Will an IR cut filter without UV cut do the trick?

[Geoff123]

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As we all know, Leica provided M8 users with a UV-IR cut filter that cuts both ultraviolet light and infrared to correct the color of images. However, when considering alternatives to the Leica original filter, finding filters that only block IR is much easier. If I purchase one of these IR-cut filters that does not cut ultraviolet light, will there be any problems with the color of the final image? Thanks a lot for sharing your experience with this issue. I really appreciate your help.

[jaapv]

The B+W 486 does just fine for both UV and IR.  M8 sensors do have UV sensitivity but all Leica lenses since the 1950ies are natively UV filtered so this is not an issue in any case. You are hard put to find a lens that allows UV photography. 

[chris_livsey]

You may want to refer to this document and note on page 28 where there is a cover glass transmission graph to aid choosing a filter:

APPLICATION NOTE

https://www.photo-lovers.org/pdf/kaf-10500longspec.pdf

There are of course other makers than Leica of the specified filter for the M8, Leica do not make them anyway they are outsourced, and using a  different IR filter specification will, regardless of the UV component, render the colour response differently than the "approved" filtration.

Other early digital cameras also suffered to some degree from the issue eg Nikon D2h : D2h / hs and IR Pollution | Nikon Cafe

They recommend a "hot mirror" IR filter which I would suggest is the same as the Leica filter.

 

 

 

 

 

[jaapv]

The Leica filter was by Marumi.

[jaapv]

8 hours ago, chris_livsey said:

You may want to refer to this document and note on page 28 where there is a cover glass transmission graph to aid choosing a filter:

APPLICATION NOTE

https://www.photo-lovers.org/pdf/kaf-10500longspec.pdf

There are of course other makers than Leica of the specified filter for the M8, Leica do not make them anyway they are outsourced, and using a  different IR filter specification will, regardless of the UV component, render the colour response differently than the "approved" filtration.

Other early digital cameras also suffered to some degree from the issue eg Nikon D2h : D2h / hs and IR Pollution | Nikon Cafe

They recommend a "hot mirror" IR filter which I would suggest is the same as the Leica filter.

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately the Leica version of the sensor had a different filter from the "off the shelf" version. The standard IR filter was laminated to prevent corrosion, but that was too thick to accommodate the incidence angle of M lenses, so Leica resorted to anti-corrosive coating, which went well for the M8 but failed on the M9, as they changed it to get better IR filtration. In practice any IR block filter will suffice without noticeable colourshifts.