280mm F4.0 APO Telyt-R filters s5.5 vs 77mm

[rtai]

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I want to use my 280mm F4 Apo Telyt-R with the M10 Monochrom but don’t have yellow and orange filters in Series 5.5. While I understand using the series filters is preferable and I would buy them if they were readily available, can anyone tell me if using 77mm filters will compromise this lovely lens? Thanks.

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[masjah]

I have no direct experience of using a 77mm external filter. However, the instruction booklet does say:

For special lighting situations (e.g. point light sources in the image or in bright backlight), we recommend working without an additional screw-in filter.

To some extent this is of course always a potential problem with filters, though possibly  that the fact that this is explicitly mentioned in the booklet may mean that there is a somewhat greater susceptibility,  probably because that would involve adjacent plane glass surfaces.

Speaking personally, I would try to obtain coloured slide-in filters for the filter drawer. (I'm sure you're aware that even if using a screw-on external filter, you've also still got to keep the plain filter in the drawer.)

 

[jaapv]

Even removing the rear clear filter will impact image quality as the optical design takes it into account. If you cannot get 5.5. filters, the glass from 39 mm filters without the ring will fit (loosely, you might want to improvise some filling). The 500 MR  Telyt has a full set of filters as standard; you might try and find one, they are not expensive.

[Stef63]

Same here.  The 5.5 drop in filters seem to be  very hard to find.  The rotating polarising impossible to find.  I have the 280 f4 as well.  It’s a fantastic lens, however.

[a.noctilux]

I just measured the outer diameter of the only one 5.5 filter (clear glass) of my 4/280 : ...36mm.

So the "required filter glass" cut from bigger size to 36mm can be fit in the drawer.

[ellisson]

I do not have the lens, and am not familiar with the spacing in the filter drawer, but I saw a series 5.5 to E39 filter adapter on DAG's website today while browsing his parts section for something else.   You may want to contact him about using this with the 280mm/f4 lens.   If it won't fit, he may be able to modify the adapter for a good fit with 39mm filters

Edited May 3, 2021 by ellisson
typo

[a.noctilux]

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Ellison, good idea but ...

There is no place to put on adapter in the drawer.

Have a look at the rare 13338 drawer "kit" for pol filter to have an idea of the "fit"

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[ellisson]

30 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

 

Ellison, good idea but ...

There is no place to put on adapter in the drawer.

Have a look at the rare 13338 drawer "kit" for pol filter to have an idea of the "fit"

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Ahh, that is tight!  

Edited May 3, 2021 by ellisson

[ellisson]

Ahhh, that is tight! 

[rtai]

Thanks for the replies. I’ll do my best to find proper filters. Since I have 77mm filters sitting around I’ll take a few shots and see how it goes. I haven’t had much luck finding s5.5 filters. They are scarce even in UV but Yellow or Orange is like forget about it. Thanks for the tip about the set of filters with the 500mm. I would hate to have to buy another lens for a filter when adding a 2x Apo would be the better way.

Edited May 4, 2021 by rtai
Adding more text

[mmx_2]

On 5/4/2021 at 2:12 AM, rtai said:

Thanks for the replies. I’ll do my best to find proper filters. Since I have 77mm filters sitting around I’ll take a few shots and see how it goes. I haven’t had much luck finding s5.5 filters. They are scarce even in UV but Yellow or Orange is like forget about it. Thanks for the tip about the set of filters with the 500mm. I would hate to have to buy another lens for a filter when adding a 2x Apo would be the better way.

Since the lens can flare even without front filter, I'd be surprised if you don't run into some issues with a front mounted E77 filter, but please keep us posted :). I found a medical filter supplier some years ago that cut Series 5.5 UV/IR block filter for my M8 with Summicron 40. This was the company, don't know if they still do it though: http://pecaproducts.com/

[mmx_2]

2 minutes ago, mmx_2 said:

Since the lens can flare even without front filter, I'd be surprised if you don't run into some issues with a front mounted E77 filter, but please keep us posted :). I found a medical filter supplier some years ago that cut Series 5.5 UV/IR block filter for my M8 with Summicron 40. This was the company, don't know if they still do it though: http://pecaproducts.com/

Here is an additional link to their filter page:

http://www.ir-uv.com/

[jaapv]

On 5/4/2021 at 12:02 AM, a.noctilux said:

 

Ellison, good idea but ...

There is no place to put on adapter in the drawer.

Have a look at the rare 13338 drawer "kit" for pol filter to have an idea of the "fit"

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

As I said above you can simply remove the filter glass from a 39 mm filter and insert it without the ring. It may rattle slightly, bit that is all. No reason to jump through hoops.

[John Black]

If you can find series 5.5 filters, odds are, they are low grade stuff...  I've tried many, probably made in the 80's and 90's, and found them to be resolution robbers...  B+W and Heliopan phased out their 5.5 series filters some time ago.  You could buy some 39mm filters, liberate their glass, 3D print a frame to hold filter and create your own drop-in filters.  I'm in the process of giving that a go for my Leica 280/2.8 APO Modular.  

I have a 280/4 APO and used it with the M-246 and now the M10-M.  It works great with 77mm filters.  I use 77mm red, dark red, polarizer & neutral density.  If stacking filters, such as a dark red & polarizer, there will be some slightly physical vignetting.  I use B+W MRC colored filters and Heliopan's High Transmission Polarizer.  Leica's drop-in polarizer is fine, but it's not a particularly strong polarizer and optically I noticed more loss in sharpness with it vs the Heliopans.  

Some pix here.

 

[mmx_2]

1 hour ago, John Black said:

If you can find series 5.5 filters, odds are, they are low grade stuff...  I've tried many, probably made in the 80's and 90's, and found them to be resolution robbers...  B+W and Heliopan phased out their 5.5 series filters some time ago.  You could buy some 39mm filters, liberate their glass, 3D print a frame to hold filter and create your own drop-in filters.  I'm in the process of giving that a go for my Leica 280/2.8 APO Modular.  

I have a 280/4 APO and used it with the M-246 and now the M10-M.  It works great with 77mm filters.  I use 77mm red, dark red, polarizer & neutral density.  If stacking filters, such as a dark red & polarizer, there will be some slightly physical vignetting.  I use B+W MRC colored filters and Heliopan's High Transmission Polarizer.  Leica's drop-in polarizer is fine, but it's not a particularly strong polarizer and optically I noticed more loss in sharpness with it vs the Heliopans.  

Some pix here.

 

I've had the same idea actually, with 3D-printing a holder. I'll come back if I get to it.

[Alon]

On 5/3/2021 at 7:47 PM, rtai said:

I want to use my 280mm F4 Apo Telyt-R with the M10 Monochrom but don’t have yellow and orange filters in Series 5.5. While I understand using the series filters is preferable and I would buy them if they were readily available, can anyone tell me if using 77mm filters will compromise this lovely lens? Thanks.

a- There are no Leica R Yellow or Orange filters In-Drawer 5.5 or screw-in 77.

b- Alternatively, decrease your G or increase your B in your camera. Or simply increase/decrease in post.

c- In case you desperately require an In-Drawer in filter for the 280 APO. I suggest you get a filter drawer ref: 14591 and an ND filter ref:13026. Remove the ND filter from the ring and replace with a Kodak Wratten filter Yellow 15 or 16 cut to size.

 

 

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Finally. Just curious. Why do you want a Yellow filter?

1- No very useful for Monochrome in digital unless you use it for film to increase contrast

2- Increase Green in foliage?

3- Suppress Blue in dark skin?

4- Or???

Edited June 16, 2021 by Alon