[Leica] Good Times with Bad Filters. IT'S BETTER WITH A CLEANING CLOTH! :-)

[zoeica at mac.com (Chris Williams)]

Love the Dr.



Chris Williams
www.zoeicaimages.net
www.rebirthworkshops.com
504-231-6261




On Jun 20, 2011, at 12:47 AM, tedgrant at shaw.ca wrote:

> Lens shades and filters!!!!!!!
>
> I'm probably going to freak out many of you folks after you read  
> this from 61 years of professional experience. :-)
>
> 1/ Noctilux f1.0!  This lens has never had a filter on it since it  
> was purchased! The first Noctilux for sale in Canada somewhere  
> around 1972? And used under so many weather, sand, oceans, dust and  
> operating rooms, Olympics & you name it places and conditions. It's  
> been used during more assignments than any of you can imagine.  Not  
> a mark on the glass even when using a loupe to look for stuff. :-)
>
> Then about '81-'82 one of the pins holding the lens shade on fell  
> out of the lens barrel and it was going to cost a fortune to have a  
> new one installed by Leica. So in my great wisdom I threw the lens  
> shade in the gear cabinet at that time and it's not had a filter nor  
> lenshood for roughly 30 years and guess what? Still no marks under  
> the inspection by a Loupe!
>
> And guess what again? Regardless of what may come back in comments  
> I'm not changing my use routine no matter what anyone may offer as  
> good advice! :-) So save your breathe ladies and gentlemen, please  
> enjoy your time taking more productive photographs.Thank you. :-)
>
> As for filters & protection? Truly a bit of a myth if you drop a  
> brand new 80-200 f4.0 twenty feet to a marble floor. Trust me the  
> filter never helped one iota! :-) The lens & filter of course were  
> completely destroyed! OOPS!!!!!! :-(
>
> Oh well such is life on some assignments. That's one of those life  
> testing moments in breathing! ;-) OR NOT! :-)
>
> Those who are adamant about using filters for protection generally  
> over state their worth simply because... no matter who makes the  
> filter?  It provides two more surfaces to interfere with the image  
> entering your camera. Constantly keeping them clean is just another  
> pain during the actions of taking photographs.
>
> I'm a great believer in using Polarizing filters to enhance a scene,  
> but other than that it's about the only filter I've used on a  
> regular basis.
>
> Yes many many years ago I had the usual suggested "ONE MUST HAVE!"   
> filters for b&W film use, yellow, orange, red, UV various sizes for  
> various Leica sized lenses. But as the years went by they became  
> more of display articles in the gear cabinet.
>
> Then thrown in my face many times are the.... "Cleaning people  
> comments!" My reaction is..."Get over it!"  Blow the dust off the  
> lens, breath hot and heavy on the glass then use your shirt tail and  
> clean it up. Or as I've repeated many times on list over the past  
> years, this one!
>
> Those who wear cotton under shorts and you sit on them day after  
> day, year after year, washed and worn, again and again, are creating  
> the softest lens cleaning cloth imaginable. Hey come on I'm  
> serious! :-)
>
> How? Well your sitting on them until you or your wife tells you....  
> "You need new under shorts!" :-) So you take the old ones and with a  
> pair of scissors cut out the largest piece of sit upon material and  
> throw the rest away. Don't panic they are well washed before you go  
> through this routine, so relax! :-) I can hear some of you cringing   
> as though you are about to use a baby's dirty diaper! Get over  
> it! :-) It's nice super soft cotton material! No scratching,  
> guaranteed! :-)
>
> Now you put that cloth in a small plastic bag and keep it or them in  
> your camera bag and you'll always have clean scratch free lenses!.
>
> I know you'll appreciate these words of wisdom from the old Doc! ;-)  
> Your welcome! ;-) Thank you. :-)
>
> cheers,
> Dr. ted :-)
>