filters for new lenses on M9

[jaapv]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Jaap

 

"protective filters" never heard about that, but I will be trying to pick a couple up this week. Just seems foolish to lug around some of those 60mm frontal lenses with no protection, particularly since I manages to scratch and beat up my cameras and the metal on the lenses.

 

Great point, thank you.

 

.

Have a look here, Bo:

 

B+W Protective Filter 007 Clear, Jos. Schneider Optische Werke

 

 

http://www.heliopan.de/Heliopan-Filters.pdf

[smoody]

I agree with everyone else re: IR filters, unless your dog wears black cashmere wool sweater -- in which case I would recommend outfitting the dog with a different color sweater because IR filters can be a bit distracting due to their reflexivity. ;-)

 

Joking about the sweater, not about the reflective nature of the filters.

 

I hope you enjoy your camera and lenses for many years to come.

[Rick]

It is going to be nice to not put a filter on the M9.

 

I have an M8 and would love to be able to take the UV/IR filters off my leses at night. Most of the time I think I would put a UV filter on for protection because I tend to have the occasional goof.

 

As far as cats and dogs go, I would like to say: "Hi. I'm Rick. And, I have a dog photography problem. It all started back when I was a little boy..."

[Nikkor AIS]

It never made sense to me to add glass in front of a quality lens unless I had to. No matter how good the filter is there is always going to be added reflection/flare and a certain amount of image degradation. Hoods on the other hand offer excellent protection and reduce glare and add contrast. Now if you need a polarizer /ND filter or using a colored filter to add contrast than I can the see the trade off. But protective UV . Iv got several lenses in my collection that see regular work that are over 20 years old and have never had a filter over the end. If your think the 60 mm is big try the 160 mm of the Nikkor 300 2.0 IF ED AIS / Nikkor 600 4. IF ED AIS. The glass is a lot tougher than most people think and minor scratches have zero effect on image quality.

The same thing with dust inside the lens. The best thing to do if it bothers you is don't look inside the lens.

 

gregory

[lars_bergquist]

There was a time when Ernst Leitz argued that filters degraded the image, so ideally, they should not be used. People listened. Lenses in use during those years do regularly display cleaning marks on their front surfaces, for Leitz had not told people not to use their dirty old ties, jacket sleeves etc. to clean the lenses. I would submit that a damaged front lens degrades the image a lot more than a quality filter does.

 

There is of course the separate issue of reflections under severe backlighting. But apart from that, there is a practical alternative to dogmatic asseveration: Take two identical pictures, one with a first class UVa filter on, one without. Identify the prints with a code no-one but you can dechipher. Hand them to a second person who shows them to several experimental subjects and asks them if one of the pictures is 'sharper'. This is the classical double blind test, used in medical testing. If the answers do consistently point to one of the pictures being of a higher optical quality, then the filter does make a difference. If not, the case is closed, and so should your mouth be.

 

But just making dogmatic claims is of course less work.

 

The old man from the Age of the 6x9cm Contact Print

[Rolo]

If I'm using a lens hood, I prefer to not have a filter fitted, unless there's dusty conditions or rain/snow around. The extra image quality provided by Leica lenses has been paid for in sweat and I want to get the best I can out of my images.

 

For many years I took the precaution of fitting an IR filter and no lens cap, until I shot extensively with a guy that used M's without filters. I could spot the difference in the images and that was enough for me to change my mind.

 

Lenses are expensive and need lens caps and good insurance cover.

[Guest mc_k]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I agree with everyone else re: IR filters, unless your dog wears black cashmere wool sweater...

 

this is not the "fashion photography" I was referring to ... from the other threads on M9 and filters, there may still be an issue with shooting black fabrics. For some, this is pretty much all they do. I haven't seen any photos to show this is a problem, though.

[Bo_Lorentzen]

Just shot product on black velvet, 75lux at f.8 no signs of purple in the black.

[BRJR]

I will have all my new Leica gear on Monday. Including the M9 and the 50mm summilux and the 28mm summicron. What protective filters should I order?

 

Should I just get the IR filters by Leica in the off chance there is some residual IR cast?

 

Should I just get the slim heliopan UV filters?

 

Thanks

1. The Leica M9 Manual (Page 162, under "Note:"), says the UV/IR filters were specially developed for the M8/M8.2; and, should not be used on the Leica M9 (reasons are given, in the manual).

 

2. My Leica lenses were originally purchased for used on my M8.2, with Leica UV/IR filters; and, upon getting my M9, several weeks ago, I purchased Leica plain UVA filters for these lenses. Didn't see a leica series 7 UVA filter for my Leica 24mm f/1.4 lens, so special ordered a Heliopan series 7 UVA Filter from B&H, and it's already in transit to me, as of yesterday.

[Guest EarlBurrellPhoto]

It really depends on the fabric and the light. In my trial of the M9, which involved a subject I shoot frequently, I would've needed IR filters. Even that would not have been a deal-breaker, i.e. to fit an IR filter in those situations, if the M9 had in-camera cyan drift correction (which someone said is "impossible", but then, so was a FF M9 6 months prior to going on sale ). As it were, I would need to Cornerfix hundreds of shots. For general photography, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the M9 and wouldn't bother with IR filters.

[Guest mc_k]

thanks Bo

[Hacker]

Check out the Hardened Glass movie:

 

HOYA FILTERS - The Difference is Clear