Hoya 67mm Ultraviolet UV(C) Multicoated Filter

looks great on new lens.

Must admit to having been a fan of Hoya’s line of HMC multi-coated filters for decades. This happened when I first saw a demonstration of these solid glass filters with their multi-coated surfaces that has been applied to both sides of the glass element many years ago, and never have I been let down by their products over the years. Their claim of over 97% light transmission has been tested and proven many times over the years, and with a good lens, is how a UV filter like this offers additional contrast and true color fidelity.

This 

Hoya 40.5mm UV HMC Lens Filter

 is the perfect one for my 

Nikon P7700 Digital Camera

 with its Nikkor ED Glass Lens 7.1x optical zoom lens. A camera lens is only as good as its weakest link, which is often the filter itself, and this multi-coated filter is the perfect match for the excellent optical qualities of this lens. The 40.5mm filter size isn’t the most common to be found today, but luckily due to a resurgence of smaller, more compact digital cameras for enthusiasts and pros, the offerings are growing.

This filter has a pure matte black metal frame that helps to cut down on additional extraneous light reflections, and is slightly ridged at the front end to aid in removal when needed. Its thin-frame design is excellent for those times when you might want to use a lens shade or ‘stack’ a circular polarizer on front. It goes without saying that it’s also a good lens protector, and that can be quite important if you’ve ever lost a lens cap in the field. The filter comes packaged in a hinged plastic case with a foam plastic insert to keep the filter surface from being rubbed in transit.

For the Nikon purist, there’s also the 

Nikon 40.5mm Screw-on NC Filter

 which is available here, and it will certainly protect the front lens element of the P7700 along with those 

Nikon 1 Digital Camera

 lenses that have a 40.5mm filter thread. Either the Nikon or the Hoya HMC filter won’t affect the color hues (visible light spectrum), and the multi-colored glass of these filters is designed to reduce flare as well. As a long-time user of both the Hoya and Nikon filters, this user can attest to that with thousands of images from over the years.

Weighing all of its qualities, the 

Hoya 40.5mm UV HMC Lens Filter

 was the perfect choice for the new Nikon P7700, and with its fast f/2.0 aperture, it’s not just good for protection, but also offers excellent speed, optical performance, and dollar performance for the investment. This one is a 5-star product, and highly recommended.

11/10/2012

Good, quality product.

Cuts haze and protects lens surface.

The Hoya multicoated filter has exceeded my expectations on all fronts. Its minimal impact on picture quality is truly impressive – I can hardly detect any difference when it’s on my lens. This filter adds an extra layer of protection to my valuable optics without compromising image clarity. What’s more, the outstanding value for money is a pleasant surprise. Hoya has managed to deliver a high-quality, multicoated filter at a price that won’t break the bank, making it accessible to photographers at all levels. It’s a must-have accessory for any camera kit, offering superb protection and exceptional value, and I couldn’t be happier awarding it a five-star rating.

As a published professional photographer my take on the benefits adding a glass filter to any lens that has a threaded filter ring is overwhelmingly positive. To me, it is far too easy to easy to do something harmful to the surface of a camera lens, whether it be a fingerprint, dust, raindrops or an unfortunate physical contact with a hard surface. Adding a removable piece of glass offers a tremendous amount of protection against all of the above and, if necessary, can be replaced whereas the front surface of your lens cannot. I try to avoid cleaning the primary surface of my lenses any more than absolutely necessary to avoid microscopic scratches in the coatings … I would much rather clean a clear filter.

For my pro and semi-pro gear I use 

Nikon Neutral Color

glass (not a UV filter). They are expensive and it makes no difference what brand camera they are used on, the Nikon filters are regarded as among the best made. I don’t know why true clear Neutral Color filters cost so much more, probably because they are considered a specialty item. The reason I don’t choose UV filters is I don’t want anything affecting my images except what I choose to induce. I am not against UV filters, I believe they have a very minimal and subtle effect which is acceptable to almost all general photography. What is more important than whether it is UV or clear is whether it is multicoated and whether the right choice of frame (slim or standard) is made for the lens it is being used on.

I recently acquired a 

Sony DSC-HX300/B 20 MP Digital Camera with 50x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

 bridge camera for family/fun events and was going to be buying a UV filter soon. Today, after owning the camera for only a couple of weeks, I accidentally banged the lens (lightly) against the edge of a piece of plastic sporting equipment. It left a mark on the lens and my heart sank thinking I had chipped the lens or at the very least, damaged the lens coating. Fortunately I did neither, a lens cloth took the smudge out. Within 5 minutes I had ordered this filter, which to my favor just had a nice reduction in price. I chose the Hoya because I respect the brand name (they are known for high-end medical imaging products) and that it is multicoated and has a slim frame (important because the camera zooms to a very wide angle.

The lens fits perfectly on the HX300 and in several side-by-side tests with and without the filter mounted, there is no degradation of image quality. I took some landscape shots with potential sun flare, some flower macros and some night shots with wicked bad street lights that could have caused severe problems with non-coated or badly-coated filters and on this particular camera I had absolutely no negative results.

The filter looks well-constructed. It mounted on my lens easily and without problems. I cannot comment on the quality of the glass and coatings as I have not done any comparison tests with and without the filter mounted on the lens.

I’ve had 3 of these on my other lenses for more than 10 years as well. The coating works very well. Good light tranmission and easy to clean. The light transmission quality was obvious when compared to an older Hoya UV filter of the same 55mm size. That’s why I bought this one.