| ★★★★★ | Great filters - how to tell counterfeits | | Verified Purchase | 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 boxing
in case (1) a poor imitation which just didn't function as a hologram. No proper reflective qualities
in 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 items
In 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 scrutiny
The 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!! | | | | ★★★★★ | These are the best! | | Verified Purchase | Have been in semi-pro photography for many years, and have used at least 4 other brands of filters as lens protectors for film and digital
cameras. Once I began using a full frame high definition dslr, I found that all of the filters that I had or purchased changed the IQ of my
awesome camera lenses. I was so disappointed I removed all of the filters, and the images were perfect. I still wanted an outer glass to protect my lens investment and after reading about the B+W XS-Pro Clear (007) Nano, MRC filters, I bought one. I will tell you, if you can afford to make the leap to this filter, you will never use anything else. I have them installed on all of my lenses. Beautiful picture quality, front lens protection, and first class construction, zero loss of definition. If you have high quality lenses, and a hddslr , I believe these are the very best. Do not purchase the UV model. For digital, you want the Clear (007). Enjoy every pixel your sensor has to offer. Try just one. | | | | ★★★★★ | Avoid fakes! 2021 Updated B+W buying advice! | | Verified Purchase | I’m a well known professional photographer and I “thought” an extremely savvy consumer, too. Lo and behold, through lots of research I have learned that most of the B+W and Hoya top of the line filters I have bought over the past 15 years are fake. Here’s what I’ve recently found to ensure getting legit ones here at Amazon:
HOW TO SPOT A FAKE:
Some fakes are easy to spot. The inner ring typography will be white instead of the gold color used by B+W in recent years. Now, the counterfeiters are beginning to make the inner type gold just like B+W. However: SEE PHOTO ABOVE. Note that the font of the fake at right is slightly thinner and just barely italic. Read on for more detail detective work tips below.
AVOID THIRD PARTY SELLERS
I truly believe in supporting small businesses but most of the B+W and Hoya filters out there from other resellers are indeed fakes. I trust in “Shipped and Sold from Amazon.com” yet some other third party reseller dealers are not genuine.
BUY B+W ONLY WITH NEW AUTHENTICATION SYSTEM:
In 2019, B+W fully switched to a new type of Hologram and authentication system. So if you are currently buying a new filter here, look for the red “Target” hologram logo on the side. Each box has a unique six digit number that you can check on the B+W website. After you enter the info, the website verifies if legit. Also, take a cellphone picture of the QR code on the box. If you are not automatically linked to the company website, it’s a fake.
Earlier, I was fooled by counterfeits that simply had a scannable and seemingly legit 3D QR code. Did I bother to check. Nope! That was a mistake as when I just recently checked for the first time the link is to a non-existent website with the URL for sale!
CHECK FOR REFLECTIONS ON THE FILTER ITSELF:
Using the black-colored back of the B+W box, place the filter face down on it. Hover above. You should see almost no reflection of yourself, just very faint shadows. Cheap fakes are mostly like window glass with lots of reflections that weaken quality lenses bigtime. The glass for genuine filter will seem almost invisible.
CHECK FILTER MARKINGS CAREFULLY:
B+W and Hoya do change these over time so if you are seeing different typography styles and colors this does not mean they are fakes. For example, the current B+W logo on the side of the filter is sans serif type while older filters had the classic serif, bolder logo style.
XS-PRO Nano CLEAR MARKINGS:
As of 2021, for the XS-PRO Nano CLEAR series, all type will be a rich gold color. All gold type on the inside ring will be in CAPS except for lowercase “nano.” Thus, the markings are in the same style as the UV version.
XS-PRO Nano MARKINGS:
As of 2021, for the XS-PRO Nano series, all type will be a rich gold color. All gold type on the inside ring will be in CAPS except for lowercase “nano.”
F-PRO MARKINGS:
As of 2021, for the F-PRO series, all type will also be a rich gold color . All gold type on the inside ring will be in CAPS except for lowercase “Haze” for UV filters. The “x” in “1x” will also be in lowercase.
WEIGHT:
All of the series above are brass filters with impeccable machining. Brass filters weight more. Simply get a gram scale and weigh a filter “Shipped and Sold by Amazon” in comparison to a filter you suspect as fake. This, plus carefully checking reflections carefully helped me determine how to discern a real filter from a counterfeit.
SPELLING MISTAKES:
I found B+W fakes long after I’d bought them by carefully examining the box. Beyond fake QR codes, I found boxes with the word “licensed” mistakenly spelled as “licensed.”
Hope this long review has been of some small help. I still can’t believe I was so thoroughly hoodwinked, literally for years. I also love some of the better Hoya filters but, unlike B+W, they do not seem to have a sophisticated counterfeit checking system yet in place.
Keep shootin’ strong! | | | | ★★★★★ | Perfect for Leica Q2 | | Verified Purchase | | Perfect for Leica Q2 lens protection - lens hood fits perfectly as well. | | | | ★★★★★ | Authentic B+W quality, verified on the B+W website | | Verified Purchase | This filter is constructed with all the obvious quality B+W has earned a reputation for.
I was concerned about all the stories I had read about Amazon vendors selling counterfeit B+W filters, and I discovered that if you go to B+W's website, schneiderkreuznach.com, you can verify the authenticity of your filter by entering the information on the box the filter is packaged in. I was relieved to have the actual manufacturer of the filter verify the filter I purchased from Amazon is genuine. | | | | ★★★★★ | German engineering. | | Verified Purchase | The brass housing alone would make these lens filters worth the price. I've had filters with aluminum housings, they were much lighter than these, but required a filter wrench to remove. Those aluminum threads would gall and become more and more difficult to install and remove. I've not had this problem with the self lubricating brass of these B+W filters.
The glass is outstanding! Not even a hint of distortion. I have compared photos, with and without, using my sharpest lens (Nikon 24-70 f2.8 G) and cannot tell the difference between the two at high magnification. Get these, you won't regret spending the $$. | | | | ★★★★★ | Genuine and Exceptional | | Verified Purchase | 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.
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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). | | | | ★★★★★ | No Fake Here - Great For Protecting Expensive Digital Camera Glass | | Verified Purchase | 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. | | | | ★★★★★ | Fits Sony 55mm F1.8 perfectly | | Verified Purchase | | "Blah blah filters degrade image quality" but I'd rather have whatever percentage less quality than a broken lens. I can't say I notice any drop in quality for my use but when I'm carrying my cameras around at a wedding and bumping into people and everything else at waist level I feel better knowing there's something in front of my lenses than them being exposed to the world. I also think lens filters like this are a lot easier to clean than the front elements of lenses. | | | | ★★★★★ | High Quality, No Effect on Exposure | | Verified Purchase | I am not at all a fan of protectors. Because, the lens front element is strong, doesn't scratch unless you intentionally abuse them, and the hoods generally protect from direct hit.
So now you must be asking why did I buy this? For convenience. My Nikon 50mm prime front element is deeply recessed. Once, dust and dirt goes there, it is painful to clean. And unlike recent Nikon lenses, this one didn't come with fluorine coating for easy cleaning. This protector filter saves my time and does not create annoying side-effects on the exposures. That is the only reason.
If you have a similar situation, go buy this. Time is more precious. | | | | See more reviews |
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| Question: | Whats the diference between 007M vs 010M? i am just using this filter to protect the Otus 85mm, provided it fits. | | Answer: | The UV (010) filter blocks intrusive UV radiation which can cause a lack of sharpness. Contrast is heightened, and unpleasant fog is avoided.
This filter is available single-coated (SC), multi-coated (MRC), and multi-coated (MRC) nano.
The Clear (007M) filter fulfills the desire of many photographers for pure lens protection without a filter effect. Its only function is to keep dirt, sand, or splashes, away from the front lens element. The clear, optical quality Schott glass has high transmission properties.
Both of the above filters can be used with color-reversal (slides), black and white, color negative films, and digital formats, though color shift is not so much a concern in digital, as it is with film. The chip is not sensitive to UV radiation as compared to film, and auto-white balance corrects for unwanted color shift.
This filter is available multi-coated (MRC), and multi-coated (MRC) nano. Personally I have never scratched a quality camera lens in any noticeable way through everyday use and under certain lighting conditions filters can and do produce flaring.
| | | | Question: | Why 007M is more expensive than 010M? Both are nano MRC, 007M is "clear"only while 010M comes with "UV". 010M should be better than 007M. | | Answer: | The UV filter is needed with film cameras. CMOS cameras ignore UV light, therefore the 007M is better for electronic sensors. | | | | Question: | does the lens cap fit with filter on? | | Answer: | I have the canon 28-70mm is ii and yes the lens cap fits great! I know I read some complaints about it with the first version of the 28-70 but not the second! | | | | Question: | Is it adapted for the camera standard powershot g3x | | Answer: | I'm sorry, but your powershot can not mount filters like this. There is no threading to mount them. There is a adapter though, Filter Adapter FA-DC67B from Canon. I can't speak to how good it works, but I wouldn't bother with a UV filter for your camera. It already filters UV, and the lens is recessed anyway so it is fairly well protected. Polarizing filters might be a worthwhile investment, and ND filters.
| | | | Question: | plan to use this on a canon sx60 hs. do i need the filter adaptor for this or wil this screw on directly to the lens? | | Answer: | Yes if it is threaded for 72mm | | | | Question: | Can you put a snap on lens cap on this filter and if so, is it just your standard 49mm cap? | | Answer: | Yes and yes. That's exactly what I've been doing with no damage to the filter. | | | | Question: | Hi any vinetting or image qaulity nikon 16-35 77mm? Now is it safe to get a real one?this filter increase contrast like the xs uv haze filter?thanks | | Answer: | Slim filter is good for wide-angle lenses (no interference)
And it's a clear filter so you can use it without worry. | | | | Question: | I bought the 55mm filter as a gift for my dad who has a Canon Rebel 18-55mm and it was too small. Would the 58mm fit that camera? | | Answer: | Filter sizes refer to the diameter of the filter screw on the front of a lens and is normally inscribed with other lens information around the front lens element.
The correct filter size for your EF-S 18-55mm lens is 58mm. The B+W filter you have selected is an ideal piece if glass to protect the front element of your lens as, in the event of front end damage to your camera lens, the alternatives are replace the filter OR replace the lens. Please fon't forget to keep it clean and covered with your lens cap when not in use.
| | | | Question: | Will this filter fit on the Sony A6000 and the kit lens 18-55? | | Answer: | Hello. Yes, as the Sony E-Mount SEL 1855 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens has 49mm filter threads this or any other 49mm filter would work just fine.
Deven Morgan
Event Cameras | | | | Question: | Why only this size of filter requiring import tax for shipping to Hong Kong? | | Answer: | Hi Friend,
For this issue i contacted Amazon , as they said "I apologize as we will not be able to check this from end
Because Amazon does not collect import tax from sellers
Amazon will not be responsible for or collect any duties, taxes or shipping costs
It is the Government who decides import tax on products'
I'm sincerely sorry for this .
Nice day
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