Canon LTM Lens 40mm filters

[Beemermark]

Canon standardized on the 40mm filter thread size for their LTM lenses. Over the decades I've collected every odd ball filter size imaginable but I only have ONE filter in the 40mm size. I find it odd that Canon made so many lenses with this filter size but filters and hoods are almost non-existent. Any ideas?

 

[peterm1]

I suspect that everyone hangs onto them because they are hard to find. creating a vicious circle - they are expensive and a bit rare so people hoard making them more expensive and rare. As a purely practical alternative you could do what I tend to do these days. A number of years ago I found a nice metal hood on eBay in 43mm diameter which also works quite well with everything from a 35mm wide angle up to a 90mm lens. That specific hood is no longer available but others in that diameter are - cheaply and readily found. I quickly discovered that 43mm is useful as, with stepping rings, it is easy to adapt lenses with filter rings as diverse as 37mm, 39mm, 40mm, 40.5mm, 41mm etc thus saving on the need to buy sometimes difficult to find filters and hoods in odd and sometimes vanishingly difficult to find sizes. Stepping rings are dirt cheap on eBay (a dollar or so including postage) and readily found in almost any filter ring diameter combinations. By matching a 43mm filter (and 43mm hood if that is what you want) with a stepping ring many lenses can be fitted with only a few of the main parts by interchanging them. It is a solution that works especially well when expensive filters like UV/IR cut filters must otherwise be found in unusual sizes.

PS Canon did the same with other lenses in their line up too - 48mm instead of the much more common 49mm for example. Grrrrrr!

 

[davhill]

A wide range of 40mm filters are made today because the FUJI X10 series cameras use this size. Just search for “Fuji x10 filter”.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Canon standardized on the 40mm filter thread size for their LTM lenses. Over the decades I've collected every odd ball filter size imaginable but I only have ONE filter in the 40mm size. I find it odd that Canon made so many lenses with this filter size but filters and hoods are almost non-existent. Any ideas?

This is the bane of my existence when it comes to a few of my favorite Canon LTM lenses. I've got two different 40mm Yellow filters, but for the life of me cannot find a 40mm Red filter. Been looking for years. Most of what I use the little Canon lenses for is B&W work.

Best,
-Tim

 

[peterm1]

Just to make everyone drool. Canon used to make sets of filters like these in the full range of common colors for black and white work in stored in this multicolored screw-apart case. The set depicted below is for the 50mm f1.2 - from memory 55mm diameter. But they also made them in more common 40mm diameter for the smaller lenses. i once owned a set but sold it. That was many years ago and since then I have only ever seen one similar set.

 

[Peter Jennings]

Canon hoods are two-piece and accept Series VI filters, in case the 40mm ones are impossible to find.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

On eBay 40-40.5 step up ring. Works awesome on 50мм lenses with this filter size. And no money, space wasting is needed for hood.
But I don't know if this solution works for wider lenses without vignetting.

 

[Timmyjoe]

The vignetting is a real issue with the 28mm f2.8 Canon. I have a Canon original yellow filter but it vignettes on the 28mm. I also have a Walz Y2 which is very thin, and it works well on the 28mm, very mild vignetting, and only wide open. The Canon original filter works well on the 35mm f1.8 & 35mm f2.0 Canon LTM lenses.

Also have the Canon lens hood that takes the Series VI filters, and even though the Canon 35mm f2.8 & 35mm f3.2 are listed on the hood itself, the hood vignettes wide open on both the 35mm Canon lenses I have, and it's a disaster on the 28mm.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Bingley]

I have a couple of Canon 40mm filters, but gave up trying to find them and went with Plan B: a 40 to 43mm step up ring with 43mm filters and hoods. Works perfectly.

 

[Kai-san]

Heliopan is making 40mm filters still, top quality made from Schott glass. They are available from Fotoimpex and Macodirect, probably for sale in the US as well.

 

[Beemermark]

I appreciate the responses but I think you'all are missing the point of my post. Why is that Canon made a few hundred thousand or maybe a million lenses that took a 40mm filter thread and only made 2 (sarcasm) filters? Hoods are almost as scarce, I just looked on eBay. Something like 4 available in all the world starting at $250 up to $500. Tell me they aren't rare. I'm not looking for adapters, or work arounds, I'm asking why are 40mm filters so rare? As Perterm1 admits he's only seen one set of contrast set in his life.


I never new Heliopan made a filter, it's not listed on the big box camera stores.

 

[retinax]

I appreciate the responses but I think you'all are missing the point of my post. Why is that Canon made a few hundred thousand or maybe a million lenses that took a 40mm filter thread and only made 2 (sarcasm) filters? Hoods are almost as scarce, I just looked on eBay. Something like 4 available in all the world starting at $250 up to $500. Tell me they aren't rare. I'm not looking for adapters, or work arounds, I'm asking why are 40mm filters so rare? As Perterm1 admits he's only seen one set of contrast set in his life.


I never new Heliopan made a filter, it's not listed on the big box camera stores.

Because not that many buyers of the lenses bought filters and hoods, and of those who did, many must have damaged or lost them, put them in a drawer and not thought they would be worth anything when selling the lenses and so on. Makes perfect sense to me. Even Canon's decision to use a size so rare as to be almost proprietary seems to be common sense in modern manufacture and marketing, maybe ahead of its time.

 

[goamules]

I've got a few canon filter sets...always seem missing the yellow one I want.

 

[Darinwc]

Canon made many filters and hoods. But over the years, those little bits and accessories get lost or thrown out.

Also, I think the series filters were more popular at the time. So since the hoods all were made for series filters, not as many screw in filters were sold.

In any case, often the vintage filters are just not worth it. They are often scratched or have haze on them. And they are not coated.

For hoods, also look for the "s-42" hood which will clamp on to the outside of a lens such as the 50mm f1.8.

 

[Beemermark]

Is the S-42 hood made to to slip on the OD size of 42mm? Don't think Canon ever made a hood for the 35mm/2.0 (and you don't need one if you don't use a filter). The OD of the 35mm/2.0 barrel is 42mm.

 

[bennyng]

Just to make everyone drool. Canon used to make sets of filters like these in the full range of common colors for black and white work in stored in this multicolored screw-apart case. The set depicted below is for the 50mm f1.2 - from memory 55mm diameter. But they also made them in more common 40mm diameter for the smaller lenses. i once owned a set but sold it. That was many years ago and since then I have only ever seen one similar set.

Pretty! I loved this set! Took me 5 years to complete all the 6 pieces. These are 55mm.


Canon 50mm f/1.2 LTM filter set by benny ng, on Flickr

 

[bennyng]

I appreciate the responses but I think you'all are missing the point of my post. Why is that Canon made a few hundred thousand or maybe a million lenses that took a 40mm filter thread and only made 2 (sarcasm) filters? Hoods are almost as scarce, I just looked on eBay. Something like 4 available in all the world starting at $250 up to $500. Tell me they aren't rare. I'm not looking for adapters, or work arounds, I'm asking why are 40mm filters so rare? As Perterm1 admits he's only seen one set of contrast set in his life.


I never new Heliopan made a filter, it's not listed on the big box camera stores.

I don't find 40mm filters to be particularly rare, be it UV/Skylight or any of the color variants. They do come up often, but in most cases, given how cheap Canon gear can be, these filters are often part of accessories included with the cheap gear, usually without even any specific mention. As such, it's harder to search specifically for it.

On a separate note, if you already have one of these nice slim thread-less filters on your lens, it's often quite a hassle to change to a color filter unless you have intent to leave it on for the duration of the shoot. It's much easier to use a clamp on (not screw on) hood with a series 6 filter (unless you are using a Canon 50mm f/1.5 LTM, then series 7). Perhaps that's why the series 6 color filters are easier to find compared to the 40mm ones.

Cheers,

 

[Spavinaw]

I have a boxed set of Canon filters like peterm1 except they are Series VI. I also have Canon yellow and orange Series VI, 34mm VU, 40mm UV, 55mm UV, 72mm UV, and orange and red 58mm. I have a copy of Canon lens literature from about 1958. It lists attachments for all lenses for which they are available as Series Vii except 50/1.8,, 50/2.8, and 100/3.5 are Series VI. As darwinwc said, most Canon hoods took series filters, so it seems logical that most Canon owners bought series filters, not threaded ones.

Just a bit of trivia: The metal rim of my Canon orange 58mm filter is engraved as follows, "CANON LENS 85mm f:1.5". However, it is not a lens (no power}, it is not 85mm, and it is not f:1.5. At least it is Canon. As you've heard before: Don't believe everything you read. This includes GPS navigation systems.

 

[bennyng]

Just a bit of trivia: The metal rim of my Canon orange 58mm filter is engraved as follows, "CANON LENS 85mm f:1.5". However, it is not a lens (no power}, it is not 85mm, and it is not f:1.5. At least it is Canon. As you've heard before: Don't believe everything you read. This includes GPS navigation systems.

This filter was part of a set made for the Canon 85mm f/1.5 LTM lens which has a 58mm thread. They were available as single filters with bakelite case or as a stacked set with the corresponding colors like the 50mm f/1.2 LTM set shown above.

As far as I know, the 50mm f/1.2 and the 85mm f/1.5 were the only two lenses that Canon had filters specially marked for them. The same filters were of course available as generic 55mm and 58mm variants.

None of the 40mm filters were marked specifically for any lenses.

Cheers,

 

[Spavinaw]

bennyng- thanks for the additiional information!