By site editor Dan Chung:
Hoya are one of the world’s best known photographic filter makers. They have just launched a new range of Antistatic coated UV, protective and polarising filters. Designed to work in harsh environments they repel dust and should require less cleaning than regular filters. In addition these filters have a top-layer that is water repellent and easy to clean.
The specifications of these filters sound very similar to what Nikon recently did to the fronts of their top end Nikkor fluorine coated lenses. I’m not sure if the technology is the same but the claimed effects are certainly similar.
If these filters work as advertised I can see them becoming an instant hit with news shooters. It would be great if the same technology could make its way into the company’s ND filter lineup too.
This from Hoya:
Hoya engineers have developed a new ANTISTATIC coating that acts like a force field around the filter to repel dust. Perfect for environments where dust is common, these filters require less frequent cleaning and maintenance than traditional filters. Additionally, the hardened, antistatic top-layer is water repellent, stain and scratch resistant, and cleans easily when smudges or fingerprints are introduced to the surface. The filter’s UV properties filter unwanted ultra-violet rays, reducing haze and increasing clarity.
The new EVO ANTISTATIC professional filters are made in Japan using hand selected silicates that are carefully smelted and blended to yield high performance optical glass. Hoya then uses extreme care and precision to apply the Improved 16-layer Super Multi-coating formula which greatly reduces or eliminates reflections on the surface of the glass and yields a 99.8% light transmission rate. This means the filter has virtually no effect on the color balance, contrast, or clarity of the final image.
The filters features a lightweight, one-piece, low-profile aluminum frame to house the glass. This one-piece design allows the filter to maintain perfect parallel alignment to the sensor plane for maximum sharpness, while the low-profile form eliminates vignetting when used on ultra-wide-angle lenses.
• NEW Antistatic coating repels dust
• 99.8% Light Transmission
• Scratch resistant – Hardened coating protects against everyday wear
• Stain resistant – Protects against exposure to ink, markers etc.
• Water repellent – Water beads up and wipes away easily
• Fingerprints and smudges wipe away cleanly
• Filters unwanted UV light before it reaches the sensor
• Hoya’s Professional-grade optical glass
• Hoya exclusive one-piece, low-profile filter frame with front filter threads
