Shawn Rahman , Apr 16, 2003; 10:17 p.m.
I've recently run across filters made by a company named OSAWA. Has
anyone ever ehard of them? If so, how do they compare to Tiffen,
Hoya, etc.?
Thanks!
Ian Brunton , Apr 17, 2003; 07:52 a.m.
As no one has replied yet, I'd suggest that few people have heard of them. But there are several such brands around, including Phoenix, and a lot are made by the Japanese optical glass giant THK (Tokina-Hoya-Kenko, I think). Since many people seem to obsess about differences between Nikon and B+W, I don't think many people would recommend them.
Still, if you're after a cheap filter that you won't use that often (like a fluorescent to daylight), it might be worth buying, but you could probably get better filters cheap on eBay. If it's a filter you'd use a lot (polariser, UV, black-and-white tonal correction...), it's probably not a good idea to put an iffy filter in front of a nice lens.
Chris Crevasse , Apr 17, 2003; 10:37 a.m.
I don't know anything about Osawa filters, but I have owned an Osawa 70-210 zoom since about 1985. I rarely use it (I'm addicted to primes), but it's a decent quality lens which produces decent results. I have a vague recollection of reading a review of the lens back in the 80s, and it was favorably reviewed. The filters are probably decent as well.
Darin Cozine , Apr 21, 2003; 02:03 a.m.
I think Osawa is actually an OEM for many of the other cheap filter brands. They do produce a few under their own name. I would not recomend them.
