Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/02/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Gold, There are very few situations where taking off the filter will improve the undesirable flare problems you described. Flare is most often caused by direct sunlight (or another bright light source) hitting the outermost piece of glass in your optical system (whether it is the actual front element or a filter) and then reflecting unwanted light inside the lens elements, . If you are in a situation where light is hitting the filter, it will most likely still hit the front lens element if you remove the filter. Instead of removing the filter, do everything possible to block the light from hitting the filter and you will greatly improve your percentage of unflared pictures. You could modify your shooting angle, use a deeper lens hood, hold your hand up to block the light hitting the filter, modify your lens hood with a flap you can rotate to block the light, or have someone hold up a gobo to block the light from hitting the camera. Some of these suggestions are certainly impractical in fast moving journalistic photography, but they all work and I have used them all. The choice of lens is also a factor in the amount of flare you will get. The quality of the lens design is certainly a large part of a lens' propensity to flare, but putting the lens design aside for the side for the moment, a slower lens with a more recessed front element will be less prone to flare than a fast lens with a large exposed front element. As an example, years ago when I had to cover a boxing match from ringside while looking straight up into many over-the-ring spotlights, my 50mm slr lens choice was Nikon's 55mm f2.8 Micro-Nikkor because of its very deeply recessed front element. This lens gave results far superior to the flare-prone 50mm f1.4 or f1.2, simply because of the deeply recessed front element. I also once mounted a round two-foot-deep black plastic waste basket on the front of a 600mm f4.0 lens as a lens hood. It worked perfectly to keep the sun off the huge front element. Just my two cents of experience. Good luck, Rob McElroy Buffalo, NY goldframe1@yahoo.com wrote: > I have always used UV'a and Skylight filters on my Nikon gear and now on my M's lenses...I exposed a roll....Yes there were flares and the prints > were a little washed out. So....... > > For the user who just can't bear to let nasty contaminants get on the front > glass - when is it most critical to remove the filter for the best results?? > > Thanks - gold