Customer Reviews

Hoya 77mm DMC Pro1 Digital Multi-coated UV Filter

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are cheaper filters, and there are more expensive filters. How much should I be paying?

Conventional wisdom says don't hamper your expensive lenses with a cheap filter - so you want to avoid the el cheapos out there. But how good is "good enough"?

For my uses, I have been using the higher end Hoya filters - like the DMC and SMC versions - and have not been disappointed at all. I have two of this particular filter; one lives full time on my Canon 24-105 f/4L and the other lives on my Canon 10-22 f/3.5-4.5. Not a problem with either of them so far. I have also owned Tiffen (a little bit cheaper - but more flare), and B+W (more expensive, equal performance to the Hoya IMHO).

And I should mention that I use the 24-105mm as my walkabout lens and I like to be ready to shoot, so I rarely use a lens cap. I regard this Hoya filter as my "see-through lens cap", and it does its job (protecting the lens itself) admirably, without a lot of flare or optical distortion (at least to my eyes). So far it has cleaned up easily and proven quite durable, as I tend to travel a lot and shoot in semi-harsh conditions.

I am sure that eventually I'll have to replace my UV filter after the inevitable accident or incident. And when the time comes, it'll be another Hoya filter, just like this one.

I bought this filter to attach to a Tokina 12-24mm super wide angle lens. I needed protection for the ominous objective lens, protection from flare common to this type of lens, and very thin profile to prevent vignetting when at the shortest focal length. The filter has performed exceptionally well in all categories. I have been able to make flare free pictures with the sun directly in front of the lens. There is no distortion, no vignetting, and I have only praise for this filter.

I know there are less expensive UV filters out there, but having been burned by cheapies in the past, I decided to spend a little more and get a good one. Images with this filter come out crystal clear with no softness. I am basically using it for protection of the front element of my Canon "L" lenses, and not so much for UV protection, but protection doesn't do me any good if the images aren't sharp.

UPDATE 2/24/10 This filter is still on my EF 24-105 f4 L and I just bought another one to keep on my EF 17-40 f4 L. Usually if anything messy gets thrown my way it lands on this filter instead of my front lens element and I can use my lens cleaner on it instead of the actual lens. Once in awhile a stray piece of dust will get past the threads (how I have no idea), but I'd rather use a bulb blower on the actual lens than wipe it any day. The price of this filter is worth the peace of mind you get.

You can go to your pro photographer friends and ask for a recommendation... they may tell you BW, Heliospan, or a number of well know companies that make filters and have impecable reputations. If you buy on reputation or recommendation I think you are cutting yourself short. It is hard for a human being (the human eye) to objectively asertain the performance of a filter such as a UV filter... after all... we can't see UV light. We can see the haze in backgroung outdoor shots however it is hard to quantify it.

I read a lab test on a large number of el-cheap and very expensive (the full range) of UV filters that were analyzed using a Hatachi "State of the Art" spectrometer. This device is design to determine how much light of various wavelengts are being filtered and how much is being let through. I was SHOCKED and dismayed by the number of high end filter that didn't even measure up to the UV light filtering capabilites of plain old glass (glass is a good UV filter by itself!). They also tested how much the filter stops down your lens (reducing incoming light) and though this one didn't fare as well as a high end unit (that produced no UV filtering) it is still very very good.

The Hoya multi coated filters beat out ALL other in the UV tests. I bought the PRO1 filter because it is slightly lower profile and won't contribute to vignetting on my wide angle lens. The ring is metal... aluminum I think. It is also blackened to prevent reflections. Hope this helps someone... Google, "Filter Review Hatachi Spectrometer" to find and read the study yourself. Apparently some of these highly regarded companies are sitting on their laurels and not putting forth quality products anymore. Leave your mind open to Science... not to hype, recommendation (people tend to recommend their own bad purchases), and reputation. Thanks.

I read that another reviewer put the Hoya Pro 1 DMC UV on his Tokina 11-16mm F2.8 and he was pleased, so when I needed a filter for that same lens, I listened to his advice and got that same filter. I am very pleased and plan to buy another one for the Canon 24-105mm F4L I am getting next week. Expensive lenses require high quality filters, and this Hoya Pro 1 does the job for me!

I purchased this UV filter to protect my Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Wide Angle Lens and it does the job without vignetting any photographs. It fits perfectly onto the 77mm lens width. I would like to buy a circular polarizer for my 10-22mm; however, I'd imagine I won't be able to use both the circ polarizer AND UV filter without showing some vignetting.

I would definitely recommend this filter to anyone with a 10-22mm lens.

For me, Hoya Pro line filters are the perfect balance between excellent optics and cost. I've used Hoya for many, many years and have never been disappointed. I can't say this for all the filters I've owned. I choose to semi-permantely leave the filter on my lens for protection. I own several Canon "L" lens so I'm especially sensitive to sharpness. I've paid more and received less. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Why is it that you invest so much in a nice UV/Haze filter for your expensive lens, and these things don't even come with their own lens caps that fit snug on the filter ring? The Canon lens cap doesn't fit on this filter very well.

The filter itself is great. I really can tell the difference, but man, that lens cap issue is ruining it!

When I ordered my Nikon 10-24mm ultra-wide lens, I knew I needed to pick up a new UV filter to put on it right away. I've gone back and forth on whether to use UV filters or not on my lenses, but decided I needed one for protection on this lens since it has such a bubbled front lens element and a very small lens hood.

After some research, I decided the purchase this 77mm Hoya DMC Pro1 UV-0 filter because it has a slim frame to prevent vignetting, good multi-coating and a great price. If you are looking for a UV filter, you should read through the spectrometer testing results at lenstip dot com (google "hitachi spectrometer lenstip") It's interesting to see that Hoya multi-coated filters test better than or equal to more expensive B+H or Heliopan filters. I use mostly Hoya filters and continue to buy them for their great quality and price.

I really like the feel of this filter. The matte finish and knurled edge makes it very easy to take on and off and it looks like it belongs on the lens. It feels sturdy with no movement of the glass in the frame. I see no decrease in image quality at all and I feel much better having that bulbous front element covered. I've not had any issues with reflections or flare.

Since this is a slim frame filter, you cannot attach any filters to the front of it. However, unlike some other slim frame filters, you can still use the original lens cap because there is a single groove where normally there are threads. I've found this groove actually holds the lens cap better than the standard threads. Since you cannot stack additional filters, this may not be a great option on a non-wide angle lens if you plan to stack additional filters, but you probably wouldn't want to stack with a UV filter anyway. If you use an ExpoImaging ExpoDisc 77mm Digital White Balance Filter - Neutral, you'll find you have to hold it on to the filter carefully since it won't snap into the slim single groove.

Since the spectrometer results indicate the Hoya HMC UV, the Super-HMC UV, and this Hoya Pro1 UV are essentially optically equal, the choice comes down to price and usage. I needed the slim frame of the Pro1 UV-0 and now after using it, I prefer it's build to the others. I'd buy it again for other lenses since it's only slightly more expensive than the standard HMC but less than the Super-HMC.

I just received this a few weeks ago along with my new ultra-wide 10-24mm Nikkor AF-S lens. As soon as I got this filter I tested some pictures with and without the filter to make sure the pictures were not affected in any way. I got what I expected, all my pictures were immaculate and untouched by this UV filter. The filter serves its purpose well and seems very sturdy (I'm not afraid if I bang my lens on a hard surface anymore). The filter is also very thin and can hold the Nikon lens cap. Even thought it costs about $50 dollars. I really would not want to pay less for something that could damage my pictures and maybe even my expensive lens.
Great product, Hoya!