Active photography puts a great demand on both cameras and lenses. It makes sense therefore to use a B+W filter to protect your delicate front lens element against the elements such as blowing sand and dust, fingerprints and splashing water. B+W filters not only cost just a fraction of the price of a new lens but they are also easier to clean. They can remain in front of the lens permanently as they are absolutely color-neutral, highly transparent and, thanks to the B+W MRC coating or B+W MRC nano-coating, have an extremely low reflection. The optical information remains unaffected when it reaches the image sensor (or film). With these extremely clear and highly transparent B+W protection filters, no exposure compensation factor needs to be taken into account.
Protection filters play a particularly important role in digital photography. The larger depth of field resulting from smaller image sensors increases the effects on image quality from front lens soiling. Fingerprints, for instance, reduce sharpness significantly, particularly in the case of zoom lenses with a lower light intensity and frequent cleaning of the front lens can not only cause scratching, but also transport dirt particles or moisture at the edge of the mount to the inside of the lens system.
By eliminating UV radiation, the filter gives a clearer image and counteracts lower contrast and blur in the image..
All UV filters from B + W have optical filter glass supplied from German Schott, one of the world's most reputable manufacturers of optical glass. The high glass quality is one of the cornerstones of producing a B + W camera filter.
The B + W UV filter is mounted in a brass filter holder made with absolute precision to ensure that the filter glass is completely flat parallel to the other lens elements of the lens. Brass has the advantage that the filter does not wedge into the lens' filter thread, which can happen if the filter socket is made of aluminum, a common material used by other camera filter manufacturers. Before mounting the filter glass, the filter frame is coated with a matte black color to minimize reflections
All B + W UV filters have some form of anti-reflection coating on both surfaces of the filter (front and back). The anti-reflection coating reduces the reflection of the glass, which means that more light comes through the filter and that undesirable ghost effects are created by reflections from the lens lens element on the back of the filter. An untreated filter glass reflects about 8-9% light and permits about 91-92%. The MRC treatment of filters increases the light transmission to about 99% and removes unwanted reflections from the glass surfaces.
Singel coating Means that the front and back of the filter glass have a layer of anti-reflective coating. This means that the light loss is halved, compared to an untreated glass, and that unwanted reflections from the glass surfaces are reduced
MRC - Multi Resistant Coating These filters have seven layers of anti-reflective coating on both filter surfaces and a protective layer. The protective layer is tougher than glass and resists dirt, moisture and is very resistant to scratches. The hard surface facilitates cleaning.
MRC2 - Multi Resistant Coating Nano MRC Nano has seven layers of anti-reflex coating, on the front and rear lens surface. On top of the coating is a protective layer which, thanks to nanotechnology, is extremely hard which means that the surface resists dirt, wet and is extra resistant to scratches. The extremely dense and hard surface is very easy to clean
For a lens in an optical system to perform on top, it is required that it be fixed in position. B + W manufactures several variants of filter sockets, mainly of brass and of outstanding quality.
XS-Pro Digital mount Only 3.4 mm thin filter socket made of brass. Great for wide-angle lenses. Despite its compact size, has front threads for accessories, e.g. snap-in lock. Painted in matte, black color to minimize reflections.
F-Pro mount B+W standard filter frame in black lacquered brass with accessory thread in front. F-Pro can be used on most lenses, thickness 5 mm.
For more than 90 years, B+W filters have been synonymous with quality and innovation. B+W has succeeded in establishing itself as one of the world‘s leading filter manufacturers. It has, for example, made decisive progress in surface coating. B+W is the first filter manufacturer in the world to offer MRC (Multi Resistant Coating). MRC nano coating is the most innovative development in thin-layer technology. The world-famous Käsemann type polarizing filter with its outstanding quality has been produced by B+W since 1989.