Canon LTM Filter mystery - Canon 50/1.8

Canon M39 M39 screw mount bodies/lenses
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kidblue

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One of my pride-and-joys is a later-model Canon LTM 50/1.8 (attached).

Upon a major amount of research, I settled on a vetted eBay seller, Heavystar to buy a 40 mm step-up ring to 40.5 mm in order to allow for an inexpensive UV filter to fit on my lens. Every sign pointed to it being able to fit and for $8, it was perfect. I'd read all the various accounts around here and that seemed to be a sure-thing.

Unfortunately, the set-up ring, which everyone said would fit, didn't. My threads seem to be fine, but the ring simply seemed just barely too big, or even the wrong thread-pitch.

Currently, I have a filed-down 40.5 mm UV filter on the lens with a tiny bit of glue and tape, but I'd like a better solution.

I'm just trying to protect this glass. If I can't find a suitable filter solution under $20 (I'm a poor 20-something), are there any snap-on, vented hoods that will guarantee a fit?

Thanks,

Noah
 

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Copy that - I'm reticent since the "solution" I already tried was supposed to work and didn't. I even went so far as to send the eBay seller photos to confirm it would fit this lens and thread-pitch. Plus this one is bordering on $40, which is a little steep for me these days.

Can you think of a more universal solution or at least something that is guaranteed to work on this particular lens?

Thanks again,
N.
 
I've used heavystar 40->40.5mm rings and they worked for me. Then again, I have a 40.5mm hood from heavystar, that doesn't work (on 40.5mm lenses). If you are sure your lens threads are OK, I am guessing you got something similar to my 40.5 hood. Bad quality control.

The Marumi filters are actually very good.

KEH has a Canon 40mm filter here, currently: http://www.keh.com/Filter-Products/1/CR/24/79013/22.5mm - 45mm/WGF.aspx (won't be there for long after my post, I bet).

They also have a hood that might be perfect for you, here: http://www.keh.com/camera/Canon-Rangefinder-Lens-Shades-and-Hoods/1/sku-CR279990004630?r=FE

Perfect since it includes a 42mm slip-on adapter, so you can add Series VI filters, that are more common.
 
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That hood might be perfect, but since it's not vented, should I be worried about it encroaching on my viewfinder? I already see a tiny bit of the lens as it is through the finder, which is why I was apt to grab a filter.

That KEH filter is just out of my range. I can do $20, but into that $40-range just makes me anxious these days...

Attached are some macro shots of the lens. Aside from the tiny discoloration, I think the threads are just about perfect. Should I suggest to HeavyStar that they send a replacement?

I didn't think this was a particularly rare lens, and that the average 40 mm solution would fit... Is there a universal hood or anything like that available?

Thanks for all the insight. I'd be lost without this site.
 

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Not sure how you want to interact with heavystar - he is usually very responsive.

The KEH hood that I mention above is vented. Just hard to see in the picture. You can see it better with pictures of the same hood being sold on ebay, item 380197289134.

Best,

Roland.
 
I must be blind, but I don't see vents in either of those. Would the big idea be that I could buy this Series VI hood and adapter and then use 42 mm filters, etc?
 
I have a Heavystar step up adapter for 40mm-40.5mm and it does not fully thread onto any of my Canon lenses. However the 40mm-43mm threads in fully.
 
I use a 40mm to 43mm step-up ring with my Canon lenses, including the 50/1.8. Your lens looks like it is chrome. The later Canon 50/1.8's are black with chrome trim. I have both.
 
So it's starting to sound like I got a dud.

I bought a cheap-o 40.5 mm UV filter from China for $3, which doesn't feel like it's getting "returned" I may just try and file it down and use a little Loctite or whatnot to fit it on the lens.
 
Where are you located Noah ? Let me dig at home and see what I can find. Keep the glue away for a moment and send me a PM.

Roland.
 
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I have a couple of Canon lenses w/ 40mm threads (including a first version black and chrome 50/1.8). I was lucky enough to score a 40mm skylight filter several years ago (although I paid dearly for it). But I also developed a Plan B: I found a 40-43 mm step-up ring, and bought a generic (non-vented) 43mm hood. The latter I think came from heavystar, but it could also have come from some other ebay vendor; I don't recall. Bottom line: neither the step-up ring nor the generic filter cost very much (so the cost of a bad sample is not that high), and the combo works great. I think the key to success in your case will be to find any step-up ring from 40mm to some other standard filter size. Once you've got that piece of the puzzle in place, a generic hood can usually be found easily and for not much $$$.

Warning, however: If that 40mm filter is still for sale at KEH when I get home from work this evening, it's mine! ;):)
 
I just got through going through this exercise a month ago. I already had straight screw-in and push-on hoods, but I wanted a tilted hood that would block the viewfinder less. From Heavystar I got, as Brian suggested, a 40 -> 43mm adapter and a 43mm tilted and vented hood that comes with a 52mm lens cap. Total cost $27.35. This set-up is way better then you realize. Obviously you have a choice of 40mm or 43mm or 52mm filters, but this type set-up solves the eternal question of how do you use a polarizer on a rangefinder camera easily and cheaply. Simply put a 52mm polarizer on the front of the hood and look through the openings in the hood as you rotate the polarizer. You can also put a vented 52mm hood on the front of the polarizer to shade it. Yes, I realize you can't see the the effect of the polarizer on the whole view at once, but you can easily see enough of the effect on the sky, a glass window, water, leaves, and other surfaces to make it very useful. I posted this earlier on another thread, but it my be useful to someone if I post it again here.
 
Thanks for more info - I traded a bunch of emails with Heavystar, who seemed really boggled that this step-up didn't fit, but he also said that he hadn't actually tried that ring on this particular lens. Needless to say, that makes me reticent to try the 40 mm-43 mm. Is there any reason I'd go up to 43 mm as opposed to my original (and failed) idea of 40.5 mm?

I appreciate all the leads. The only way I've managed to maintain shooting film these days has been a strict adherence to a budget, which means occasionally making a distinction between a $20 purchase and a $40 purchase. It kind of sucks, and I'm not looking for any favors, but that's what keeps me away from the digital camera :)

I've always been a filter-guy as opposed to a hood-guy, especially to keep profiles low on my rangefinder, but at this point, anything that takes the edge off my anxiety with this lens would be groovy.
 
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kidblue said:
Thanks for more info - I traded a bunch of emails with Heavystar, who seemed really boggled that this step-up didn't fit, but he also said that he hadn't actually tried that ring on this particular lens. Needless to say, that makes me reticent to try the 40 mm-43 mm. Is there any reason I'd go up to 43 mm as opposed to my original (and failed) idea of 40.5 mm?
...
Click to expand...

I have a Heavystar 40-40.5 adapter ring, it does not fully thread into any Canon rangefinder 40mm filter ring lenses. It will screw in a few turns which is more than enough to hold a filter to the lens.

I have a Heavystar 40-43 adapter ring, it fully threads into any Canon rangefinder 40mm filter ring lens.

Either option will work out fine.
 
kidblue said:
Re: Above post -

This one wouldn't thread at all, the 40.5 mm. Not one turn.
Click to expand...

My apologies, I originally thought the problem was fitting the adapter ring onto the lens.

One option could be removing the glass filter from the filter housing and securing it to the adapter ring. It the glass filter will probably be smaller in diameter than the step up ring but a dab of loctite could secure it in place.
 
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