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Question about vintage Leica filters


plasticman

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Quick question about the old Leica filters: I bought a new Leica UVa II 13031 E39 filter to go onto the Summicron 50 rigid (first iteration of that version - with the single-scale and focus-tab). 

I'd forgotten about the stupid problem this filter causes, which is that it's slightly smaller than the lens barrel, and so the metal cap just falls off. This happened to me before on my DR Summicron, so I have no idea why I made the same mistake again other than stupidity.

The question is whether the older UVa filters from Leica were dimensioned to fit the lenses, so that I can continue using the metal caps (which I like)?

The cap doesn't need re-flocking as it fits snugly when the filter is not attached.

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Old UVa filter is shallower than the lens front.

Have a look inside your cap, the felt width inside the cap may be too short to  retain the cap.

One mm more or less can do it, in the past if this occured on working for a while cap, I "redress" the pressed felt with a small screwdriver/tooth pick.

 

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AFAIK filters code numbers were 13131 (UVa) and 13151 (Skylight) for this lens. See excerpt of the Leitz catalog from 1964 below. I have no experience with those filters though.

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1 hour ago, plasticman said:

the older UVa filters from Leica

I have a period filter on a 50/2.8 Elmar and the outside diameter matches that of the  lens front, so the metal cap fits snuggly. FWIW.

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If I should be allowed a first-world-problem rant for a moment - is it just me that's disappointed by small inconsistencies and problems like this with Leica equipment? I certainly hope this filter fits the newer lenses better than the older ones, otherwise I see no reason why at least the ribbed part of the filter shouldn't match the ribbed edge of the lens. 

It's these tiny details that I expect to be right. But as I said, the filter may sit wonderfully flush with the edge of the newest Summicron?

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In those antiquated times Leica could provide two caps: 14031 + 14033 😉.

This small step would allow mounting the clip-on hood.

Pushing the side two hood tabs releasing the four claws which will be "at home" in the lens groove.

With filter same size ( as other filter makers ) as the lens front, mounting the hood would be difficult or impossible.

Anyway, the right Leica push on cap (14031 ) can be used with the filter mounted and cap 14033 on 12585 hood in reverse.

Edited by a.noctilux
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1 hour ago, lct said:

Problem with filters is when they are too large to fit lens hoods...

As it happens this is a situation which is a pet peeve of mine.

As an habitual filter-user I'm delighted that the majority of 39mm filters are smaller in diameter than the front of the lens because, as lct and Arnaud mention, the 'normal' clip-on hoods pass-by the filter-ring and attach to the lens as intended. This does NOT happen with the POOTR circular Polariser because although the rotating ring is small enough so as not to foul the hood the screw-in part of the filter is the same diameter as the front of the lens and the hood cannot slip past the filter.

Not really an issue with 50mm and longer lenses as the hood can be clipped onto the POOTR's mounting ring but with shorter f/l lenses when the 'correct' hood (12585 or whatever) is employed this will result in vignetting occurring.

Philip.

Edited by pippy
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10 hours ago, lct said:

 Better use a deeper lens cap like 14268 for that.

Thanks @lct The depth and breadth of Leica-knowledge on this forum sometimes amazes me. I'll get hold of a 14268, in that case. 

Only a pity that Leica doesn't have a deeper metal lens-cap. I like the look not only for aesthetic reasons, but because this sort of 'old-fashioned' lens and cap are genuinely less intimidating to people - they instantly assume it's a film camera, even when on the M10, and somehow it bothers them less (in my experience).

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vor 12 Stunden schrieb plasticman:

... otherwise I see no reason why at least the ribbed part of the filter shouldn't match the ribbed edge of the lens. 

There is a reason, and lct has pointed in that direction already. The contemporary lens hoods for your lens would not fit on the lens if a larger diameter filter were mounted on the lens. The reduced original filter diameter is just small enough to pass through the inner opening of the clip on lens hoods. 

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2 minutes ago, wizard said:

There is a reason, and lct has pointed in that direction already. The contemporary lens hoods for your lens would not fit on the lens if a larger diameter filter were mounted on the lens. The reduced original filter diameter is just small enough to pass through the inner opening of the clip on lens hoods. 

Yes I overlooked this reason as I rarely use a hood on a 50mm lens. 

Somehow I still think it a pity that a solution is not in place for the lens-cap. I should mention I also have a 14038 - the clip-on 'modern' version that grips from the inside - but it sticks out so far (like the rim of a hat) that I find it catches on clothing or other things and pings off at the slightest provocation. 

At least none of these are as bad as the cap for the rectangular Summicron 35 hood, that falls off when anyone looks at it. I think I've spent a few hundred dollars over the years replacing that idiotic piece of plastic. Although on reflection it's obviously me that's the idiot. I think I already mentioned on the forum that one day I lost the cap on a walk in woodlands outside Stockholm, and a couple of days later, walking in a totally different part of the town, I found another one lying on a bridge. Thousands of them must be lost every year - in the end a good way to fleece some extra cash from stupid people like me who have no better way to spend money.

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vor einer Stunde schrieb plasticman:

At least none of these are as bad as the cap for the rectangular Summicron 35 hood

I agree that Leica seems to have done a much better job with the caps of their R-lenses line. Those caps are more robust and generally stick to the lens a lot better than their M-lens counterparts.

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Indeed there are lens caps and hood caps. Lens caps were not made for filters as the Real Leica Man did not use them the same way as people do nowadays. They (we) did not fear for our precious lenses to the point of adding systematically some vulgar ;) glass to them. And the Real Leica Man did not know what is a hood cap so to speak besides reversible hoods. The rectangular hood of the Summicron 35/2 v4 @plasticman is referring to above had no hood cap at its launch and i'm not even sure if the hood cap of the 35/2 asph v1 has been sold for late v4's actually.

Edited by lct
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vor 57 Minuten schrieb lct:

The rectangular hood of the Summicron 35/2 v4 @plasticman is referring to above had no hood cap at its launch ...

When I bought my Summicron 35/2 v4 used years ago from a forum member, it did come with an original hood cap. And, as correctly noted, the 35/2 asph v1 uses the same hood and cap.

But you are correct, of course, in that we have all become wimps more or less, and are no longer prepared to expose our cherished Leica glass to the hostile elements 😉.

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46 minutes ago, wizard said:

When I bought my Summicron 35/2 v4 used years ago from a forum member, it did come with an original hood cap. And, as correctly noted, the 35/2 asph v1 uses the same hood and cap.

But you are correct, of course, in that we have all become wimps more or less, and are no longer prepared to expose our cherished Leica glass to the hostile elements 😉.

I think the v4 originally came with the 12524 hood and the ASPH v1 with the very similar 12526 hood. The 14043 cap was included with the 12526 and fits the 12524 as well, but I've seen it claimed that it does so less securely (which isn't saying much - this cap comes off far too easily even when fitted to its intended hood) and that it wasn't originally included with the 12524 in the v4 box when bought new:

https://www.photo.net/discuss/threads/hood-cap-for-35-cron.42326/

I have a 3D-printed replacement cap from ebay that's much more secure on the 12526 than the original 14043 is.

 

Edited by Anbaric
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Indeed, the cap I'm referring to is the 14043.

It barely clings to the hood - a little bit like an alpinist free-climbing a vertical rock-face and placing the merest tips of two fingers in a tiny indent on the otherwise sheer block of granite.

Whenever I use the lens with the hood and this cap, I take a spare with me. An outing almost always entails re-tracing my steps to find the lenscap lying somewhere in the dust along the route I've trodden.

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Indeed the second hand 35/2 v4 @wizard  is referring to had not the genuine hood (12524) or if it had it, the previous owner added a 35/2 asph v1's or 28/2.8 asph v1's hood cap (14043) to it imprudently. Was imprudent because the 12524 hood has no retaining nubs for a hood cap that did not exist then. It is probably the reason, or one of the reasons why so many hood caps are lost. They are not made for the right hood. For those interested, the right hood for this cap is 12526. 12524 & 12526 hoods below.

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I'm thinking that if I'm ever on Who Wants to be a Millionaire and I can ring a friend to settle the final question about Leica lens-caps and which one is suitable for a 1955 Summilux, then there's only one phone number I'll need.
 

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23 minutes ago, plasticman said:

Indeed, the cap I'm referring to is the 14043.

It barely clings to the hood - a little bit like an alpinist free-climbing a vertical rock-face and placing the merest tips of two fingers in a tiny indent on the otherwise sheer block of granite.

Whenever I use the lens with the hood and this cap, I take a spare with me. An outing almost always entails re-tracing my steps to find the lenscap lying somewhere in the dust along the route I've trodden.

I think that description is about right, even with the 12526. It's just not a secure way of attaching a cap, even with the extended nubs. I always used to leave this cap in the bag (which was quite easy, because it usually fell off when I grabbed the camera). This is the ebay hood I have, which fits securely enough (at least on the 12526) to leave it on the hood with the camera on a strap (which you might have thought Leica would have realised was quite an important function for a lens cap!):

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Leica-14043-replacement-lens-cap-for-Summicron-35mm-Elmarit-28mm-12524-12526/264883227425

Edited by Anbaric
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