Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/06/19

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Good Times with Bad Filters. IT'S BETTER WITH A CLEANING CLOTH! :-)
From: tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)
Date: Sun, 19 Jun 2011 22:47:07 -0700
References: <BANLkTimvrw7zp7vZdbaw2D=zJFjwfdbSUA@mail.gmail.com> <903991D1-47D8-4F4F-BD6C-01F368474FE0@mac.com> <BANLkTikBZo1fq8kjwDZROVwckzX9tpOHjg@mail.gmail.com>

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 :-)















----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Saganich" <csaganich at gmail.com>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 19, 2011 9:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Good Times with Bad Filters


> Never, never, I use hoods to protect the glass, unless I'm out to sea, on 
> a
> bike, or roughing-it with the collapsible Summicron.
> CS
>
> On Sun, Jun 19, 2011 at 3:03 PM, Chris Williams <zoeica at mac.com> wrote:
>
>> That was funny.
>>
>>
>> Chris Williams
>> www.zoeicaimages.net
>> www.rebirthworkshops.com
>> 504-231-6261
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Jun 19, 2011, at 1:45 PM, Jeff Moore wrote:
>>
>>  Given the long and contentious threads we've had here over the years
>>> about the pros and cons of photographically-unnecessary "protective"
>>> filters left bolted permanently in front of one's lenses (betcha can't
>>> tell what side I landed on from the way I put that), I'm surprised not
>>> to see this post from the LensRentals people already forwarded here
>>> (unless I just missed it).  Kind of funny and silly, but also a pretty
>>> informative demonstration:
>>>
>>> http://www.lensrentals.com/**blog/2011/06/good-times-with-**bad-filters<http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/06/good-times-with-bad-filters>
>>>
>>> [Name-dropping anecdote: the last discussion I had in person about
>>> this question was just last Wednesday, when (Sir) David Peel, Lower
>>> East Side music fixture, chum of John Lennon, and Apple recording
>>> artist, spotted my M9 and was horrified not to see an extra piece of
>>> glass protecting the front of my Summilux.]
>>>
>>> -Jeff
>>>
>>> ______________________________**_________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See 
>>> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug>for
>>>  
>>> more information
>>>
>>
>>
>> ______________________________**_________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See 
>> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug>for
>>  
>> more information
>>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Chris Saganich
> www.imagebrooklyn.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information 



Replies: Reply from zoeica at mac.com (Chris Williams) ([Leica] Good Times with Bad Filters. IT'S BETTER WITH A CLEANING CLOTH! :-))
In reply to: Message from jbmmllug at jbm.org (Jeff Moore) ([Leica] Good Times with Bad Filters)
Message from zoeica at mac.com (Chris Williams) ([Leica] Good Times with Bad Filters)
Message from csaganich at gmail.com (Chris Saganich) ([Leica] Good Times with Bad Filters)