Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> [100mm Apo-Elmarit-R 60mm weirdo filter thread workarounds] Many thanks for those who responded with helpful suggestions, in particular "Adrian Bradshaw" <apbc@public1.sta.net.cn>. In the end I found what I was looking for by trawling through the B+H photo www site. <http://www.bhphotovideo.com/photo/acc/stepping/stepdown.html> 60mm to 55mm "Generic Brand" GBSDR6055 $US 14.95 60mm to 55mm "Tiffen" TISDR6055 $US 19.95 A friend of mine (based in New Orleans) has ordered this ring & will airmail it out to me as soon as he gets it. With this step-down ring in place I can reuse my Hoya Super HMC filters left over from the 90mm Summicron. A few issues before signing off: o Vignetting isn't an issue with the 100 Apo-Elmarit R as it has at least a 8mm collar inside the filter thread before the baffle starts which runs down to the front element. Hence I could even mount a @ 52mm filter and still be safe - provided one could find a 60->52 step-down ring. o Why didn't I buy direct from B+H? Because they have grown slack with answering email! In the past (1995-97) they always responded to purchases @ 1 day after emailing them - not any more. At the beginning of May it took them 7 working days to confirm a purchase I made of a Beattie Intenscreen focus screen for my R6.2. o > you might be better off ordering from Cathay Photo in Singapore Excellent idea for future purchases! URL?... o "ross mcleish" <cram@bigpond.com> wrote: > Leica make a 60mm UVa filter -- you will have to wait though > -- I've had a couple of Leica filters on 'backorder' for the > past 3 months(!) Ross's experience is unfortunately typical here in Aust. :^( I am a commercial photographer & I need a solution *now* dammit and not maybe Christmas! Also at $AUS 170 (+30% tax), these Leica filters are so expensive & hard to replace that I would have to buy *another* set of filters just to protect them. ;^) (BTW, even the Leica rep broke into a chuckle when I laughed at the price tag for the 60mm UV!) I mainly want to use the UV as a protector filter when I am working in dirty + dangerous environments (a couple of years ago I did a shoot in a beer bottling plant with empty bottles flying past the camera - sometimes quite literally. Ack!) o The distributor for B+W filters in Australia is Adeal, the same outfit who distribute Leica. I had the poor guys go through their warehouse yesterday hunting for filters. Turned out that there were no 60mm UVs and only 1 60mm 80B, no 80A though. o [Image degradation on the 100mm Apo when filters are used] Of course - no argument. Hence I would only use them when I absolutely need to, in gritty, oily environments (UV) or where I am shooting under tungsten (or even sodium vapour!) light with PJ100 daylight film (80A). But all this is by-the-by. The Tiffen 60->55mm step-down ring is on its way and I should get it next week. Happy ending! Regds, Andrew Nemeth www.nemeng.com