John Mitchell Posted November 6, 2019 Share Posted November 6, 2019 I've ordered several Hoya HMC (multi-coated) new UV filters online, usually through eBay. They typically cost less than half what they do in camera stores. So far, the filters I've received appear to be the real thing. I always look closely at the packaging, writing on the filter ring, reflections, etc. Has anyone ever gotten a fake UV filter from an eBay seller? If so, how did you determine that it wasn't legit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted November 6, 2019 Share Posted November 6, 2019 Not a UV filter, but I got a 10 stop ND filter once through Amazon and it was a bit cheaper than from other sellers. Can't remember the brand now, but I was going for one of the best and the packaging looked ok. However, it had a massive brown colour shift. I sent it back to Amazon as a 'fake product'. I tried to buy a Sony Lens on Ebay a couple of years ago from a seller that had loads of new lenses that were all selling at at least £100 below retail price. Except he wasn't an online shop, just a normal private seller. I asked him where he got all his lenses from if he wasn't a shop. Never got a reply All my other experiences have been fine on both platforms. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Steve F said: Not a UV filter, but I got a 10 stop ND filter once through Amazon and it was a bit cheaper than from other sellers. Can't remember the brand now, but I was going for one of the best and the packaging looked ok. However, it had a massive brown colour shift. I sent it back to Amazon as a 'fake product'. I tried to buy a Sony Lens on Ebay a couple of years ago from a seller that had loads of new lenses that were all selling at at least £100 below retail price. Except he wasn't an online shop, just a normal private seller. I asked him where he got all his lenses from if he wasn't a shop. Never got a reply All my other experiences have been fine on both platforms. Steve Thanks for the reply. I've had good luck (I think) with both eBay and Amazon filter purchases so far. You do have to wonder how and from where some of these sellers get their filters, though, especially since they appear to buy them in bulk. There are a number of cautionary tales out there, such as this one. Edited November 7, 2019 by John Mitchell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDoug Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 (edited) I hadn't given the subject of fake filters any thought until recently. Looking at eBay for a Schneider polarizing filter I saw this seller in Hong Kong offering them at around 40% of the retail price. Either there's a massive retail markup in filters or these are fakes. Edited November 7, 2019 by DDoug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 (edited) 18 minutes ago, DDoug said: I hadn't given the subject of fake filters any thought until recently. Looking at eBay for a Schneider polarizing filter I saw this seller in Hong Kong offering them at around 40% of the retail price. Either there's a massive retail markup in filters or these are fakes. I'm sure that there is a massive retail markup on filters. Some of the store prices are ridiculous IMO. As mentioned, I don't think that any of the HOYA filters that I've purchased online are fakes. If they are, they are very convincing fakes. However, the shippers are almost always in China, so anything is possible. There is one outfit in Hong Kong that is infamous for selling fake filters thru eBay, so I avoid all sellers in HK. Edited November 7, 2019 by John Mitchell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 7 hours ago, John Mitchell said: Thanks for the reply. I've had good luck (I think) with both eBay and Amazon filter purchases so far. You do have to wonder how and from where some of these sellers get their filters, though, especially since they appear to buy them in bulk. There are a number of cautionary tales out there, such as this one. Yes, you do wonder where some sellers get their hands on so many new filters and lenses. I could understand if they were second hand, but new in the original packaging...? I took the lack of response to my email as dodgy so I forked out £100 more to buy from an official supplier.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 (edited) 9 hours ago, Steve F said: Yes, you do wonder where some sellers get their hands on so many new filters and lenses. I could understand if they were second hand, but new in the original packaging...? I took the lack of response to my email as dodgy so I forked out £100 more to buy from an official supplier.... What's an official supplier? That's a hefty price to pay for a piece of glass the size of a small doughnut. Someone's making a lot of dough out of filters. Edited November 7, 2019 by John Mitchell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 7, 2019 Author Share Posted November 7, 2019 Interesting test of UV filters here. Also interesting to see how well the $20 HOYA fared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 18 hours ago, John Mitchell said: What's an official supplier? That's a hefty price to pay for a piece of glass the size of a small doughnut. Someone's making a lot of dough out of filters. Oh, sorry, I was talking about my Sony 35mm lens. But yes, I'm sure some people are making a lot of money on filters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, Steve F said: Oh, sorry, I was talking about my Sony 35mm lens. But yes, I'm sure some people are making a lot of money on filters! I only buy used lenses these days. I bought a pristine Sony 35mm f/1.8 lens for my a6000 for less than half the price of a new one. Just found a used Samyang (same as Rokinon) 12mm lens that I'm going to purchase for an excellent price. It too looks like it has never been used. Both lenses came with a 30-day warranty from a local camera store. There seems to be all kinds of good used equipment out there. I guess people "upgrade" a lot nowadays or they end up just using their phones for photography. I took the plunge and ordered a 67mm HOYA multi coated Pro-1d filter for the Samyang on eBay for a fraction of what photo store charges. I'll post the results -- good or bad -- here after it arrives from you-know-where. Edited November 8, 2019 by John Mitchell 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 13, 2019 Author Share Posted November 13, 2019 Well, my bargain 67mm HOYA UV filter has arrived early. The eBay seller was in China, but the package shipped from Ontario, Canada. It's a beautiful filter, problem is that it's a beautiful fake (DOH!). The counterfeiters did a remarkable job, everything is perfect. The packaging, the printing on the filter, etc. are all indistinguishable from the original. However, I detected one small problem. Genuine HOYA filters have a removable sticker on the back of the case giving the diameter and barcode. Mine has the barcode physically printed on the plastic case, plus no filter size is given. This is a dead giveaway, which I've confirmed with a local camera store. I'm now in the process of trying to get my money back. To be continued... Caveat emptor! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 5 minutes ago, John Mitchell said: Caveat emptor! Buyer beware indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 13, 2019 Author Share Posted November 13, 2019 (edited) 24 minutes ago, Steve F said: Buyer beware indeed! These Chinese copy artists now do an amazing job. They have obviously corrected previous cosmetic mistakes and are now churning out perfect-looking replicas. Other HOYA filters that I've ordered online have had the proper sticker on the back of the case, so I assumed that I was in the clear. Obviously a bad call on my part. Edited November 13, 2019 by John Mitchell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 14, 2019 Author Share Posted November 14, 2019 Just by way of an update, the vendor sent me an instant refund via PayPal, so I suppose all's well that ends well. Have learned my lesson, I hope. 🥴 You gets what you pays for... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 3 hours ago, John Mitchell said: You gets what you pays for... Pretty much! At least you got a refund.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 14, 2019 Author Share Posted November 14, 2019 9 hours ago, Steve F said: Pretty much! At least you got a refund.... Yes, I consider the quick refund to be an admission of guilt on the seller's part. Nonetheless, there are still good deals to be had from online sellers. I've actually been pleased with most of the photo accessories I've ordered through eBay and Amazon. You win some, you lose some, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted November 15, 2019 Author Share Posted November 15, 2019 (edited) On 13/11/2019 at 23:59, Steve F said: Pretty much! At least you got a refund.... I spoke with someone in a local camera store yesterday, and he told me that are a lot of fake B+W filters floating around as well. It sounds like nothing is sacred now when it comes to the counterfeiters. And I thought Photoshop was the work of the devil... 🥵 Edited November 15, 2019 by John Mitchell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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