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Leica UVa Filters


tjv

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Does anyone know if the Leica filters are actually multi-coated? I want to protect my Noctilux glass and obviously want something that will intruduce the least amount of internal reflections etc. As far as my reasearch has taken me, I can only confirm that B+W make a 60mm multi-coated option. I'd prefer not to be using filters, but I would only live in fear of scratching my big investment!

 

Thanks,

Tim

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Tim

 

My understanding is that, whilst the B&W MRC filters are multi-coated, the Leica branded ones (probably in fact made by B&W) are not. I started buying the Leica filters, but after my first couple of lenses, I went over to B&W (the latter are also less expensive). The Leica filters appear (uniquely) to have a design feature of a compliant spring mounting holding the glass against the ring, presumably to allow for differential thermal expansion.

 

In your position, I think I'd go for the B&W.

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well thats an eye opener! I saw some shocking reflections when shooting christmas lights on an M7, it never occurred to me that me genuine Leica UV filter is not mutli coated!!

However the Leica website says nothing about coating of filters.... ;-)

Guy

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Sean,

thanks for that link, although unfortunately its opinions and nothing definitive.....

I cant help thinking that the coating specification of a filter is pretty fundamental, and therefore if Leica are not bragging about the wonderful coating (and on their website they only talk about the glass treatment, but say nothing of the coating) I am suspicious that the coating spec is not worth shouting about!

I think I'll try B&W's filters...

Guy

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I read in the instruction book that came with my Noctilux that "filters are not recommended". I wonder if this includes the IR cut filter.
Sean the photo is too blurry to read if the front bezel has "MRC" written on it. I think it's probably single coated though, as all my B+W MRC filters are lettered in gold, that one appears to have white lettering.

 

I believe this instruction has something to do with increased vignetting with a filter on the front of the Noctilux. Some people claim no difference and I haven't seen any evidence of it myself. I'm about to get a B+W MRC UV filter for my own E58 Noctilux. :)

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Sorry, only slightly related to topic, but could anyone tell me if this filter I've just bought on eBay is multi-coated? Thanks.

 

eBay.co.uk: B+W-FILTER 022 MEDIUM YELLOW 39E (LEITZ CAT. No.413903) (item 130089877042 end time 20-Mar-07 21:38:06 GMT)

 

Sean,

 

This is one of the early B+W filters, judging by its packaging and is most probably not multicoated.

 

Jan

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I read in the instruction book that came with my Noctilux that "filters are not recommended". I wonder if this includes the IR cut filter.

 

The Noctilux has very low amounts of flare and internal reflections, it's very good at reproducing color nuances in shadows and handles light sources in the image very well. Unfortunately any filter degrades this performance to some extent. I've found the best filters are the B+W MRC coated ones. The more expensive Leica ones seem very poor in comparison.

 

As far as the IR cut filters are concerned, yes they can cause relections but the B+W 486 are MRC coated on one side, the other side being the multlayer interference filter. I guess it's the lesser of two evils, an occasional reflection or color errors/cast due to IR contamination.

 

Here's an example of the B+W 486 on a 75mm Summilux at near full aperture, you can see a ghost image of the blue lights on the violinist's knee. The lighting was a mixture of stage tungsten and open 10000K overcast late evening sky at a St. Patrick's day concert in London.

 

Bob.

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That's a good illustration of what a filter can do.

I'd primarily use a filter on the Noctilux purely for protection. I think Reflections like the one you've posted are magnified because of the highly reflective surface of the M8's sensor. Would that be a correct assumption?

Obviously this sort of thing is well documented in film circles too, but is it a frequent to happen than with digital?

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This topic has been discussed a couple of times in the past, including on the "old" Leica forum.

Arguably, the very best UVa filters are B+W multicoated (beware as they also sell single coated versions). They are more expensive than Leica's UVa filters. It is unclear whether the Leica UVa filters are single or multicoated, since they are largely undocumented. However, in an old email exchange with the Leica customer service it was said that Leica UVa filters are indeed multicoated, as far as I recall it.

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