360Photography

Japanese glass manufacturer Hoya says it has created a new coating that prevents dust, water and fingerprints from sticking to the surface of its filters. The company claims the coating acts like a ‘force field’ around its new Fusion series of filters, protecting them from stains as well as scratches. The idea of the coating is to make the filters easy to clean and to reduce the chance of damage while in use or storage. 

The coating is said to consist of nine layers that work to reduce reflections from the surfaces of the glass and which aim to allow as much light through to the lens as possible. Hoya says the coating has ‘virtually no effect’ on the color balance, contrast, clarity or exposure of the final image. 

The first Fusion filters will be for cutting UV, a circular polarizer and a plain protector glass. They are available in screw-in sizes from 37mm to 105mm (to 82mm in the UK) and come mounted in slim low-profile frames that are said to avoid interfering with the corners of images shot with wide angle lenses. 

Prices start from £26.99 for a 37mm protector filter. For more information visit the Hoya website. 

Press release:

Hoya introduces Fusion Filters

9 layers of Super Multi-coating make Hoya Fusion filters antistatic, waterproof, stain proof, scratch resistant and very easy to clean!

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 new FUSION 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 a new 9-layer Super Multi-coating formula that greatly reduces or eliminates reflections on the surface of the glass and yields very high light transmission rates. This means the filter has virtually no effect on the colour balance, contrast, or clarity of the final image. 

The filters feature a lightweight, low-profile aluminium frame to house the glass. The low-profile frame eliminates vignetting when used on ultra-wide-angle lenses. 

Fusion filters are available in UV, Circular Polariser and Protector and in sizes from 37mm through to 82mm. Prices start from £26.99 for a 37mm protector filter.

• NEW Antistatic coating repels dust 
• 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 
• Hoya’s Professional-grade optical glass

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)