B + W Protection/Clear

If you’ve waded through countless reviews lecturing about whether it’s genuine or a counterfeit, which by the way don’t say a word about how the filter itself performs, then settle in for a few words from me about whether this filter is worth paying more for over the ones for a quarter of the price.CREDENTIALSI’ve worked for a highly respected fashion magazine, for one of the most famous big city newspapers, a world famous billionaire and doing documentary work around the world. To me the difference between a good filter and a cheap one could cost me my career.WHYThis filter won’t have any effect on your photographs and that’s exactly the point. There is so much misinformation about the need for a UV filter on your camera. You don’t need one. Maybe they were useful for film cameras but they are completely unnecessary for digital cameras, whether it be a fifty buck point and shoot or a $6000 pro model. The last thing I want on my cameras is anything that affects what the camera sees and how it processes that image onto the digital chip. This is a clear filter for a very good reason - camera lenses should be and need to be protected from a long list of things that could stand in your way of capturing a photograph. Some of those things are as simple as shooting in the rain - do you want to casually wipe off a forty buck piece of clear glass with your sleeve (if you have no other choice) or wipe your sleeve on an expensive lens? Same with accidental finger prints. Another reason is impact damage, and I’m not talking about dropping your camera but everyday things like a tree branch snapping back and hitting your lens. If it cracks a forty buck piece of glass that sure beats having it whack your lens. You get the point - you buy a clear glass filter not to affect your image but to protect your lens. Plain and simple.B+WNo it does not stand for black & white, it’s a brand name that professionals trust. To me that’s why I pay four times as much for it. It’s made of brass, not aluminum, something you will appreciate if you stack additional filters on it often or you are prone to knocking the end of your lens against stuff - which happens all the time if you shoot under adverse conditions. The glass is as perfectly clear as possible, that’s B+W’s claim to fame, this filter is made in Germany and is respected for the quality of their glass. These should be enough of a reason for you to consider this product.YES OR NOWhile I didn’t mention the fake product issue, I can’t ignore it, the problem does exist. This company goes to great lengths to assure you that you have a genuine product via their logo, stickers, etc. If you buy from Amazon direct and not a third party you may pay a couple of dollars more but in the very off chance that you might get slipped a fake just return it for exchange or credit, don’t write a novel and post it as a review. It’s not helpful. It has nothing to do with the quality of the brand or their product or why you need a clear glass filter. If I can’t make a photo I don’t get paid, that’s why I choose this product. It’s a yes from me.

I have purchased six B + W XS-PRO filters of different kinds in the last 6 weeks using both Amazon Australia and Amazon US as well as a well-known New York-based photographic retailer. This is what I found to help identify 2 suspect filters received, both from US sources through Amazon. Other filters received from Amazon US and replacements from reputable dealers in the US had no issues!I can be very certain that the items sent to me were counterfeit based on the following observations of items in my possession and online research of the manufacturer's and retailers' websites.These comments pertain to additional orders for:(1) B+W 72mm XS-Pro HTC Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Nano Coating, and(2) B+W 77mm XS-Pro Clear with Multi-Resistant Nano Coating (007M)- Weight differential says not brass but aluminium. Does not have the same "solidity" or "weightiness" as genuine article. If you have the equipment to measure small enough, weighing will confirm - both cases- White printed lettering rather than gold embossing or engraving on filter; slightly different font? - both cases- Hologram not consistent with regular B + W boxingin case (1) a poor imitation which just didn't function as a hologram. No proper reflective qualitiesin case (2), the "hologram" was the previously widely reported small green square type with the wording "Genuine Product" (LOL!). This hologram was of a categorically different kind and placed on the front rather than the side of the box- Boxed in old-style packaging no longer used by B + W; contemporary boxing does not have semi-circular see-through cut out any more - both cases; and not evident in any other box containing genuine itemsIn case (1) the box was sealed on top flap with clear plastic strip overwritten with details of filter. No other of the 6 W + B filters received came in sealed boxes. These new boxes have a gold sticker with black printing placed on front of box with filter details and manufacturer ID. Product details with barcode on the narrow face of box opposite the hologram- Both cases had barcoded sticker placed on front or side of box with dealer (Amazon?) part number and the word "NEW" printed underneath some basic filter info. NB: these "barcodes" do not have underlying numbering as with a genuine product barcode but rather only the Amazon/dealer part number printed distinct from the code in different font. Genuine products had no such stickers, ostensibly since product info and barcode sticker already placed on box by manufacturer as described above. Accordingly, these stickers seem only to identify dealer information (similar in both cases) and, by extension, counterfeit products- Clear plastic case containing the filter does not have "B + W FILTER" embossed on it as contemporary product does - both cases- In case (2), where a completely different filter was received, the order of placement of embossed information on the filter ring itself was reversed- And in this case, the wording "XS-Pro DIGITAL" appeared instead of "XS-PRO DIGITAL"- In case (2), the manufacturer's part number on box did not correlate with the product ordered. In this case, neither the advertised description as ordered nor the information on the box could be correlated with information printed on the actual filter itself. Wrong product in the wrong box and neither what I ordered! Obvious giveaways, to be sure, but worth mentioning as to the lengths these shysters will go to make the deception look real enough to vendors (who thereby remain 'innocent') to avoid scrutinyThe good news is that real B + W 'XS-PRO' filters are actually really good value, even at the price, and of such excellent quality and performance that these characteristics become even more obvious once you experience the real thing. The brass construction and fine-tolerance machining means that they glide on with a silky smooth action and you'll probably never have to use a filter wrench. The snug fit means you don't have to overtighten. Once replaced with genuine items, the polarizer produced dramatic effects on reflections from otherwise over-bright, over-exposed, shiny or wet surfaces, deepened wishy-washy blue skies, and sharpened cloud formation details.I now use B + W XS-PRO clear optical glass with nano coatings on all my lenses for protection only. Don't bother with UV filters of any kind if you have a high-end DSLR since the camera itself filters UV light. And that's another thing about fakes: they smudge so much more easily and it's far more difficult to remove smears and grease than with a genuine high-end B + W product with their 8 protective coatings. Comparatively, within the B + W range, the more expensive high-end filters with nano coatings show significant differences in both production and performance quality and their ability to resist smearing and scuffing such as to fully justify the price.Brass as opposed to aluminium allows for finer tolerances and is clearly superior overall. Moreover, once I had the real thing and experienced the high technical performance of the polarizers and neutral density filters, I couldn't contemplate anything less than the B + W top range any more. And if you're paying a couple of thousand or more for a lens, when it makes no difference to your image quality, it just becomes sensible to protect the front end of the lens in the event of bumps or more serious accident. A brass clear protector ring, as opposed to aluminium (aluminum), will not crush or distort as easily in a camera drop and so also supports the overall shape and structure of the front end of the lens and just might help avoid more serious damage.Happily, I've been able to claim and receive full refunds from both Amazon and third-party dealers and replace the fakes through Amazon itself and a reliable photographic shop in New York.Thanks to all those who've posted info about fakes and helped me to identify the counterfeits. The job would have been harder if not impossible without your information to alert me initially to what was going on. Hope this continues to help.The real deal B + W XS-PRO filters are 6 stars all day long!!

I've ordered several of these in various sizes. All had very high quality, and complete, markings on the rims. All appeared to be crystal clear (and unnoticed on my D7500 or my Z50 images--even in bright sunlight. All had Original B+W Packaging with Holographic Stickers and complete labels..As far as the quality of these, I've found no other filters in this price range ($40-$100) that offer proven technologies (Matt Black Finish, Brass Holder, multi-layer (nano) coatings to prevent glare/ghosting. These work as good or better than any filters I've used over 40+ years of SLRs, DSLRs, and dozens of lenses - filters. . . At$50 for protecting my $300 to $900 lenses (w/o adding ghosting issues), its worth every penny.. (I'm NOT professing that other Lens Filters are not better, or that B and W has any corner,--just that for the price, it's a great purchase for my needs).

The B+W Filter I received was authentic and al always comes with the same optical quality and brass construction I have come to expect from B+W when it comes to a filter. Be aware that this is just the clear filter w/o any UV protection, so it will not be something you will want to put on a lens for a film camera. This is not a problem for *most* digital cameras that have a UV filter built-in. Some people prefer different filters, but I have been using B+W filters for 20+ years and have never had an issue with them. For both film and digital, they're always my go-to and the nanocoatings just keep getting better and better.Do you need it for any real advantages optically? No. However, I usually roll with a lens hood and a clear filter on all my lenses to protect my investments in my lenses. I have gotten a few good scrapes on these filters before, even shattering one, but my lenses have always come out without a scratch on the optics.

Es un filtro de protección totalmente transparente, lo uso en todos mis lentes B+W definitivamente de las mejores marcas, el costo es razonable.

Fits perfectly! Well made and excellent quality!

gut.

Comme toujours avec B+W, la qualité est au rendez-vous. Aucune incidence sur la luminosité, ni sur la qualité de l'image.

Li uso su obiettivi di pregio perché sono sottili e non creano vignettature, sono ben fatti, esteticamente validi (e per me conta) e i vetri di qualità non penalizzano le prestazioni delle lenti. Personalmente considero questi filtri superiori alla media.