Where do you go buy your filters?

[christiansnameisunique]

Taste filter from Japan reminds me of the sports drink in Japan with the name of Pocari Sweat. Something was lost in translation.

In the past five years I have bought one filter from a photo store and four on-line. I do need to buy a 77mm CPL and some ND filters, thats about it.

The name is rather odd. We had a joke that it is pronounced as if it were in Spanish.

If you send us a message and mention this thread I can do a discount. Our cool can beat out an hd2 and a high end pro master

 

[waday]

I've bought filters from physical stores (big and small) and big online retailers (B&H, Amazon). But, I'd have no problem going direct to the manufacturer. Do you have a website? Couldn't find anything from a quick web search.

 

[astroNikon]

Taste Filters - established in 2010 ?
I only find it on Alibaba.com

Do you compete on the high end versus Lee, B+W, Heliopan, etc

or the middle like Hoya or Pro-Master ??
or the low end?

Normally distributors is where you want to be to get into camera stores. If they aren't biting they may be seeing you on Alibaba, which doesn't give them much incentive to sell your product because you may be identified as extremely low end then.

What the marketing analysis and plan identify ?
I assume you have contacted distributors before making product?
marketing brochures, website, etc etc ???

 

[christiansnameisunique]

I've bought filters from physical stores (big and small) and big online retailers (B&H, Amazon). But, I'd have no problem going direct to the manufacturer. Do you have a website? Couldn't find anything from a quick web search.

Yeah, our site is www.tastefilters.com Right now all the top page ranks are water filters companies.

 

[christiansnameisunique]

Taste Filters - established in 2010 ?
I only find it on Alibaba.com

Do you compete on the high end versus Lee, B+W, Heliopan, etc

or the middle like Hoya or Pro-Master ??
or the low end?

Normally distributors is where you want to be to get into camera stores. If they aren't biting they may be seeing you on Alibaba, which doesn't give them much incentive to sell your product because you may be identified as extremely low end then.

What the marketing analysis and plan identify ?
I assume you have contacted distributors before making product?
marketing brochures, website, etc etc ???

In terms of quality we are coming in at the high end because of our coating and light transmittance. We talked to distributors, the big issue is that there are so many established filter companies that have tiered down in terms of quality, but have the goodwill of their name to stay in the market.

We exhibited at CES to get a good look at the market. Which was a bust, although we did meet some key players. Right now we are pursuing stores rather than distributors, although the industry is rather tight knit, and high end photographers in order to get some feedback and sell a small quantity of product directly to consumers.

My goal is to get photographers to shoot with the filters and post it on our site, so we grow a community of photographers to share there work with one another. I think attaching ourselves to that culture will be beneficial, since entering in a more traditional route is unrealistic at the moment.

 

[waday]

I've bought filters from physical stores (big and small) and big online retailers (B&H, Amazon). But, I'd have no problem going direct to the manufacturer. Do you have a website? Couldn't find anything from a quick web search.

Yeah, our site is www.tastefilters.com Right now all the top page ranks are water filters companies.

One problem you may have is overcoming the water filters in the searches. People have to look too hard to find your site.

I have a few questions after looking over your site:

1. I get the following warning on all product webpages:Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, null given in/home/tastefilters/public_html/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-deux/public/class-ultimate-social-deux-placement.php on line 493
2. What is M Cross and why do I contact them instead of Taste Filters?
3. Why is your privacy policy through M Cross?
4. Your privacy policy page has a link to 'let us know' and directs users to Apple's privacy policy? May want to change that..
5. Why would you collect someone's social security number? I would never provide that to a company when purchasing products.
6. The logo on the white background is a bit rough around the edges, so to speak.
7. Where are the before and after images showcasing your product?
8. I found this link hovering on one of you images in the "about" section (on the Pyralet UV filter image): Step by Step Miami
9. A little confused by the entries in the 'Journal' / blog section of your site.

If you're looking for photographers to 'sample' your equipment, I'm sure some on here would, assuming you provide the filters free or significantly discounted in lieu of an honest review and/or sample pictures.

 

[astroNikon]

What relationship does Taste Japan have with Taste China (where filters seem to be made)

and Taste- Japan and Taste-China seem to have the same logo?

U filter sizes ? ==> 37mm, 40.5mm, 43mm, 46mm, 49mm, 52mm
Did you do any research on the most common filter sizes ?
Why aluminum instead of brass?
What is a "U" filter ??

Why an aluminum frame on your CPLs (which has usable filter sizes) instead of brass ?


Essentially, we're asking you all the questions that your Business Strategy Partner - M Cross International should have done for you up front.

 

[petrochemist]

I shoot quite a bit with a full spectrum converted camera, so I use filters more than most.
I get them from all over the place - eBay, camera shops, specialist optical glass suppliers, possibly even some from charity shops or car boot sales!

Even with the 'full spectrum' camera a UV filter doesn't make any significant difference to the image I get with modern lenses. They're not completely useless though as they can provide very cheap filter threads or help hold Bokeh masks in place...

 

[Joves]

Taste Filters - established in 2010 ?
I only find it on Alibaba.com

Do you compete on the high end versus Lee, B+W, Heliopan, etc

or the middle like Hoya or Pro-Master ??
or the low end?

Normally distributors is where you want to be to get into camera stores. If they aren't biting they may be seeing you on Alibaba, which doesn't give them much incentive to sell your product because you may be identified as extremely low end then.

What the marketing analysis and plan identify ?
I assume you have contacted distributors before making product?
marketing brochures, website, etc etc ???

In terms of quality we are coming in at the high end because of our coating and light transmittance. We talked to distributors, the big issue is that there are so many established filter companies that have tiered down in terms of quality, but have the goodwill of their name to stay in the market.

I have not found the reputable established companies degrading their quality. If anything I find it to be quite the opposite. There is no way your coatings are superior, since the coating are essentially the same. Unless you have come up with an entirely new coating for anti-reflection, which is really what coatings are for, for the most part.
Your site is rather suspicious at the very least. As pointed out by Wade is behaving more like a phishing site than an actual retailers page.

 

[chuasam]

Margins on cameras and lenses is very very slim. Camera stores make it up by selling filters. If too many people buy their filters online as you suggested, Camera stores will cease to exist.

 

[Solarflare]

Good question.

I once tried to get filters, but it was such a PITA I gave up after a while.

Margins on cameras and lenses is very very slim. Camera stores make it up by selling filters. If too many people buy their filters online as you suggested, Camera stores will cease to exist.

Then why do shops only sell the cheap filters ? I dont spend 5000€ on a camera setup to then use it with 10€ filters, killing 90% of the image quality. And when I try to get high quality B+W filters, even after MONTHS I still didnt had them.

After that I just figured, meh I am no landscape photographer anyway.

 

[Derrel]

I work for a photo filter campany named taste. They're really high end. We have noticed that camera shops hate companies that post on amazon. Do you buy your filters from camera stores or via big box places like amazon? Also how did you even find out about filters?

We are rather lost, I keep trying to figure out how to get these filters out there, but no one is biting.

I would imagine that yes, it is very difficult to get these new-brand filters into position against the established brands. Filters have been in decline for a long time as a staple--they are mostly geared toward advanced craftsmen. Graduated ND, variable ND or "faders" for video shooters, and polarizing filters still have some market traction. It's hard to believe you are here, asking such questions as you are, and yet...here you are.

Maybe a direct sales model would be better. The current retail channel is already well supplied by established and well-known, desirable brands. And seriously... "Taste filter"....that's a perfect example of an idiotic Asian named product or company. It's hilarious! The brand's name is so inappropriate, and so,so, so completely, utterly stupid that it is difficult for me to find the right words to describe why it is wrong, but I think the issue is that "Taste" is an abstract noun. It's just not a good brand name in English. Other equally stupid brand names might have been Ennui; Desperation; Anxiety; Envy; Nervous; Queasy; Disoriented; Temerity; and on and on...

Trying to break into a narrow market, with limited demand, with an utterly stupid, laughably dumb brand name is a recipe for disaster, but I have seen this before from Asians, first with a guy named "Silvie"...when he came to the US, he decided he needed an American name, so he picked "Silvie". As his dormitory resident assistant, he came to me for advice about the name after he had dozens of people laughing at his girl's name...he could NOT believe the name was "a girl's name", and stated that HE LIKED the name, and would keep it. My neighbnor lady, who is one of my closest friends now, moved to the USA from eastern China in 2008; her American name, one that she selected? "Candy"....a name which, today, is one of a select few names known as "stripper names"...after about a year of it, she went back to her actual name, Shu.

Free advice bit #1....change the NAME of the company. Taste, Feel, Smell, Aroma, Touch, Sleepy...brand names that might have a chance in China as fake-English names will simply not fly here. Whoever named the company Taste is an idiot. Why not Smell? Or Sound? No one is biting, you say? Well, you have been clued in. The NAME is utterly ridiculous!

 

[chuasam]

Good question.

I once tried to get filters, but it was such a PITA I gave up after a while.

Margins on cameras and lenses is very very slim. Camera stores make it up by selling filters. If too many people buy their filters online as you suggested, Camera stores will cease to exist.

Then why do shops only sell the cheap filters ? I dont spend 5000€ on a camera setup to then use it with 10€ filters, killing 90% of the image quality. And when I try to get high quality B+W filters, even after MONTHS I still didnt had them.

After that I just figured, meh I am no landscape photographer anyway.

I actually prefer Sigma filters.

 

[Derrel]

Chuasam, I know you like the Sigma filters, but there's a new high-end filter brand called Tingle...supposed to be really,really good. As good as Sigma filters, but not as good as say B+W, or Heliopan, but better than Hoya...for 10% less than B+W.... www.tinglefiltersbogussite.com

 

[chuasam]

I honestly only use the filters because lenses like the 24-70 have this fragile plastic thing in the front it's this thin black ring that tears easily.
I don't spend sleepless nights worrying about filters.
I do like the name "Tingle" though.