Filter system for M Mount Lenses

[NDTPHOTOGRAPHY]

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Since the M11 finally offers a legitimate long exposure option, I’m looking for a portable filter kit with landscape and long exposure in mind.  

I just sold my Polar Pro kit which, although fantastic, was too bulky and unusable on an M.

I am now looking for an optically suitable compact filter system for my M11 and considering Kase / Freewell and K&F filter systems, has anyone out there tried any of these on M mount lenses?  

Many thanks!

Edited April 2, 2022 by NDTPHOTOGRAPHY

[Camaro5]

I believe the smallest system is the Lee 85.  I looked at that one but decided against it.  Most of them are sold as kits with parts you may never use and if you can find the individual components (I thought) they were over-priced like most things these days.  You are also limited to tripod work which is okay if that all you want to do with it.

I ended up getting the round filters in 3-stop, 6-stop, a CPL, and a 3-stop soft grad.  They work fine, but it can be a PITA at times with different sizes.  The advantage is that they can be used handheld (on M10-R) and with a hood if you need one, and don't block the range finder.  I had a Haida M10 system when I had a bigger camera and while it was nice, it was limiting when it came to portability and I ended up not using it much.  

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[stephan54]

I use B&W filters (clear and ND) and am satisfied with the quality. In the past I had a polorizer on my Nikon made by B&W, but not with Leica.

[NDTPHOTOGRAPHY]

43 minutes ago, Camaro5 said:

I believe the smallest system is the Lee 85.  I looked at that one but decided against it.  Most of them are sold as kits with parts you may never use and if you can find the individual components (I thought) they were over-priced like most things these days.  You are also limited to tripod work which is okay if that all you want to do with it.

I ended up getting the round filters in 3-stop, 6-stop, a CPL, and a 3-stop soft grad.  They work fine, but it can be a PITA at times with different sizes.  The advantage is that they can be used handheld (on M10-R) and with a hood if you need one, and don't block the range finder.  I had a Haida M10 system when I had a bigger camera and while it was nice, it was limiting when it came to portability and I ended up not using it much.  

Thanks for the reply, sorry if I wasn’t clear, I meant circular magnetic filters.  I had the Lee 100 then the Polar Pro kit all far to cumbersome. I’ve read good things about the magnetic circular filters from Freewell, Kase and K&F, wondering if anyone has had any experience using them.

[IkarusJohn]

I have a range of round filters - ND, yellow, orange, red and polarisers - with varying filter sizes and some Series VII and VIII, keeping track of them is a pain in the neck.  I much prefer the systems where you have a range of adapters, and square glass filters of varying density and gradation.  Lee 75 is the most compact I’ve used.  The more expensive Formatt-Hitech systems are better quality, but bigger.

Hope this helps.

Edit - I see you want round filters.

Edited April 3, 2022 by IkarusJohn

[250swb]

Just use any sort of ND filter. If in doubt go for the established brands such as Heliopan, Hoya, or B+W, etc.

[rramesh]

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Most Leica lenses can use filters either 39mm or 46mm. I just buy 46mm round filters and it is a 39mm lens, I use a step up ring.

I hate bulky accessory kits. Plus other than ND, close focus and the occasional polariser, I find that most effects can be done in PP.

 

[NDTPHOTOGRAPHY]

Thanks for all the advice.  

So I take it no one here has tried a circular magnetic filter system on an M lens?

[tri_fom]

One thing I would take note of is that Leica e39 lenses are 39x0.5 whereas it is more common to see 39x0.75.

I bought a simple step ring to use the Formatt Hitech 85 on my Leica lenses but it didn’t quite fit. It is the thread pitch that’s wrong. 
 

I think most 39mm filters are made for Leicas and so are 39x0.5 but step rings etc won’t fit.  There is someone on eBay selling 39x0.5 to ‘whatever’x0.75 if anyone needs a correct step ring. 

[NDTPHOTOGRAPHY]

2 hours ago, tri_fom said:

One thing I would take note of is that Leica e39 lenses are 39x0.5 whereas it is more common to see 39x0.75.

I bought a simple step ring to use the Formatt Hitech 85 on my Leica lenses but it didn’t quite fit. It is the thread pitch that’s wrong. 
 

I think most 39mm filters are made for Leicas and so are 39x0.5 but step rings etc won’t fit.  There is someone on eBay selling 39x0.5 to ‘whatever’x0.75 if anyone needs a correct step ring. 

Ahh, thanks @tri_fom that’s great to know, I just ordered the Freewell magnetic system as well as 39 to 49 and 46 to 49 step up rings.  Do you happen to know if the filter thread on Leica 46mm is also 0.5 of is this particular only to the 39mm?

[farnz]

On 4/4/2022 at 1:00 AM, NDTPHOTOGRAPHY said:

Thanks for all the advice.  

So I take it no one here has tried a circular magnetic filter system on an M lens?

I use Gobe circular magnetic filter fixings (now sold under the name Urth) where you screw a north pole ring into the lens's filter thread and a south pole ring part onto each filter and swapping out filters is instantaneous.  I use them with my M8 and M10 and my 21/2.8 Kobalux lens, which has a 58mm filter thread, and the system works very well and is light enough that it doesn't add noticeably to the weight of the lens.

The downside is that as far as I know, 58mm is the smallest diameter that Urth makes (presumably because they're aiming for the DSLR or mirrorless market) so the system won't take 39mm or 46mm diameter filters that most M lenses use.  I have yet to find a circular magnetic system that does.

Pete.

[pippy]

12 hours ago, NDTPHOTOGRAPHY said:

...Do you happen to know if the filter thread on Leica 46mm is also 0.5 of is this particular only to the 39mm?...

AFAIK all Leica 46mm filter-threads / filters are of 0.75 pitch.

As far as the 39mm filters are concerned - and again just AFAIK from having read 'stuff' on the www - there are two distinct types of 39mm filters which are designated by the letters which some manufacturers use to prefix their names. E39 is used for the standard 39mm 0.5 pitch whereas ES39 signifies the (uncommonly found) 39mm 0.75 pitch style. The E stands for "Einschraubgewinde" ('screw in thread' in the German language) whereas if an S is added it denotes "Einschraubgewinde Steile Gewindesteigung" which can be translated as 'screw in thread with steeper / coarser thread pitch'.

IMX all the 39mm filters I've bought - of varying brands - are of the E39 type and so will fit all Leica 39mm lenses apart from those lenses specifically designed to be used with the Leica CL (and, subsequently with the Minolta CLE) of the early 1970's which favoured the ES39 type.

Philip.

EDIT : Here's a page from the ever-helpful Mr. Rockwell where he lists various sizes of Leica filter-threads with notes on their respective pitch where neccessary. The 39mm and 46mm lenses are near the top of the page;

https://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/filters.htm

Edited April 7, 2022 by pippy

[rramesh]

I have several step up rings from eBay. Most are hit or miss but I did get one 39mm-46mm which works well.

I did try on the Heliopan 39-46 ring in a store once. This was rather pricey but did fit the Leica 39mm filter thread.

Try here https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/160308-REG/Heliopan_700245_39mm_46mm_Step_Up.html/qa

Edited April 8, 2022 by rramesh

[tri_fom]

Word of caution concerning E/  ES lettering. (As stated above) E and ES are not standard units in anyway. They are merely abbreviations that have been loosely (badly) used:

Heliopan labels it’s 39mm screw in hood as ES but they are 39x0.5. It labels is filters E and they are 39x0.5.
 

It is awesome that, in practical terms, a standard 39mm filter has the non standard thread pitch? I mean all other sizes of filters use 0.75 but 39mm are 0.5 unless they are ‘weird’ and use the actual standard thread pitch! 
 

The Leica hood for the thin tele-Elmarit actually screws into the Leica standard E39x0.5 thread but accepts a 39x0.75 thread. This was to allow the mounting of a ring to hold a filter without a thread.  This hi-lights the internal confusion within Leica (and more generally, the world) about correct/ standard thread sizes. 
 

Confusing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Izzy]

Hi. I use the Urth (previously Gobe) filters for my M lenses. They have suitable filter thread sizes 39mm, 49mm, 60mm etc. No problem at all. So far excellent quality.  My Urth Plus filters use Schott glass. I have the CPL, 3, 6 and 10 stop NDs. For ND Grads, I use step up rings and adapt my Kase square 150mm filters (from my GFX system).  Using Live View (and Hoodman) for the filters. It's cumbersome but an acceptable trade off for me.

Cheers

[farnz]

9 hours ago, Izzy said:

Hi. I use the Urth (previously Gobe) filters for my M lenses. They have suitable filter thread sizes 39mm, 49mm, 60mm etc. No problem at all. So far excellent quality.  My Urth Plus filters use Schott glass. I have the CPL, 3, 6 and 10 stop NDs. For ND Grads, I use step up rings and adapt my Kase square 150mm filters (from my GFX system).  Using Live View (and Hoodman) for the filters. It's cumbersome but an acceptable trade off for me.

Cheers

Just to clarify, Izzy, are the Urth 39mm etc filters that you use magnetic?  (I haven't found any that are in 39mm so I'd be interested to find ones that are.)

Pete.

[lct]

What is a magnetic filter? Just curious.

[farnz]

7 minutes ago, lct said:

What is a magnetic filter? Just curious.

It's a means of connecting the filter to the lens with magnets instead of a screw thread or other fastening method so that changing filters is virtually instantaneous.  The filters themselves are the same glass or polycarbonate ones but fitted into a magnetised setting.

Pete.

[lct]

Ah yes OK than you Pete. The filter thread is not relevant for magnetic filters then i guess.

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[erniethemilk]

On 5/15/2022 at 11:40 AM, farnz said:

Just to clarify, Izzy, are the Urth 39mm etc filters that you use magnetic?  (I haven't found any that are in 39mm so I'd be interested to find ones that are.)

Pete.

Urth filters are threaded. They’re actually pretty good quality with no excessive colour cast. I have a 3,6,9 stop pack I bought from Amazon here in the UK at a sensible price. 
 

I don’t actually use mine that much as I have a step ring and plenty of 52mm filters so I tend to use those instead when I’m using a filter.