Polarizers: Fact & Fiction

Shawn,
The "reason", I would guess, for using soda lime glass is cost. There is no up side. The "water white" glass we use at Schneider Optics is more expensive. With a WB, the green tinge is (mostly?) corrected, but you know it is still there.
FYI B + W is also a Schneider (Germany) company.
The weaker pola material used in other brands must also be cheaper.
Ken Robings
Engineer, Schneider Optics
 
Hehe I know someone who's sister is working at Schneider Optische Werke here in Germany in Bad Kreuznach. :-)
The cool thing is... it's said that they (employees) can get filters etc. that got sent back or have minor faults (mostly only on the packaging etc. or things that normally don't degrade image quality) really cheap! Unfortunately no 4"x4" filters yet it seems :-( ... although there's a discount for employees on all products but it's only 2%... :-/ ;)

PS: What about the Tiffen Pro grade filters?! I've got some Tiffen 4x4" Glass Filters called "Tiffen Professional - Filters & Lens Accessories" (with a 35mm movie cam pictured on front) from someone real cheap (hehe) ... what's their quality compared to Schneider filters anyone?
 
SoerenM,

Schneider filters for professional film and video (like the 4x4's) are made here in the United States not at the Schneider factory in Germany.

Tiffen makes decent products. In some earlier posts, Ken Robings (one of our engineers) pointed out some differences and why we at Schneider feel we manufacture the finest filters in the world. If the 4x4 Tiffen polarizer is not damaged (scratched , pitted) and shows no signs of separating along the edges and it is a real bargain, I am sure it will meet your needs.

Bill Turner
Schneider Optics, Inc
Century Division
 
Ah ok thanks Bill for pointing that out! Didn't know that the 4x4" filters aren't produced in germany at all... hm sad ;-)
I already got the tiffen filters and I've got to say they look pretty good so far... but perhaps in regard to Schneider filters they've got minor disadvantages in the coating etc. ... but I'm fine with that.
 
Any details about Tiffen Professional Series?

Any details about Tiffen Professional Series?

Talking about Tiffen filters, I was trying to figure out whether the screw-in Tiffen Professional series was any better than Tiffen's standard stock. I've got some 72mm screw-in filters (ND, Diffusion, and Warm Polarizer) marked "Tiffen Professional" but I could not find any mention to that line on the Tiffen's website or anywhere else on the web. Any guru here who may help with some hints? Also, is the 9 series any better in terms of optical quality? Tks.
 
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