Review 3 of 18
Price Paid:
$15.00
from 2filter.com Summary: I think that Hoya filters have very nice fit and finish for the price, much better than Sunpak and Tiffen and obviously below B+W and Heliopan.
Have you ever heard the old adage, "Buy Japanese filters for Japanese lenses?" For that, the Hoya gets a lot of use.
The HMC (silver box) series is my favorite. The coating is really, really effective. Some complain that it's a bit fragile, and indeed I have experienced the situation where the coating gets smeared when I try cleaning it. BUT, I have found a solution. There is a lens cleaner called "Formula MC" that specifically works well on the Hoya HMCs (and is said to have been formulated by Hoya themselves). I got a bottle from 2filter.com and was actually able to remove the chemical smears that I got from using other cleaners. Try it if you have Hoya HMC filters that you think were ruined.
In the end, I think Hoya represents a great quality to price ratio. If you're ever stumble across a B+W or Heliopan for the same price as the Hoya, then by all means get the B+W or Heliopan. But if you're just looking for a reasonable priced everyday filter, the Hoyas are fabulous. Strengths: value
nice build quality
effective HMC coating Weaknesses: Some are made in the Phillippines and use a lower grade glass. I would avoid these 'green label' units and get the ones made in Japan only. Similar Products Used: Tiffen, B+W
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