What is the consensus re: to filter 35 Summilux pre-asph?

[JayC]

I have decided to keep just one Leica lens and body (for now). I have a late version 35mm Summilux pre-asph with the 12504 hood. There is a Leica uv filter in the hood. Shall I keep it in there? I have looked all over the net, and can't seem to find an answer. I know people wax poetic about which hood to use, but I have the hood I have, and just want to know if I really need the filter. None of my other lenses wore a filter the whole time. I don't want to waste another roll of film doing test shots of filter/no filter in varying conditions. I am leaning towards "who needs it."

 

[daveywaugh]

I've only ever used the Summilux PRE-ASPH once - don't know if it's prone to flare or if there would be any negatives to filter use. Personally, with a hood, I'd be inclined to ditch the filter. Protection v flare risk? I'm sure you'll get lots of answers and the consensus will be 50 / 50 ;-) But I'll vote no filter.

 

[leicashot]

Same as another lens. Add a filter and you change the lens configuration, and introduce potential for artifacts such as internal reflections.

If you add a filter, you do it because protection is more valuable to you than preserving the lens's optical configuration, because you know most of the time the (high quality) filter will have nil effects.

I use filters and remove when I shoot into light sources (when I remember)

 

[astro8]

I wondered about this too.

I have a 35 summilux that was used by a PJ throughout the vietnam war and twice around the world.

I asked him did he ever get any reflections off the series7 Leica UV filter.

His reply..."Leave the F!@#$%! thing on there!"

Needless to say I've obeyed. I haven't had any flare or reflections.

 

[maddoc]

Well using the 35mm Summilux-M pre-ASPH and 12504 hood & filter you can be lucky:

or unlucky using the same hood & filter:

I am now using a modified E40 filter but it doesn`t keep very stable in place. Alternatively, a 12526 hood might help against flare but you need some DIY work to install a filter and that hood might rotate to easily ...

 

[Roger Hicks]

I wondered about this too.

I have a 35 summilux that was used by a PJ throughout the vietnam war and twice around the world.

I asked him did he ever get any reflections off the series7 Leica UV filter.

His reply..."Leave the F!@#$%! thing on there!"

Needless to say I've obeyed. I haven't had any flare or reflections.

After 30+ years using the same lens on 3 continents, I'd agree.

Worrying about filters is far more often an internet nerd problem than an actual problem -- like most such 'problems' on the internet. Yes, you can set up situations where it's a problem, such as shooting straight into the sun or other lights -- in which case you might as well remove the hood and filter together..

Cheers,

R.

 

[V-12]

I agree with Greg and Roger, filters and degrading image quality is all a bit of an urban myth. You can use a crappy filter and have problems, and artifacts can occur that you may think have been caused by a filter. But the benefits of just being able to make the photograph without buggering about with a lens brush and phaffing about with a lens cloth, just to make your precious jewel un-necessarily pristine, shouldn't be overlooked. A good filter will allow you to rub it with your tee-shirt and it will come up sparkling.

 

[Fraser]

I use the 12504 hood with a filter and see no difference, I filter all my lenses to me its more important to protect the lens (don't use lens caps) than maybe loose a tiny bit of quality if any!

 

[Vincent.G]

I have used a Leitz series VII hood + UVa filter on my 35 lux pre-asph (Canada) before.
I kept the filter on all the time; to keep the front glass clean.
I did not experience lens flare problem.
Like Gabor said, some times it depends on your luck.

 

[johannielscom]

Same here. Just taking chances with a lens-and-filter combo, since I'm too chicken to shoot this lens without a filter for protection.

You win some and lose some (concerning good photo's) but losing the lenses usability to front element scratches would leave me seriously scr*wed, it's the only 35 lens I (care to) have and can afford at the time.

Same goes for the rest of my four-lens kit: all are filtered at the time and will remain so.

 

[Dylan Hope]

Same here. Just taking chances with a lens-and-filter combo, since I'm too chicken to shoot this lens without a filter for protection.

You win some and lose some (concerning good photo's) but losing the lenses usability to front element scratches would leave me seriously scr*wed, it's the only 35 lens I (care to) have and can afford at the time.

Same goes for the rest of my four-lens kit: all are filtered at the time and will remain so.

It ain't cheap, but Leica can rebuild you new elements if they ever get damaged. Saw a 35 lux for sale recently and the seller told me he got the front (and I think) and rear elements rebuilt for 1100nzd.

But I'm in the same boat as you, couldn't bear to shoot filterless after I look at how junked up the glass on my filters are after a year or so (NZ foiliage can be brutal), I even ended up selling my first cron because I didn't like the nakedness of the lens and didn't want to be the guy who ruined a lens much older than I

 

[EdwardKaraa]

Filters can add some ghosting and may lower the contrast a tiny imperceptible bit in very rare situations. It also happens that in most situations where one can see a problem and attribute it to the filter, the problem would still be there without the filter, such as flare. I personally believe that a lens hood will largely remove any risk of image degradation caused by the filter, if any. That is why I always use both a filter and a lens hood.

 

[enasniearth]

Summilux

Summilux

I had the lens many years ago , no hood . Used some zeiss slip on filters for the contax rf cameras when i needed a filter for protection or effect . Think they were the standard slip ons from the 40.5 mm size zeiss. .
Always had the cap on while not photographing , still if you want a filter how about the newest Mrc filters by b&w made currently .

The summilux is very compact without the hood ans easy to hide under a jacket .