On Thu, 8 Aug 2002 17:59:04 +0200, ralf@free-photons.de (Ralf R. Radermacher) wrote:

>Alan Browne wrote:
>
>> So, I re-specified the B+W and they are on order.
>
>Admittedly, I've been more than a little surprised seeing the high
>esteem people from North America seem to be having on Hoya filters, on
>this newsgroup.
>
>Here in Europe, we don't think too much of them and they're usually the
>cheapest.
>
>If you're looking for something not quite as expensive as B+W, you might
>want to consider Heliopan filters. Very decent quality and an enormous
>selection at most attractive prices. Recently, they've introduced a new
>'slim' mount for most of their filters that is noticeably flatter than
>the mount used by B+W, another plus on wide-angle lenses.
>
>The usual disclaimers apply.
>
>Ralf

Over here, the Hoya is a good substitute for the
expensive Nikkor, B+W, Heliopan, etc., and are
far better than the similarly-priced poor Tiffen...
The "trick" is to specify the single-coated,
metal-rimmed versions, which are moderately priced
and generally high-quality (I've bought at least
20 of them, with no problems or defects...).