Hoya HMC vs. DMC. Please help!

Please help! I own a D200 and a Nikkor 18-200 VR. I plan to buy a 77mm circular polarizer. My lens is 72mm and I plan to buy a step up ring to step it up to 77mm.

I hope to buy a Hoya CPL and the shop told me that there are 2 kinds:

1. Hoya HMC Pro1
2. Hoya DMC Pro1

What pazzled me is; what is DMC (Digital Multi-Coated)? What is the different between HMC and DMC?

One guess I could think about is, digital sensor is not sensitive to UV (even this I can't verify, I read it from the forum) hence the coating is different.

My questions are:
1. What different between HMC and DMC?
2. Which one should I buy?

Thanks in advanced!
Hou-yi

look into other brands like B&W..

I once cleaned a hoya UV filter with special fluid (eclipse:the one I use for my CCD)
and the coating came right of :-(

Try the B+W Kasemann MRC Polarising filter. Fantastic quality and really good coating.

Robert White in the UK has them generally in stock and at a good price mail order.

Steve
http://www.stevedavey.com

BW is way over priced and hoya coatings are optically better, by a sizable margin. if you read the paperwork that comes with the filter you will have noticed they say specificly not to use solvents, just warm soapy water will get it as clean as you ever need it. normally, i just give it a breath so a layer of distilled water forms over the surface as a fog and wipe with a lens cloth. done. sine you can buy 2 hoyas for the price of a BW, its a much better deal. even if you damage one, just replace it. for the same money, you can have a fresh surface twice as often.

i have no idea why the 2 are coated diffrently, the regular HMC filters are excellent so i just get those for the price.

The Nikon CP II circular polarizers are multicoated and they're also low profile so they will work on extreme wild angle lenses.

And as bonus they take Nikon's normal lens caps - some other low priles filters require the use of a slip on lens cap.

And as for the price, it'll be competative with the Hoya's.
--
-----Bear

josephho said:

BW is way over priced and hoya coatings are optically better, by a
sizable margin.

Click to expand...

B+H (and Heliopan...another at that level of quality) are basicly respected throughout the photographic world as the top established filter makers in the world with extreem care of their optics.....

Where do you get your info from?

Roman

--

Photoshop is like bondo. Use it to smooth out and polish your work, not to compensate for your lack of body work skills.

http://www.pbase.com/romansphotos/

Steve Davey said:

Try the B+W Kasemann MRC Polarising filter. Fantastic quality and
really good coating.

Click to expand...

That's what I read, so I bought one, and I agree. I prefer it to my Nikon, and I preferred the Nikon to Hoya.

I bought the slim version. I wish I hadn't. I don't think it's necesary, and it has no front thread, so you have to use the supplied lens cap (which falls off). The less-slim version is also cheaper. Buy off ebay - they're significantly cheaper in Hong Kong.

DMC has a different coating than HMC, they claim it's better on Digital. It's the best filter Hoya offers.

The Pro 1 is the top of the line in Hoya's lineup because it has slim design & threads on the front to attach lens cap or filters. Beware other slims may or may not have threads, double check, no threads, no attaching lens cap!

As per arguement as to which is better...no comment just info on the Hoya brand you wanted.

Buy a B+W or Nikon. Both are excellent and durable. I have had mixed results with Hoya.

SJP

The main difference between Hoya HMC and B+W MRC is that the B+W's ring is brass and hence less prone to disforming, and the MRC coating is more resistant to deposits. Optically no discernible difference.

Tom

RomanJohnston said:

josephho said:

BW is way over priced and hoya coatings are optically better, by a
sizable margin.

Click to expand...

B+H (and Heliopan...another at that level of quality) are basicly
respected throughout the photographic world as the top established
filter makers in the world with extreem care of their optics.....

Where do you get your info from?

Roman

--
Photoshop is like bondo. Use it to smooth out and polish your work,
not to compensate for your lack of body work skills.

http://www.pbase.com/romansphotos/

Click to expand...

where do i get this info???

i have both and i looked at them side by side.

i look at the reflection of a lightbulb in both a hoya multi coated and a BW multi coated. ( both are multi coated not single coated or particular super whatever coatings. i just buy the middle of the road MC from either one) the reflected image is almost twice as bright in the BW indicating less transmitted light and more flare. for this reason, i conclude the hoya coating is optically superior by observable margin.

BW gets you a brass ring which wont get stuck like a hoya aluminum ring but smidge of grease keeps that from every happening anyways. if you inadverdently knock your filter ring on something, the aluminum will bend and give, the brass may take your lens threads with it.

the only situation i see BW being a better choice is if you care going to a really humid and wet enviroment for a long time in which case the BW kaes...semamn...whatever polarizer might be a consideration because its edges are sealed.

seriously, just buy the hoya! if you want to buy the german stuff, its your money, my reccomendation is save your money, get the cheaper and better one.

Sorry, may be I have not being more specific. I am not from the state. In my country, it is very hard to get B+W; Hoya is a more sensable choice.

Another thing which pazzled me is DMC is more expensive than HMC. I am not sure whether this is just some kind of marketing gimmick.

Many thanks to Snapshots, Steve, Josephho, Ursus, Roman, Slimandy, 4loops, Sjprintz and Tompa2003 who responded to this threads.

Regards,
Hou-yi