Kenco Leica 19sW UV Filter on 50mm 3.5 Elmar

[martin_horne]

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Morning All

 

Just purchased a beautiful 1956 collapsible Elmar 50mm 3.5 from a seller in Japan. The seller has included a very nice Kenko screw in UV filter (which seems good because the original lens cap won't stay on!).

 

Does anyone use or have experience of using these - wondered whether to put it on the lens or not? The filter sits proud of the lens so using the filter and lens cap (even if it stayed on) isn't possible.

 

Thank You

 

M

[Anbaric]

Arguments about using protective UV filters are endless. Some people never use them, some people use them all the time, and others use them selectively - in bad weather or when there is wind-blown dust around, but not when shooting (say) a city at night and there are lots of light sources in the frame.

It's a little complicated for the Elmar, because it was common to use larger clamp-on A36 filters that stepped down at the front to retain compatibility with the lens cap. There is also an adapter, code SOOGZ, that clamps on to the lens in place of a filter and has a thread at the front that allows you to use standard E39 filters and their lens caps.

19mm filters like yours are perhaps less common (though Leitz made them in the early days). Their big advantage is that the aperture lever on the Elmar remains accessible with the filter fitted. If you want a lens cap, you'll have to seek out a small, compatible push-on cap (measure the outside diameter of the filter to guide you) or perhaps a clip-on cap designed for a 19mm thread if the filter has a thread at the front. Kaiser make a nice range of push-on caps:

https://www.kaiser-fototechnik.de/en/produkte/artikel.php?document=/en/produkte/2_1_produktanzeige.asp&display=1&nr=6900

The 19mm push-on will be too small, since the outside diameter of your filter will obviously be larger than the filter thread - I don't know if the 23mm will be too loose.

Alternatively, you could just fit the filter and use an A36 lens hood, which the Elmar will benefit from anyway. If you need further protection, you can probably find a push-on cap that fits over the hood.

Edited May 26, 2022 by Anbaric

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[nitroplait]

Kenko (= Hoya) filters are generally good.

 

[250swb]

Nothing wrong with Kenko filters, on the other hand it will be a coated lens so tougher. I tend not to use a UV filter because it's a pain to have to take that off to put a coloured filter on for B&W.

[Anbaric]

One other consideration about using a small push-on lens cap over the filter itself is that it would have to be rather shallow to sit securely, since the filter thread on the Elmar doesn't stick out very far from the bezel and the aperture lever would block a cap being pushed on much further than the depth of the filter rim.

Edited May 27, 2022 by Anbaric

[zeitz]

On 5/26/2022 at 7:23 AM, nitroplait said:

Kenko (= Hoya) filters are generally good.

 

23 hours ago, 250swb said:

Nothing wrong with Kenko filters, on the other hand it will be a coated lens so tougher.

Kenko is one of first Japanese accessory suppliers after WWII.  Kenko dates back to about 1949 as best as I can tell.  There is a good change a 1956 Elmar will have an older Kenko.  So the performance of the OP's filter (may not be coated) may not be what we are used to with today's Kenko/Hoya filters.  It would be interesting to know if the OP's filter has a chrome body or a black body.  I have a few Kenko filters.  The chrome ones came on older lenses; the black ones came on newer lenses.

 

Edited May 27, 2022 by zeitz
To correct a date

[Anbaric]

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Could be a modern filter, e.g.:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/filter-monocoat-without-ultraviolet-absorption/dp/B0016EREIK

Seems to be popular with Elmar users from Japan, but harder to find in the west (out of stock above). There's also a modern Heliopan in 19mm that has the advantage of a front filter thread (which that Kenko doesn't seem to have). Both appear to be available single-coated.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1138355-REG/heliopan_701901_19mm_uv_filter.html/overview

[250swb]

51 minutes ago, zeitz said:

 

Kenko is one of first Japanese accessory suppliers after WWII.  Kenko dates back to about 1949 as best as I can tell.  There is a good change a 1956 Elmar will have an older Kenko.  So the performance of the OP's filter (may not be coated) may not be what we are used to with today's Kenko/Hoya filters.  It would be interesting to know if the OP's filter has a chrome body or a black body.  I have a few Kenko filters.  The chrome ones came on older lenses; the black ones came on newer lenses.

 

Sorry, I meant the Elmar will be coated so maybe a filter wouldn't be needed. 

[rfaspen]

Most of my Kenko filters (I'm sure we all have a reasonable stash of filters in a drawer) are not that great.  The later Hoya HMC filters are quite good.  I consider them equivalent to many of my Heliopan and B+W filters.

In general, I've been told that most uncoated and or cheapo filters have low transmission (spectrum wide).  I was was further shown how you can see the near 100% reflectance at certain angles when tilting the filter and looking through it....at some angle(s) your ability to see through the filter is blocked by near total reflected light.   Look through a high quality coated filter, and at those same angles you will experience much less reflection and still be able to see through the filter.  Really good filters are amazing to do this little test.

[Martin Horne]

On 5/27/2022 at 3:40 PM, zeitz said:

 

Kenko is one of first Japanese accessory suppliers after WWII.  Kenko dates back to about 1949 as best as I can tell.  There is a good change a 1956 Elmar will have an older Kenko.  So the performance of the OP's filter (may not be coated) may not be what we are used to with today's Kenko/Hoya filters.  It would be interesting to know if the OP's filter has a chrome body or a black body.  I have a few Kenko filters.  The chrome ones came on older lenses; the black ones came on newer lenses.

 

It’s chrome.

[Pyrogallol]

I have one of those tiny Elmar filters, for infrared, which I use.

I have read that Leitz made a lens cap with a raised centre that accommodated those filters when fitted on the lens. I have seen an illustration in one of the collectors books, but cannot find it at present.

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[Matlock]

27 minutes ago, Pyrogallol said:

I have one of those tiny Elmar filters, for infrared, which I use.

I have read that Leitz made a lens cap with a raised centre that accommodated those filters when fitted on the lens. I have seen an illustration in one of the collectors books, but cannot find it at present.

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

 

Like this?

[martin_horne]

For those interested the lens serial number is 14261XX.

The more I look at the filter I'm convinced it's very modern. It looks like the chrome equivalent of the one in the Amazon link in post #7.

[martin_horne]

Found it - this is it.

 

 

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[nitroplait]

3 hours ago, martin_horne said:

For those interested the lens serial number is 14261XX.

The more I look at the filter I'm convinced it's very modern. It looks like the chrome equivalent of the one in the Amazon link in post #7.

It is a nice single coated filter, reasonably easy to find in Japan. At almost 5000 JPY, the chrome version is almost twice as expensive as the black on Amazon japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B00350KDZE/?coliid=IU9JRO2ADPPOC&colid=3EFL4RF4A134E&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it_im&th=1

 

Edited May 29, 2022 by nitroplait