What is the highest quality lens filter for SL 35 Apo-Summicron?

[Virob]

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Protection filters have their place. I live on the coast, sea spray can be an issue, likewise on the beaches or deserts, blowing sand can be a problem. I’d rather lose a filter to corrosive salt or sand than risk damaging a front element. A hood doesn’t provide protection in these situations.

[jaapv]

21 hours ago, JeffWright said:

Whelp. Someone measured. And it turns out they aren't all the same. Not that the difference is likely detectable to a human.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2017/06/the-comprehensive-ranking-of-the-major-uv-filters-on-the-market/

A thorough test, like all of Rogers’s but not very helpful. He shows that all reputable brand filters are  much of a muchness optically but these are protective filters and he did not test scratch and impact resistance. 

[Rungroj Suppagarn]

I have been using leica for 6 years and I would like to say that you do not need filter to protect your lens. You need the hood and be careful. Also leica front element scratch may cost about 300 usd but traust me they are really hard to scratch now a day with new len coating. I use it in the snow, hot, rainy , street, throw in the bag and etc. really no problem and front element scratch. 

 

Best wishes.

[Ivar B]

I have used Marumi Exus filters and the quality seems to be first class. We know that Leica filters are made in Japan and I have heard suggestions that they are indeed made by Marumi, but Leica rarely or never confirms who their suppliers are. 

[davidmknoble]

23 hours ago, JeffWright said:

Whelp. Someone measured. And it turns out they aren't all the same. Not that the difference is likely detectable to a human.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2017/06/the-comprehensive-ranking-of-the-major-uv-filters-on-the-market/

Great article!  A little technical, but in general interesting someone took the time to do this!

[Ivar B]

On 3/17/2023 at 1:29 AM, jaapv said:

Here I must disagree with Leica, although I can understand the bias of a salesperson. 

Leica filters are good, but as they do not produce them themselves they use the same glass that other quality filter makers use for their mid-range products

An UV filter is not the best option to protect your lens. It is designed to umm.. filter UV light.
The protective filters as offered by Heliopan and B&W are designed to protect your lens, using thinner glass for less aberrations and tougher glass for better protection. On top of that they are nano-coated for less dirt adherence and easier cleaning, which the Leica filter is not. This will reduce flare problems which are more often due to gunk on the filter surface than to the filter itself. 
However, I dare you to see any difference in the technical quality of your photographs, whichever filter you use. There won’t be any. 

Marumi offers a filter with a special hardened glass:

Marumi EXUS Lens Protect SOLID – marumi (marumi-global.com)

Given that most of us buy filters for protection purposes this may be worthwhile, but it is much more expensive than filters with "normal" glass. 

[jaapv]

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7 hours ago, Rungroj Suppagarn said:

I have been using leica for 6 years and I would like to say that you do not need filter to protect your lens. You need the hood and be careful. Also leica front element scratch may cost about 300 usd but traust me they are really hard to scratch now a day with new len coating. I use it in the snow, hot, rainy , street, throw in the bag and etc. really no problem and front element scratch. 

 

Best wishes.

300 $? You must be the most optimist member For the Apo Summicron I would be surprised if it was below 1500… Optical glass is incredibly expensive and then it must be fitted, the lens recentered etc.  

[Camaro5]

Modern lenses have modern coatings and I don't think UV filters really do much, if anything.  I use B+W MRC 007 clear filters for protection but also because I shoot in dusty conditions.  

[jaapv]

The UV blocking lens lens bonding cement invented by Leica in the fifties is called Absorban. As far as I know they are still using it. It makes UV filters redundant. The few lenses that have no glued element are UV filtered by coatings. 

[davidmknoble]

you also have to figure out what you are protecting the lens from.  The SL lenses from Leica do have very strong coatings.  I spend a lot of time photographing the coast in the early morning with wind and sand.  I use various filters to protect the lens from sand and occasionally get a reflection I wish I did not have, but the glass is in great shape.  I have also shot without filters in much lesser outside environmentally challenging conditions with no ill effect.  

I have a great friend that never put filters on the outside of S lenses and beat them up outside.  The glass was always in perfect shape.

The lesson, IMHO, is what is your use case, and get a filter for the really harsh conditions, otherwise trust the lens.

 

[Wurlitzer-1015]

On 3/20/2023 at 4:54 PM, Ivar B said:

I have used Marumi Exus filters and the quality seems to be first class. We know that Leica filters are made in Japan and I have heard suggestions that they are indeed made by Marumi, but Leica rarely or never confirms who their suppliers are. 

I go with this too, I use EXUS filters on all my lenses, just the "lens protection" variety, no UV or anything, they are thin and the best quality you can get IMHO. Nice to say "don't use any filter", but get real, no matter how careful you are, stool happens.

[Anbaric]

On 3/20/2023 at 8:34 AM, jaapv said:

A thorough test, like all of Rogers’s but not very helpful. He shows that all reputable brand filters are  much of a muchness optically but these are protective filters and he did not test scratch and impact resistance. 

The other problem with that Lensrentals test is he only looks at the single 635nm wavelength of the laser, which really doesn't tell you very much. The old Lenstip test used a scanning spectrophotometer, which covers the whole visible range and into the UV and IR:

https://www.lenstip.com/113.1-article-UV_filters_test.html

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The selection of filters tested by Lenstip is a bit out of date, and the overall scores include UV blocking performance, which we probably don't care about (for protection purposes, either a UV or a protector is fine). But the real-world flare tests are very informative, and clearly show the differences between uncoated or single coated filters and top of the range multi-coated filters. Flare is the biggest issue with protective filters. The bottom line is that if you want a filter at all (the subject of endless debate) you probably want one with high-end multicoating that also has an easy-clean layer (e.g. Hoya HD or Fusion/Evo; B+W MRC Nano or the original MRC). Hoya HD and Marumi EXUS are also claimed to be stronger than conventional glass. B+W filters generally have brass mounts that are less likely to bind than the aluminium alloy used by most of their competitors. Avoid the uncoated or single coated filters that even the big names have in their ranges (if they don't say they're multicoated, they generally aren't). Avoid older multi-coated filters like the original Hoya Pro-1 and HMC, which lack the water/oil repellent layer and are hard to clean. Regarding hoods vs filters, these offer different forms of protection (hoods don't help much with wind-blown grit or rain). Whether you use a filter routinely or rarely, it's worth removing it in high-flare situations like shooting city lights at night.

Edited April 1, 2023 by Anbaric

[jrp]

Yes, that test is quite interesting.  Doesn't rate the HelioPan filters, eg. https://www.lenstip.com/113.4-article-UV_filters_test_Description_of_the_results_and_summary.html

I gave up on Hoya after they seemed unable to set out what the differences were between their various offerings.  Went with B&W MRC Nano or Sigma ceramic filters (which are supposed to be tougher than others).

[bherman01545]

On 3/16/2023 at 8:50 PM, rcusick said:

Breakthrough photography.  

+1 on Breakthrough Photography. Same if not better Schott Glass as B+W, plus a better warranty and return policy

[davidmknoble]

It depends on my usage.  I like the B+W and Heliopan for colored black and white filters and ND filters for the M system (read 39, 46, 49, 55mm).  I love the breakthrough for the larger S and SL lenses (read 67, 72, 77, 82mm).  I have never had a breakthrough ND filter turn purple on my and I’ve shot some for 2 minutes.  I also use the breakthrough graduated filters and I use them on the beach and in the wind full of sand.  They clean well and just produce clean and clear colors without a color cast.  

So, I’d add not only do you want multi coating to help prevent flare, but you want really good glass so that your image remains the same, filter on or filter off.