Leica digilux 2

[Lenny49]

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Hi just a question about my d2,had my camera now over one year and the photos I take with it are outstanding,the only thing that take so much space is the guard or what is it called sorry,

I was on eBay and saw they have filter for the d2,if I bought this would my photos be the same,just think it’s so big and clumsy,the filter would protect my d2,thank you

[wda]

Welcome Lenny49. I think you refer to a UVfilter which users fit to protect the large lens front element from physical damage. So long as it is kept clean, image quality should not suffer. Enjoy your D2.

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[calshot]

Depends on the filter. If it is the skylight type then it will help protect the lens and maybe filter out small section of the blue skylight part of the wavelength. If however it is the Elpro then that is a close up lens.Easy to tell one would be affordable the Elpro quite expensive.also very fat and heavy. I have both for my LC1 (similar camera )

[dhsimmonds]

Depends on the filter. If it is the skylight type then it will help protect the lens and maybe filter out small section of the blue skylight part of the wavelength. If however it is the Elpro then that is a close up lens.Easy to tell one would be affordable the Elpro quite expensive.also very fat and heavy. I have both for my LC1 (similar camera )

This is quite correct, the Elpro or original Leica close-up lens is both heavier and far more expensive than the UV or skylight filter.  I used the Leica add-on close up lens quite extensively when I used the LC1 as it produced wonderfully sharp macro images.

[calshot]

Still my main camera. Its getting old now and falling behind in new technology however I am unable to find suitable replacement with same handling. Did think of GX8 but worried about shutter bounce.

I am old school I  like shutter dial, aperture ring.

[stuny]

A couple of years before I sold my D2 I broke the huge lens shade.  I bought an appropriate step-up ring, a UV  filter and a snap cap to fit on the filter.  Less bulky, and it worked very well.

[Graham (G4FUJ)]

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I am old school I  like shutter dial, aperture ring.

I know exactly how you feel.

One reason I considered the D109.  I still shoot quite a lot of film. The little Leica C is good, but I miss those two easy to use manual controls...

[Etienne]

I was on a bit of a filter-frenzy when I first got my Digilux.

 

There are actually quite a few aspects to think about, especially with the UV-filter. There are things that don't become apparent until you more or less are threading the filter on the lens...

 

The "easy", although relatively expensive, option (unless you spot a god deal) is to just go for the original Leica 69mm UV-filter. Although I personally have to say that although I have both the original UV and ND-filter, and the UV-filter just sits in its box... 

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The reason for this is that this filter does not have a front thread. In other words, if you need to use the ND filter, for example to keep the aperture wide open when shooting in really bright conditions, you have to remove the UV-filter and then attach the ND-filter. It may sound simple, but it's really annoying in "the field" when you need to juggle two filters, as well as the risk of getting dirt on the lens during the transition.

 

What I use instead is a Heliopan 69mm UV-filter!

 

 

This filter has a front thread and allows me to attach the ND-filter directly onto the UV-filter if needed. This does not cause any vignetting at all!

If course, if I really want to have only the ND-filter, I have that option as well. But I'm not really worried about the image quality anyway since it's a low resolution camera by today's standards and the filters are good quality. 

 

-

 

I also have  a little "mystery" when it comes to UV-filters with 69mm threads. The filter below came from a pile of old stock from a closed down photography store. 

 

The brand appears to be B+W based on the box as well as the label (that also indicated 69mm), although the filter ring itself does not say B+W. The specification convention does however seem to conform to B+W filters, as does the overall construction. It could of course be a "pirate copy", but it seems a bit odd strategy in that case to go for a really odd diameter...

Another strange thing is that the box design suggests it pre-dates the Digilux 2. I googled around a bit and concluded that there have been some film cameras in the past with this diameter, so it's possible that it's some sort of custom job that did not get the same "painting" as the regular production units.

 

Nevertheless, this filter also works file and the quality of the glass is fine and does not cause any noticeable degradation in pictures.

[Etienne]

One additional little note about the use UV-filters on of step-up/down rings; 

 

If you want to minimise bulk you essentially need to go for the 69-67mm or 69-72mm options.

Note that going to 72mm will render the original lens cap useless. If you go to 67mm you can still use it, although the extra length along the lens typically means that the grip for the cap will be limited to some extent and may cause problems. 

 

Initially I also thought that using a 67mm step down ring the setup would be more prone to vignetting, and that 72mm would be a much safer option in that sense. By experience I have noticed that both type of rings allow for about the same thickness of filters before vignetting occurs. The reason for this is that the 67mm thread is inscribed inside the 69mm threaded portion, which means that the rings frame can be reduced.

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72mm ring above, and 67 below. It's not a huge difference, but in reality it translates to significance.

(In fact, the 67mm ring could have had an even shallower profile. The 72mm is however physically limited.)

 

Mounting a relatively slim UV-filter on either of the 67mm or 72mm rings will not cause vignetting. I have however noticed that traditional style polarizers like the ones from Heliopan will cause vignetting in both type of step-rings. 

 

I guess there is a reason why the original step-up rings from Leica and Panasonic come in the dimensions of 77mm and 82mm.  ^^

Edited October 27, 2017 by Etienne

[Lenny49]

Ok now I’m getting a little confused here,I don’t really know what I can use and not use,I’ve no idea of the size either on my camera, like I said I live in Linköping coming home on the 21 nov, sure I Kant buy it from you if I can use itdid not know I had to reply through this forum, not so good at things like this,

Thank you reguards Leonard

[pop]

Leonard, no need to get confused.

 

The huge thing in front of your lovely Digilux 2 is called a lens hood. It's there to keep oblique rays of light from your lens, much as you might hold your palm above your eyes when you are blinded by the sun. It also keeps your fingers off the front lens. 

 

Many members here use a flat pane of glass instead of the lens hood. It uses less space and it accepts all of your fingerprints if you happen to touch your camera on the wrong spots.

 

The flat pane is usually called a filter because it keeps part of the light from entering the lens. For the purpose you have in mind any filter labelled as "UV" or "UVa" will do, as this will only block invisible ultraviolet light.

 

Your D2 takes filters with a thread of 69mm. Some of the filters are labelled as 69mm, some are labelled E69. That's the size of the filter.

 

Take care to buy a filter and not a filter adapter. A filter is a round bit of glass with a thread. A filter adapter is an empty ring with two threads. It lets you mount of filter of a different size on your lens.

[Etienne]

It can also be mentioned that the filter adapter (or step-up or step-down ring, depending on what you are adapting to) is a simple way to allow filters of other sizes than the originally intended one to be mounted on the lens.

 

The reason why these adapters are often mentioned here is because the 69mm filter thread on the Digilux 2 us a very unusual filter thread diameter. It does not conform to generally accepted standards for photography filters.

In fact, to my knowledge, among digital-age cameras/lenses, it's only the Leica D2 and Panasonic equivalent which has this filter thread.  

 

Using an adapter allows you to mount standard size filters on the Digilux. Standard size filters are of course readily available and usually cost much less for equivalent quality. It's a viable option if you have trouble finding a (reasonably priced)  69mm filter.

Edited October 29, 2017 by Etienne

[calshot]

It will be OK to use D2 without a filter and a lens hood whilst you learn.Check carefully in case you already have a filter in place it will be a flat disc in a mount and would unscrew. The actual lens itself will have a curved surface so you should be able to decide. The lens filter is 69mm and not a very common size. 

Also unless in strong light you will probably be ok without the big lends hood.

So go out and take pictures 

If Ebay describe as for a Leica D2 or Panasonic DMC-LC1 it will be correct size. The LC1 came with the filter I don't know about D2

 

Rob

[Etienne]

The LC1 came with the filter I don't know about D2

The D2 did not have a filter included in the kit, which many were annoyed about at the time of the launch. The critics said that if the Leica edition of the LC1 costs premium, it should not omit parts of the kit.

 

Anyhow, on the second hand market you can find both the D2 and the LC1 with and without filters.