Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/07/24

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Subject: [Leica] Noctilux and Filters
From: Jeff Moore <jbm@instinet.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 12:57:17 -0300

At 23 Jul 1998 21:59:41 -0700, Jim Brick <jim@brick.org> wrote:

> ps... putting a filter on this lens is sacrilegious, which Webster defines
> as "gross irreverence toward a hallowed thing." Just say no! It was Leica
> themselves that warned you

Yep, says so right in the little booklet packed with the lens and its Echt 
Leder case.  None of the usual weaselling about how filters shouldn't usually 
be necessary;  they just come out and say that use of filters with this lens 
is not recommended.  So far, I haven't felt a strong need to screw one onto 
mine.  But I've been meaning to do some semicontrolled tests, anyway, because, 
hell -- sometimes a filter has a genuine, useful purpose!  None of this UV 
nonsense, of course, but sometimes a nice yellow or orange filter brings 
B&W tones in line;  sometimes I think I'd like to slap an ND on the Noct so I 
can keep it open even though Leica hasn't yet given me 1/8000...  :-)

Since I haven't yet gotten around to that, though -- I've been too busy taking 
pictures with it to shoot tests -- anybody else have comments based on 
real-world experiences with a befiltered Noctilux?  I mean, how bad is it, and 
with what qualitative characteristics?

 -Jeff Moore <jbm@instinet.com>