This B+W Interference Filter has a completely colorless glass carrier coated
with a number of extremely thin, partially reflecting layers with precisely computed
thicknesses, similar to MC coating. The B+W Filter 486 does not block by means
of absorption, but by interference of the unwanted UV and IR radiation that is
repeatedly reflected between these layers, affecting the wavelengths on both sides
of the visible spectrum with a steep cut-off.
It is used mainly on digital and video cameras with CCD sensors without an
integrated IR protection filter, because the IR sensitivity of the CCD sensor
would otherwise cause color changes and unsharpness. That unsharpness results
from the chromatic aberration of the lenses that are only corrected for visible
light. In the visible range, the transmission curve is very high and straight.
This filter is completely clear and it requires no increase in exposure. Its
filter factor is 1.