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Polarizer filters for Leica primary lenses.


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Guest sailfish

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Need for feedback folks! 

 

I am looking for a suitable polarizer filter for outdoor photography using my M-type 240 and my Summicron-M  50mm f/2 lens. I have been told that a circular polarizer filter is not suitable for manually-focused rangefinder  cameras, so one should use a linear polarizer filter instead. Any thoughts on this subject?

 

I have also found that there is a dearth of linear polarizer filter as most are circular polarizer filters due to the abundance of auto-focus cameras, which circular polarizer filters cater to. Yes, Hoya makes a 39mm linear polarizer filter which I could use for my 50mm f/2 lens, but I would prefer to get a better quality filter (B+W, for example), but so far I have not found. 

 

I would greatly appreciate any feedback from members and their experience with using polarizing filters for their M rangefinder cameras matched with a primary lens.

 

Thank you.

 

Feroz

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Guest sailfish

Actually, ECohen, I was at B&H earlier today and the guy at the counter was not (to my surprise) much help, which is why I posted my topic.

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Hello Feroz,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

If your 50mm Summicron has a removable lens hood:

 

A 13352 from a while back would do nicely. It is a linear polarizer.

 

A circular polarizer will also work fine. The reason people often suggest a linear polarizer is that a circular polarizer is generally more expensive and doesn't operate any differently on a M camera than a linear polarizer does.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael                          

Edited by Michael Geschlecht
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Ciao Feroz,

Welcome to the forum.

 

I have a 39 mm B+W circular polarizer since the film age which works great also on my digital Ms

Hoya and helipan filters are very fine too.

 

To set the polarizer you do not need the EVF.

Rotate it until you read the longer exposure in the viewfinder.

This happens when the filter is blocking most of the light.

A rule of thumb is to set the white mark on the side of the filter facing the sun.

 

Ciao

Franco

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Need for feedback folks! 

 

<snip>I have been told that a circular polariser filter is not suitable for manually-focused rangefinder  cameras, so one should use a linear polarizer filter instead.

 <snip>

 

Feroz

The unsuitability is the other way round. A linear polariser is unsuitable for auto-focus. Circular is suitable for both.
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Guest sailfish

Thank you very much Michael G and Fgcm for your feedback. My 50mm has the extended, built-in hood. I do have a Leica EVF 2 on my camera, which I do find very useful. Given the feedback, I will opt for the 39mm B+W circular polarizer filter. By the way, Exodies, if you re-read what I said, you will see that when I speak of a linear polarizer, I am indeed implying that it is more suitable for a manual camera, not the other way around.

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Ummm...Linear vs. circular has more to do with (semi-translucent) mirrors in the light path than with auto-focus.

Don't try to use a linear polarier on a manual-focus SLR. Your exposure will be all over the place...

AF problems have indeed been reported with polarizers,but by linear and circular both. The quality of the filter appears to be the determining factor.

Except, of course, when the autofocus system uses a mirror as a beam splitter ;)

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Guest sailfish

so japan, if I have a M-type 240 and want to use my Summicron-M 50mm f/2 lens with it, are you suggesting the best way to go is to use a quality circular polarizer, i.e., a B+W filter? Thank you for your thoughts. 

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so japan, if I have a M-type 240 and want to use my Summicron-M 50mm f/2 lens with it, are you suggesting the best way to go is to use a quality circular polarizer, i.e., a B+W filter? Thank you for your thoughts.

Actually I always use the (linear) Leica swing-out filter. It looks strange, but is very practical.

For any other filter you will need the EVF, which is a bit akward.

The exposure-meter method is rather imprecise, especially at intermediate settings, and the marked-filter method too elaborate and slow.

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Not to confuse things but the theory is circular polarizers works in all situations and linear has liabilities starting with cameras from about 1980's.  In practice I have never had a linear polarizer create any issues and I prefer them.  If you compare the different brands you will see differences in density and neutrality, expensive is not always better, it is simply a piece of plastic sandwiched between two pieces of glass.  

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Actually, ECohen, I was at B&H earlier today and the guy at the counter was not (to my surprise) much help, which is why I posted my topic.

I have found those guys to be dummies lately. Most of them nowadays don't know what they are selling. They browse on their site and throw stuff back at you. The people in the new section are mostly that way. Goto the used film section. There you will find people who actually know stuff coz they are selling more film. I am probably generalizing it but this is based on my personal experience

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I have found those guys to be dummies lately. Most of them nowadays don't know what they are selling. They browse on their site and throw stuff back at you. The people in the new section are mostly that way. Goto the used film section. There you will find people who actually know stuff coz they are selling more film. I am probably generalizing it but this is based on my personal experience

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Ahhh finally a disadvantage of living in NYC  :D  ......that's gotta be the only one.  NYC is one of  the greatest city in the world.......it a place where you can find/buy anything.

 

Here in my small town, do your Internet research, decide what you want and place order the order Amazon, B&H or The Leica Store.... it shows up tomorrow....no  humans to give you wrong information.

 

Honestly I don't understand why the OP didn't just buy from the links I sent ...its in stock?

 

Truth be told the more you know the less you can rely on the folks behind the counter.

Edited by ECohen
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