Where to buy Hoya and Schott special UV/IR filters?

[Doug A]

My go to shop seems to be gone. Where do I buy the special Hoya and Schott filters for bug view and other things? Even B&H only seem to have Hoya 720 ir and Bader U.  Not even finding replacements for my Hoya 360 or Schott S8612. Now I'm nervous about losing or dropping a filter.

Thanks,

Doug A

[dabateman]

Has anyone heard from Steve (Cadmium)?

I see he hasn't accessed the site since November 9, 2022.

His ebay and Etsy stores seem gone.

He would have been whom i would have recommended. 

I hope Steve is doing well. 

[Nate]

I'm interested too where I can get another S8612, I chipped mine right in the center.

[lukaszgryglicki]

Have the same problem.

[photoni]

I too would like a S8612 ø52
Tangsinuo sells a good TSN575, but it cuts  above  350nm about
its QB29 similar to BG39 is only sold in 1.5mm thickness, this is not enough to block IR

[Stefano]

This seller might make them: https://www.ebay.it/usr/photonics.center

[Doug A]

1 hour ago, Stefano said:

This seller might make them: https://www.ebay.it/usr/photonics.center

Thanks @Stefanofor this link. First place, besides UVIR Optics, I've seen Hoya U360 mentioned. Hoya & Schott must have more retailers. Perhaps they are aimed at scientists. Hope @Cadmiumis ok. 

 

There were many months of exotic filter glass shortages during the pandemic. Many manufacturers in other fields are just beginning to catch up. Wonder if Hoya and Schott have restarted production? They might be catching up on standard items first. 

 

I do still have the Igoriginal filters that came with my 35 Kuribayashi clone. Bummer about your filter @Nate

 

Thanks,

Doug A

[otoien]

7 hours ago, photoni said:

I too would like a S8612 ø52
Tangsinuo sells a good TSN575, but it cuts  above  350nm about
its QB29 similar to BG39 is only sold in 1.5mm thickness, this is not enough to block IR

If rear-mounting a small 20mm diameter filter  is adequate for the application, Tangsinuo does sell a QB29 similar to BG39 in 2mm thickness. (I have one on its way...).

[aphalo]

Last summer I asked at http://www.teknofokus.fi/ (the website is in Finnish but the owner speaks/writes also in English). His answer was that the difficulty with Schott is with the minmum orders they accept. In his own words:

 

I have no acces to Schott glasses in small quantities. Minimum order is at least 500 euros.

 

I can sell Hebo glasses and there are some filter close to Shott S-8612.

https://www.hebo-glass.com/en/hebo_series

My minimum order is 5 filters 50 x 50 mm. Same or mixed.

 

Does anybody here have experience with Hebo Glass filters?

 

Best,

Pedro.

[Andy Perrin]

Reed (rfcurry) has also mentioned his own new IR blocker glass. That might be an alternative for some people?

https://www.uvroptics.com/index.php?NIRproducts

 

https://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php?/topic/5317-a-new-uv-pass-nir-blocking-filter/#comment-56113

[ulf]

11 hours ago, Andy Perrin said:

Reed (rfcurry) has also mentioned his own new IR blocker glass. That might be an alternative for some people?

https://www.uvroptics.com/index.php?NIRproducts

 

https://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php?/topic/5317-a-new-uv-pass-nir-blocking-filter/#comment-56113

That might be true, but it is not blocking IR as well as the S8612 or BG39.

In some situations such strong IR-blocking is important.

 

It's IR-blocking it's similar to the BG40, 2mm.

IR-blocking becomes increasingly more important when there is a weaker UV-illumination with much IR.

A lens with marginal UV-transmission makes it even worse, increasing the risk of getting IR-contaminated images.

[Andy Perrin]

Ulf, unless you know of a source of S8612 or BG39, it’s what we have available right now!

 

Also, I thought your own test showed that it passes UV better than BG40, so one can use a larger thickness to block the remaining IR without compromising the UV too much. 

[ulf]

2 hours ago, Andy Perrin said:

Ulf, unless you know of a source of S8612 or BG39, it’s what we have available right now!

 

Also, I thought your own test showed that it passes UV better than BG40, so one can use a larger thickness to block the remaining IR without compromising the UV too much. 

I have no source for a S8612 in a filter ring we normally use.

The BG39 might be substituted with other glass types, but I do not know exactly how good the alternatives are.

We also have the Chinese QB39 and the TSN575.

 

Reed's new glass at 3mm thickness is transmitting deeper UV better than BG40, 2mm.

However I think that the ability to block IR is a bit more important than the improved UV-transmission and BG40, 2mm is most of the time not good enough.

Then for a 2mm thick filter from Schott only BG39 or S8612 would be OK.

 

If you would like a similar IR-blocking as BG39 or S8612 at 2mm, I think you will need 6mm thick filters of Reed's new filter glass material as it is more pale, or stack two of the 3mm filters. Stacking leads to reflection losses and then you still have to stack yet another UV-pass glass.

I fully agree that it is doable, but will the result be OK? I have no idea.

 

Personally I do not think it is that important with a slightly deeper UV-reach as that part of the spectra is not contributing very much to the images due to the decaying UV intensity and sensor sensitivity. I have no practical experience of using Reed's filter as I returned it to him directly after measuring it last spring.

[Andy Perrin]

Well but the situation is simply very bad now. However much better the Schott glass is, if we have no source of it, it’s of no help to us. 
 

I agree that a super thick stack of Reed’s material is not ideal, but perhaps he will consider selling a bigger thickness single filter now? People bought 8mm thick Tansinguo filters not long ago and everyone but me had successful results. 

[JMC]

I spoke with my optics supplier here in the UK - UQG Optics.

 

They can get S8612, but it would be a custom job, both to buy the blanks from Schott and to have the filters made. Therefore costs will be high, especially if just buying one. Obviously if people get multiples and then either keep them or sell them on then the costs per filter come down. However I doubt they would ever get down anywhere near the prices Cadmium was charging even with buying multiples.

[ulf]

The only other alternatives that I can find for the moment, that are possible to buy now are (unfortunately?) in China.

These filter materials must be 2mm thick for enough IR-blocking:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000377092925.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004391282565.html

 

There is another big filter company on Aliexpress that have more filter alternatives:

https://ntforic.aliexpress.com/store/4394028

They have a lower feedback score and I have not yet bought anything from them.

 

About filters from Steeve (Cadmium) I do not know if it would be OK to reach out and call him to check if he is OK.

If so, it might also be ok to also ask him if he have any plans to resume making filters.

I think his phone number can be found on the web when you know his name and city.

[Doug A]

Great info everyone. Found some Schott filters at https://www.edmundoptics.com/f/schott-colored-glass-bandpass-filters/39631/. They are square instead of screw in. Not sure if it is possible, for an individual, to cut a round filter out of a sheet? I see bug filters and many others, but S8612 seems to be missing. 

Thanks,

Doug A

[dabateman]

1 hour ago, Doug A said:

Great info everyone. Found some Schott filters at https://www.edmundoptics.com/f/schott-colored-glass-bandpass-filters/39631/. They are square instead of screw in. Not sure if it is possible, for an individual, to cut a round filter out of a sheet? I see bug filters and many others, but S8612 seems to be missing. 

Thanks,

Doug A

I wouldn't do it myself.  If you order from them ask for rounds first.

[lukaszgryglicki]

6 hours ago, JMC said:

I spoke with my optics supplier here in the UK - UQG Optics.

 

They can get S8612, but it would be a custom job, both to buy the blanks from Schott and to have the filters made. Therefore costs will be high, especially if just buying one. Obviously if people get multiples and then either keep them or sell them on then the costs per filter come down. However I doubt they would ever get down anywhere near the prices Cadmium was charging even with buying multiples.

Maybe consider batch buying for multiple folks from the forum?

Like when enough requests come in then order it?

If that is ever being considered I can order S8612 2-3 mm thick (whatever supplier can do) in 52, 62, 77 and 82mm size.

 

[JMC]

15 hours ago, lukaszgryglicki said:

Maybe consider batch buying for multiple folks from the forum?

Like when enough requests come in then order it?

If that is ever being considered I can order S8612 2-3 mm thick (whatever supplier can do) in 52, 62, 77 and 82mm size.

 

That would have to be taken up with UQG as to whether they would be open to it, but it's not something I'll be doing.

[lukaszgryglicki]

I mean we can create a list of interested people on forum, keep it open for, say a month or two and then request a quote for them for a batch order?

 

[Alaun]

I found this company seems to offer S8612 on request:

 

https://www.pgo-online.com/de/schott-filter.html

 

 

[Andrew Dayer]

On 4/19/2023 at 12:10 PM, JMC said:

I spoke with my optics supplier here in the UK - UQG Optics.

 

They can get S8612, but it would be a custom job, both to buy the blanks from Schott and to have the filters made. Therefore costs will be high, especially if just buying one. Obviously if people get multiples and then either keep them or sell them on then the costs per filter come down. However I doubt they would ever get down anywhere near the prices Cadmium was charging even with buying multiples.

 

SCHOTT's distributor for optical glass in the UK is HV Skan in Solihul. S8612 is in their stock list in various sizes and thickness between 1 and 4.5mm.

 

https://www.skan.co.uk/

 

https://www.skan.co.uk/_files/ugd/ed6718_4917d0b327694318b1924b611a2dc858.pdf

 

My concern in general is how to be sure that any stock S8612 has not degraded whilst being stored. I'm confident that Skan know their stuff but I know I don't.

 

I'm also don't know much about the coated version that Cadmium used to offer that, iirc, seemed to offer a degree of hydrolytic protection and maybe optical benefit 

 

 

 

Stock Lists

[Andy Perrin]

If they stored under proper conditions then s8612 seems pretty durable? My pieces just need occasional hydrogen peroxide cleanings. 

[Andrew Dayer]

Should have done a search before my post. H V Skan's stock has of course been the subject of a thread already: