Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/01/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I wholeheartedly agree.....I am also anti-filter. One of the best features of the Leica lenses is that they have UV protection built-in. Jim is right, keep your lens cap on you're ready to shoot! Francesco At 10:54 PM 1/24/98 -0800, you wrote: >You can probably answer your own question. In order to realize the answer, you >really need to think about the situation. Not just have the answer blurted >out. >If you get stuck, just ask and I'll gladly help. > >1. Do you know why Leica (and all other major lens manufacturers) has spent an >enormous amount of research time and money, developing and purchasing very >expensive, hi-tech, very sophisticated, multicoating apparatus, to multicoat >the FRONT element of your exquisite lens? > >2. Do you know what the purpose of this coating is? > >3. Other than optically transparent glue, do you know what other chemical is >with the glue between the lens elements? > >4. How much does a UV filter cost? > >5. How much did your lens cost? > >6. What does a UV filter do for you? > >7. And last, but not least, why do you have a UV filter on your lens? > > > >At 09:31 PM 1/25/98 -0500, you wrote: >> >> I am using the 35mm summilux-m f1.4 asph with the Leica uv (13004) filter. >> Someone told me >> that I was loosing the sharpnes of the lens with that filter. Any comments >> from users? >> I always beleived good quality uv filter did not altered the quality of the >> lens. > > > >Answers: > >1. & 2. So that when the rays of light, emanating from the subject, (whether >the sun, moon, or people) and kiss the front element of your lens, they will >pass right on in, without reflecting off of the surfaces of the elements >causing flare. Flare can be simply a slight reduction on contrast, sometimes >un-noticed. But there. Sometimes it's like white wash over the entire image. >Producing unusable photographs. > >3. A UV inhibitor so that a UV filter is not needed. > >4. much less that $100. > >5. More than $1000 > >6. Reduces your $1000+ lens to the quality of your $100- filter. The front >surface of a filter WILL NOT INHIBIT FLARE. The front element of your >expensive >lens WILL INHIBIT FLARE. You paid dearly for this anti-flair coating. See 1. & >2. > >7. Use a lens cap. That's what it's for. > >Jim > >ps... the LUG old timers know I take a hard line with filters. I personally >use >filters a lot. BUT... I use a filter only for a particular purpose. Polarizer, >warming, ND Grad, color grad. There must be a useful purpose for me to render >my expensive front element useless. When you have a filter on your lens. DO >NOT >let a single ray of direct sunlight hit the filter. You will have some >level of >flare. Guaranteed. M cameras work best with no filter because, while street or >other hand held shooting, you cannot guarantee that stray bright light will >not >hit the filter. > Francesco Sanfilippo, Five Senses Productions webmaster@5senses.com http://www.5senses.com/