[Leica] Advice on filters

[henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)]

While Heliopan and B+W both make good filters, Hoya also has good 
ones. Common types and sizes are least expensive from Hoya, usually. 
As long as you get the multicoated ones, they'll be good and that 
goes for all brands. The time of bad filters is pretty much gone. 
Don't use 30 year old filters, if possible as those are generally not 
multicoated and some had problems keeping the two faces parallel.

Theoretically the aluminum mount Hoyas are better on the chrome 
(brass mount) lenses, and the Heliopan and B+W are better on the 
black (aluminum mount) lenses, but in practice it doesn't make much 
difference. The reason is that like binds to like more easily, 
especially aluminum to aluminum. I've had binding at times will all 
combinations.

Heliopan in particular makes an extremely wide selection of filter 
types and sizes available. Essentially, every size you could possibly 
want is available if you have about 2-4 months. Getting odd sizes 
from the other manufacturers is possible, but it will usually involve 
more money and take a _lot_ longer, often years.



At 4:17 AM +0000 1/23/09, Nuno Miguel dos Santos Baeta wrote:
>Hello!
>
>I never used filters because I never felt the need and always avoided
>putting another piece of glass in front of a lens.  But now I have two
>reasons to get some filters, so I think...
>
>* Next summer I'll be going on vacation to the North of Africa.  It
>will be a one week walk and dust will be a certainty.
>
>* Whenever my wife takes a camera, the lens will end up with
>fingerprints :-(  Not always, but too many times.
>
>I believe these are good reasons to buy some filters, especially when
>the lens costs (much) more than the camera.
>
>So what I want are protective filters.  But after some "net research"
>I really don't know what to buy...  All that I know is that a good
>filter will be, most probably, expensive (but certainly less expensive
>than a lens :-)  Where I live, in Portugal, I have easy access to
>Hoya, Rodenstock and Sigma filters, but I can use online shops to
>purchase other brands.
>
>Feel free to comment on my reasons to buy the filters (and let me know
>if there is a barbed wire adapter as this will solve my second reason
>:-)  Finally, please give me some advice on what to look for on a
>filter, which brand(s) to avoid and which brand(s) make good filters.
>
>TIA
>
>--
>Nuno Miguel dos Santos Baeta
>ille nihil dubitat quem nulla scientia dictat
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information

-- 

    *            Henning J. Wulff
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