B+W filters from maxsaver - critique needed

[Oren]

Since shipping for the B+W 67mm MRC UV Filter from B&H will cost me more than the filter itself ($60 for shipping), I searched for alternatives. I found this site: http://maxsaver.net


It seems to be a company from Hong Kong - which turns a red light for me at least.


They also sell it for less than what B&H charges for the same filter (~$5 less) + they ship it for free.


It all sound too good so I googled their name + "critique" (I checked only few sites so far, nothing too serious yet). In the few sites I checked, people seemed to be happy with this company and their filters. One guy, on some forums (with more than 6k posts) said that he actually contacted Schneider in Germany and they confirmed that they work with this company. Here's the thread if you are interested: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=205181


So my question to you is, have you ever heard on that company, do you know anything about them? How come they sell it for cheaper than B&H?

[George Slusher]

They can sell it more cheaply for two reasons:


1. They have lower overhead costs (especially labor).


2. You may be looking at the "alloy" ring filter, instead of the brass ring. (The alloy ring filter is $34.67, the brass ring is $40.37--both "special" prices.)


I have dealt with this company several times when they were using "hvstar.net" for the site. They also sell on eBay under "besteastern," but you'll pay a little bit more on eBay: they raise their prices to accommodate the eBay fees. I've had very good results with them. I got just what I ordered and reasonably quickly, given the vagaries of international mail.


(Just as a matter of interest, where are you that it will cost so much to ship from B&H?)


You might also consider the Hoya HMC or Super HMC or the Kenko Digital Pro1 filters. (Kenko filters are made by the same company that makes Hoya Filters --THK, for Tokina Hoya Kenko. They have the advantage of being thinner (rings) than B+W filters and, in some reviews I've read, they perform better than B+W. Whether the "thinness" means anything will depend upon what lens you're mounting this on. If it is a super-wide-angle lens, it MIGHT benefit from the thinner filter ring (less vignetting, for example).

[Oren]

Thanks George.


You are right, I was looking at the alloy and not brass (by mistake). The brass will cost me as on B&H, but I'll save the $60 shipping []


I prefer B+W since that's what Bryan recommends.


I'm not going to mount it on a super wide lens so the thinner ring is not that appealing for me.


I'm from Israel BTW.

[wolf]

I've bought quite a few B+W filters from hvstar/maxsaver and have had smooth transactions. Most recently I purchased two 77mm MRC UV filters for $112 w/shipping. I'm from Canada and have never had to pay duty since they mark the packages as "gift" and put "$10" as content value (I did not ask them to do this). They process orders and ship quickly. All filters are new in original packaging. Hope this helps!

[Stephen Probert]

Just got a 77mm B+W MRC filter from maxsaver on ebay. For some reason they had one even cheaper than normal ($35!). Arrived a few days ago, looks perfect, no shipping issues. I will look at them again in the future.

[Stephen Probert]

I meant besteastern....but the website associated with that ebay ID is maxsaver.

[airfang]

I bought mine from DBROTH on Amazon, usually cheaper than B&H and Adorama, and is pretty reliable.

[atulmehta1000]

Hi guys,


Was contemplating on buying a filter for my Canon camera & lens, which also doubles as a protection to the lens. I saw the Canon UV filter where the literature says that the filter has no effect as such on digital cameras. If this is so, than is it worth buying the same for just protection? Does digital photography not need UV protection?

[alex_sb]

They can sell it more cheaply for two reasons:


1. They have lower overhead costs (especially labor).


2. You may be looking at the "alloy" ring filter, instead of the brass ring. (The alloy ring filter is $34.67, the brass ring is $40.37--both "special" prices.)


I have dealt with this company several times when they were using "hvstar.net" for the site. They also sell on eBay under "besteastern," but you'll pay a little bit more on eBay: they raise their prices to accommodate the eBay fees. I've had very good results with them. I got just what I ordered and reasonably quickly, given the vagaries of international mail.


(Just as a matter of interest, where are you that it will cost so much to ship from B&H?)


You might also consider the Hoya HMC or Super HMC or the Kenko Digital Pro1 filters. (Kenko filters are made by the same company that makes Hoya Filters --THK, for Tokina Hoya Kenko. They have the advantage of being thinner (rings) than B+W filters and, in some reviews I've read, they perform better than B+W. Whether the "thinness" means anything will depend upon what lens you're mounting this on. If it is a super-wide-angle lens, it MIGHT benefit from the thinner filter ring (less vignetting, for example).

Hi George,





Thanks for your post.





1) What is the way of payment you recommend when working with Asia? Is it safe to pay with Credit Card?





2) As far as alloy and brass concerned these are the typical marketing tricks. The cost of few grams of brass or alloy in the filter price is near to nothing.


Labor costs (if we speak about the workers, not the top managers with their multi-million bonuses) should not be significant unless each filter requires a lot of manual labor. I think those filters manufactured on automated lines by hundreds of thousands or millions monthly. I think, there is 1 (in Asia) to 3 (in Europe) $ per filter of labor costs.





Alex.

[Stephen Probert]

Atulmehta, I am not entirely sure what you are asking, but I think you may have the wrong idea about how a UV filter protects the lens. It does not protect the lens from UV, but protects the front element of the lens from getting damaged. Often, if a lens is dropped, the front element may be broken or badly marred. With a UV filter in place, the filter can break instead.


I am not an expert on how image quality is affected for digital vs. film, but it seems to me that a good quality UV filter does not affect image quality for good or bad, except in some instances of flaring, which is why there are the multi-coated filters.


I only buy UV filters for my more expensive lenses and don't bother for the kit lens that comes with the Rebel series cameras.