HM700 / Fujinon 17x5 Lens Filter Recommendations?
 

I'm in the market for a UV filter which will double as near full-time protection for my lens.

The filter diameter on the Fujinon 17x5 lens is 82mm. A normal lens cap and a rectangular hood with cap were included with the lens.

I'm looking for a UV filter which will not interfere visually when fully zoomed out (vignette), has a durable, easy-to-clean surface, and preferably has threads for the addition of another filter.

Hopefully there is a sweet spot where the price is reasonable and the optical quality doesn't introduce distortion into HD footage and doesn't noticeably limit the light input to the lens.

After the UV filter, I'll be in the market for some kind of polarizing filter.

Hoya HMC and they make a wide low profile one, not that I think you will need it on a 17x lens. Nikon rebrands Hoya HMC's with Nikon name, or so the rumor goes. Good glass. I got my UV and ND from amazon.com on some super discount. Make sure you get the HMC level.l all the filter companies have 3 or 5 levels of filters with various list prices, but you may find if you shop around that the top $100 filters can be found from reputable dealers for not much more than the entry level filters from each brand. Another good brand was B&W. Skip Tiffen and (I can't remember the ones I've tried then given away.... memory is fading). They are OK,..... but did you really want to put a $20 filter on a $7,000 camera?

Thanks, Alex...

In the Hoya line, I see two UV filters, one "HMC", and one apparently a level up from that:

Model X82UV:
Hoya | 82mm Ultraviolet UV(0) Super Multi-Coated (S-HMC) | X82UV
(About $70)

Model XHD82UV:
Hoya | 82mm Ultraviolet UV Haze HD (High Density) | XHD82UV
(About $130)

(UPDATE: I somehow got the links backwards, above... now corrected.)

Is the "HD" model truly that much better? I have zero problem paying the extra $50 if it's a far more durable filter or noticeably better optically. Or is it something you're just never going to notice the difference when used on an HM700?

In the B+W line, I found this one:
Model 66045076:
B+W | 82mm UV Haze 010 (MRC) Multi-Resistant Coating | 66045076
(About $115)

amazon.com Hoya SUPER HMC 82mm $70
Amazon.com: Hoya SUPER HMC Haze UV(0) - Filter - UV - 82 mm: Electronics

amazon.com hoya HMC 82mm $49.95
Amazon.com: Hoya HMC Haze UV(0) - Filter - UV - 82 mm: Electronics

both sold via amazon.com from adorama camera. I can't remember if I got the SUPER or the normal. Might want to check out Hoya's webpage as well as any competitors and see why one is better than the other. I think at different times I had a Super and a normal HMC and to my eyes they were about the same for HD video. Maybe see a difference if shooting film or 12+ megapix camera.. not sure at low 1080p res that it would matter much.. but it's a start. I know that my filters have saved all of my lenses several times. helicopters throwing stuff at the lens last month even, so my knee jerk reaction is to get the HMC (fully multi coated is a must for any filter) but since I tend to destroy these things in a year, I wouldn't go to the $70 one necissarily.... Though I might have when I got my JVC. I'll look when I'm home tonight and see what I got if your interested.

here is hoya's website as to the difference between their coatings..

http://www.hoyafilter.com/products/hoya/coatings.html

A few minutes ago, I spoke with a representative from THK Photo, the US distributor for Hoya, and he says the "HD" line (the one for around $130) is a new product and the glass is treated during forging in a manner which greatly increases the strength of the glass (from impact breaking/shattering), and that there is a waterproof, scratch resistant coating for easy cleaning. The coatings apparently also provide just a tad better light transmission than the HMC line. I may just spring for it.

This new "HD" line is not shown on Hoya's main web site, but is shown on the THK Photo web site. (Along with some YouTube videos of ball bearings being dropped on various filters.)