Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I only mention this because no one has thus far - there is a certain kind of filter that provides ABSOLUTE protection for any lens, and does NOT effect the performance of the lens, no matter how bizarre the lighting conditions... It's called INSURANCE.... ;-) B. D. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Mike Johnston Sent: Friday, February 11, 2000 9:10 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: [Leica] Lenshood v. filters Marc Small: >>>Anything severe enough to break the front element will shatter a filter and still trash the front element. Leica glass is TOUGH. The company recommends NOT using filters save for optical effects.<<< I second this. A hood is protection enough. >>>I began this debate on the opposite side of the spectrum, some many years back, in the early days of the LUG. Jim Brick and his cronies convinced me I was wrong. And I've not used filters, as a result, for lens protection for three or four years, now.<<< Carl Weese, on of our Contributing Editors, did the same for me in the early '90s. I've seldom used filters since (except on my collapsible Summicron, which has notoriously soft front element glass) and have never had any problems. Wasn't it Leica that used to demonstrate the toughness of the Summicron by having a Rep bear down on the front element with a piece of barbed wire, without leaving a mark? I think I remember seeing such a demonstration in the early '80s. I don't actually remember if it was Leica or not... Think how many used lenses you see for sale on eBay that say some version of, "barrel shows wear, glass perfect" (or "mint," or "flawless," or some such). If lens glass were really easy to scratch, there would be a whole heck of a lot more scratched lenses out there. (This doesn't apply to many early lenses, some of which were quite easy to scratch.) A number of years ago, just for fun, a friend of mine and I tossed an old lens out a second-story window onto concrete. The degree of damage was surprisingly small. I continued to abuse it for a while (work was slow and we were bored out of our minds), tossing it as high as I could and letting it land on the concrete. I busted up the filter completely, broke the bayonet ring, and succeeded in deforming the entire lens barrel slightly, but the front element never even got a scratch until I whacked it repeatedly against the corner of a set of concrete steps. (eBay: "A few minor dents. Glass perfect." <g>) - --Mike