Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/03/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I must confess to being a LUG lurker more than contributor but there was one tip I felt I should contribute having found it very useful: for all those 35 summilux and summicron users who use the round metal 12504 hood and are frustrated at the unavailability of a hood cap just do the following - buy a cheap generic (no-name) 58mm lens cap - it fits well. I also use one on my 21 elmarit (non-asph) on which I usually use (horrors) a B+W UV filter and with the hood fitted the regular 60mm cap does not fit. Whilst I am at it I must state that Leica make great lenses but seem to have left the hood and cap designs to the blind apprentice: a list of irritations in addition to the above for which I found my own solutions - 1/ the rectangle hood of the 35mm summicron seems to assist the unscrewing process of the central barrel - a very common ailment with this lens for which the only fix, according to my usual Leica service department, is an extra large dollop of loctite (or whatever the optics version is called) Hence my adoption of the 12504 hood 2/ the soft plastic caps (42mm diameter) do not stay on the lens when a filter is fitted 3/ the protruding ridge of all the snap-on caps seems to invite dislodging 4/ the former spring-mounted bayonet hoods are very flimsy and unrepairable (and over $100 each for 21mm, 28mm, 50/1 etc) The other thing that bugs me is the continued adoption of exotic filter sizes - such as the series filters, 39mm, 60mm. If Leica or anybody produced the filters a colour shooting pro needed (e.g. colour correction, FL-D etc) then fine but they don't and they are an annoyance. There seems to be a half-hearted attempt at dealing with this by moving towards 46mm and 55mm but new 60mm lenses have also emerged recently. Yes I know B+W make the obscure sizes but they are special order in most parts of the world and even B+H has a very limited selection. Having said all this I shall get my M6s ready for a shoot at a Coca-Cola plant tomorrow and must make sure I have all the adapter rings for 39, 43, 46 and 60mm lenses! Any comments? Photojournalist Shanghai, China