in filters are screwed on clockwise and unscrewed counterclockwise. Make sure that the filter is enclosed as evenly as possible so that it is not pressed on one side and possibly becomes out of round and thus blocked. The filter should be easy to screw on and off; under no circumstances should a filter be screwed on with force.
Can I screw several filters on top of each other?
In principle, several B+W filters can be combined with each other. It is interesting to cover gradations with gray filters of different strengths. The actual filter effect can be enhanced with a polarizing filter combination. Important: When combining filters, the filter factors are multiplied and must not be added together!
Several filters of the same category should not be used. It makes no sense, for example, to combine the black and white filters and screw on yellow and red at the same time, as only the result of the strongest filter, in our example the red filter, is automatically applied.
In order to maintain the image quality, no more than two filters should be screwed on top of each other. When using short focal lengths, it is essential to ensure that the filter stack is not too high, otherwise visible vignetting will occur.
How do I clean my B+W Filters?
To maintain the optical performance of filters and Lenses, the surfaces should always be clean. Dirty or even scratched surfaces can cause a soft-focus-like effect and thus reduce contrast and sharpness. Depending on the environment and handling, however, soiling cannot always be avoided. As a rule, optical glass surfaces, especially coated ones, are easy to clean if cleaned properly.
This is particularly easy with B+W filters that are equipped with the high-quality and easy-to-clean MRC or MRC nano coating. The Multi Resistant Coating has an additional outer layer with remarkable properties. The adhesion of moisture, dust and other dirt particles is significantly reduced and the scratch resistance of the surface is increased by a specially improved coating hardening. In practice, the B+W MRC coating guarantees maximum reflection reduction as well as very simple and quick cleaning. With the innovative B+W MRC nano coating, the cleaning effect is even more efficient.
The first step in cleaning filters is to remove loose particles. This should be done as contact-free as possible, preferably with compressed air or a blower. A suitably fine brush that is suitable for optical surfaces also fulfills this purpose. In most cases, more firmly adhering dirt can be removed with a special microfiber cloth. These dirt particles can be removed by light wiping. Breathing on greasy stains, e.g. fingerprints, can help. If more stubborn dirt cannot be removed with this cleaning method, a liquid lens cleaner, e.g. B+W Lens Cleaner, should be used.
