X1 UV Filter for Camera Lenses - Weather-Sealed UV Filter with Protection Against Dust and Water - MRC4, Ultra-Slim, 25 Year Support, by Breakthrough Photography, 77mm

Let me preface this by saying that I'm an experienced, but not professional photographer. I don't have a huge budget, but I know what counts, and I try to make sure that my money is placed in the right portions on the right equipment. Filters are an absolute must for me, because I often am in dusty, windy, salty, awful environmental conditions that would shorten my lens lifespans considerably. I shoot both digital and film, and my collection of old gear is extensive. I quickly realized though that unlike my old prime lenses, modern zoom lenses really absolutely require a low profile filter. So I figured, lets give Breakthrough a try. I purchased these a while back, and I never really feel comfortable posting a review until I get to REALLY try a product out. It's been several months of hard use now, and I feel comfortable making some serious statements about the products. These are absolutely the best bang for your buck filters out there. I shoot a WIDE range of conditions, from astrophotography to ultra bright desert scenes. I don't do human portraits much but I do a range of wildlife photography, livestock and pet portraits, landscape photography, and a dabble in long exposure. I haven't noticed nearly the ghosting or flaring with these filters as I had with Tiffen and Hoya, and I really like the hardiness of the product better than the B+W filters, which I generally destroyed every few months. Paired with the Breakthrough lens caps, and I am absolutely a believer in this company. If you're a budget photographer or a serious enthusiast, you can't buy a better filter for the price, end of story. If you tend to beat your lens caps to crap, or keep them in your back pocket a lot, you can't go wrong picking up a few Breakthrough lens caps as well. I like them better than the Nikon stock ones, they're easier to handle with arthritis or in cold weather, and they last longer in your back pocket. The company seems to be very active in reaching out to customers as well, which is refreshing, if a little startling at first. I hope these guys stick around for the long haul, because they're serving a desperately needed portion of the market here with style, quality, and integrity.

This arrived the other day, and attached it to my lens for a bit of protection. A couple of first impressions... The packaging is top notch. Seriously... The packaging is amazing, it feels like opening a product from Apple. In fact, it's just like that... Next... The fit is perfect, and for a slim line filter, I really appreciate the ribbed outer ring. It allows for a firm grip on screwing in and out... This is a well designed filter... Performance... Well. It is outstanding... This filter sits in front of a Leica Summicron 50mm lens. I've shot it on several rolls of film in my M6 and M7, both in high contrast, flaring conditions - and this does not ghost flare onto the main element, in contradiction to a previous review. I have no idea what they were talking about - as I can't replicate it from any of my 39mm lenses on either film nor digital cameras... Made in the USA, a small company - and did I mention their packaging? A well done product that I can endorse for function, performance and price.

I've had a lot of different kinds of filters (UV, Polarizers, ND) in various sizes for various lenses. When I came across this one, I decided that, though a bit pricey, I wanted to give this U.S. company a try. I'm happy I did. This filter seems very well made frame wise, the filter itself is crystal clear and cleans easily and the fit it perfect (and the packaging is the nicest I've seen on a filter). I live in the high desert area of New Mexico and, though I don't think you always need a filter on for protection, I do it here. When shooting outside, without notice, you can find yourself hiking through some pretty good wind with sand and dust. So I do it for protection mainly but, with this filter, I really don't think there is any negative effect on image quality. I'll use this one with confidence and, when I need anymore for future lenses or applications, I look at what Breakthrough has first.

The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars is because I havent had a lot of time to shoot with it due to bad weather and work. The little time (and few clicks) I have/did with it, I did notice a difference. I paired it with a Fuji X100T, and it is a wonderful combo...the color is brilliant and the haze is non existent. What also impressed me was the sharpness that remained while using it (even in poor light, indoors). Other than that, the build quality and thin form factor is brilliant...yes, I can mount another filter on top of this one (in this case an adjusting ND filter fit perfectly fine on top). Absolutely no cons found thus far.

Well worth the cost from a brand name company

No distortion, excellent quality

Very good condition and decent package

Little bit expencive but perfect.

Build quality is solid, no issues with the filter threads being stuck, generally quite happy with it. However do note that if you happen to shoot with this on with bright sources of light, a lot of flaring can happen. But that is to be expected of a UV filter at this price point. Generally these UV filters are great for protecting lower end lenses - If you have like a sub $200 dollar lens its kinda weird to protect the front element with a high end UV filter in the $80-$100 dollar range. Just a thought.