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Noctilux and Filters


Agent M10

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I pulled the trigger and bought a Noctilux (used). My question is: Are you able to use a UV filter on it? I read an article somewhere that you have to use it bare. It's such an expensive lens that I don't want to risk a scratch.

 

Oh, and who makes the best filters? My other lenses all have Leica filters on them.

 

Thanks.

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I didn't explain myself well. I've read where even a UV filter will cause vignetting on the Noctilux. The articles have said that the vignetting doesn't matter because you'll be shooting in the dark, but I'm not interested in just using it after 10 pm.

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I think you mean light fall off. Many lenses exhibit light falloff to a certain degree under certain conditions. On an M8, because of the cropped sensor, this is not as noticeable as on a FF camera. Even without a filter, this can still heppen.

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The instruction book that comes with the Noctilux explicitly says that for the best results no filter should be used. A bit of a bugger if you're using an M8.

 

The Noctilux is the most flare resistant lens I own, but the lens hood is so shallow that I'd expect flare problems from any filter that was fitted, expecially given the lighting conditions that many Noctiluxes are use under - bright 'spots' in an otherwise dark background.

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I think it was the early Noctiluxes with 58mm filters that had some vignetting from the filter.

 

On the M8, the UV-IR filter causes lots of flare spots if shooting in low light with point light sources in the frame, such as candles.

 

L9990652.jpg

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i use a UV on my Noctilux as well - but from what I understand, the corner vignetting is normal when used on a film M. The lens loses some of that character on the M8 though. The look has never bothered me, and once you stop down, it acts like a normal 50 for the most part.

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I have a filter on my Nocti. BUT I do take it off depending on the lighting condition. We usually use Nocti to shoot in available darkness. Like most lens with a filter, if there are light in a distance or at a certain angle in a dark background, you may get it reflected on the filter and showing up like UFO in your shot. And you wonder... what happened? There are a few of those documented in this forum.

 

Use a thin filter if you are afraid of vignetting, but it never did occur for me.

 

Robert

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The instruction book that comes with the Noctilux explicitly says that for the best results no filter should be used. A bit of a bugger if you're using an M8.

 

The Noctilux is the most flare resistant lens I own, but the lens hood is so shallow that I'd expect flare problems from any filter that was fitted, expecially given the lighting conditions that many Noctiluxes are use under - bright 'spots' in an otherwise dark background.

 

Mine has a customised B&W long hood which I find quite reassuring.

Until then, I used it with the UV/IR filter without any problem.

As for vignetting, the bare Noctilux does vignetting a lot in certain conditions anyway.

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Yup, I've had those too.

 

I have since decided to just shoot the Noctilux without a filter if I am shooting in areas with point light sources. These types of flare spots are from the bright point of lightt forming on the shiny sensor and then reflecting off the sensor back out the lens and hitting the back of the UV-IR filter, causing a flare spot on the filter.

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I have an E58 Noctilux with a UV filter on it and the same B+W hood as sthan. Sure there's a bit of light fall-off but there is without the filter too. I don't see that having the filter on makes any difference.

Oh, and who makes the best filters? My other lenses all have Leica filters on them.
Leica filters are sourced from B+W. They're single coated. The best filters are B+W MRC (multi-resistant coating system). They're multi-coated.
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