"Digital" filters??

gfxartist

Hey all,

I'm looking at buying a couple of filters, one being a Hoya NDx8. On 2filter.com I've found both Hoya Pro 1 Digital Multicoated and Hoya HMC Multicoated. The hoyafilter.com website only lists available coatings as Standard, HMC and Ultra (for 77mm). Does anyone know what the difference between the DIGITAL multicoated and the HMC multicoated is?

What are the specifically named "digital filters" all about?

I'm trying to buy today so I can get them by Wed of next week, so your replies are appreciated!!

CaiusMartius

Sounds like a marketing gimmick to me. I remember when CDs came out and you saw speaker companies start marketing speakers with "digital ready" on them. The truth of the matter is that there was absolutely no difference in the speaker.

Same thing with medicine. Excedrine and Excedrine Migraine have the exact same ingredients. (They even cost the same.) It is a marketing gimmick to get the person that has a migraine headache to pick your product.

gfxartist

Well, I just got off the phone with a (rather rude) salesperson at B&H who told me the "digital filters" have a special coating specifically for digital camera CCD or CMOS sensors. This goes along with exactly what is stated on Hoya's website, but still seems rather vague to me. I'm curious how this "special coating" works and if it really does work better than regular filter glass, or if it is something of a marketing gimmick.

And to rant a little, when I asked the sales guy that very question, "Well how does it work?" he snipped, "Well, it's a filter!"...like I was a moron. I told him I was referring to the digital coating...could he tell me more about it? Simple (and snide) answer, "No." He must have missed his customer service training.

CaiusMartius

I still think this is a marketing tactic to try and scare consumers into replacing their perfectly good filters. If this was indeed some revolutionary new technology, why can't I find any good explainations of it on the internet. I can't find any comparison photos either.

CaiusMartius

RE: B&H. Man, have you ever been in that store? I lived in Manhattan for 6 years and I can honestly say that I never once stepped foot in that store when it wasn't packed. Customer service can seem somewhat lacking at times, but their prices are good and they are extremely reliable.

However, it is not like the average camera shop, where the sales guy has time to kill and loves to chat in detail about some new gizmo. B&H is the kind of place to buy gear, when you have already done your research and know what you want.

gfxartist

No, I have never been in the store, but it would be nice if I could check it out one day. I've called them in the past and spoken to very nice, helpful and informative salespeople. But this guy just flat out acted like I was wasting his time. I'm not an idiot, I've done research, and I'm calling b/c I can't find any answers. All of the equipment I own I bought through B&H, so needless to say I was a little PO'd when treated so poorly.

All that aside, I did find one website last night w/ a comparison photo of a digital and "non-digital" filter, but I can't seem to find it today. It was something to the effect of this person finding that the digital filter provided slightly truer colors and the other filter produced slightly more saturated colors. I'll continue to search for it.

ziggy53

gfxartist wrote:

...

All that aside, I did find one website last night w/ a comparison photo of a digital and "non-digital" filter, but I can't seem to find it today. It was something to the effect of this person finding that the digital filter provided slightly truer colors and the other filter produced slightly more saturated colors. I'll continue to search for it.

Probably this:

http://www.photofilter.com/comparison_Hoya_Pro_camera_filters.htm

gfxartist

ziggy53 wrote:

Probably this:

http://www.photofilter.com/comparison_Hoya_Pro_camera_filters.htm

And THAT would be the one. Thanks!

colourbox

Could this "digital" designation have anything to do with additional IR filtering that I hear is helpful with digital sensors? Maybe they add IR filtering that "non-digital" filters have, to help digital cameras that don't have as much IR filtering?

Just speculating...