Filters- Leica vs B+W or none?!

[craygc]

Always B+W UVs, Orange/Reds and NDs. However, I went and bought a Kenko 58mm ND4 last night from Yodabashi Camera in Tokyo so I could crank open the VC 50mm f/1.1 today - tried to get a B+W in Singapore before left but none in stock. With Ektar 100 and an ND4 filter with heavy overcast - set the meter to ISO 32 - Im still having trouble getting to f/1.1 😀

 

[semilog]

Ah. Here's the test that I was thinking of.

Edited to add: here is the summary page.

Hoya HMC and pro-digital win big. B+W MRC does well, too.

Heliopan and non-MRC B+W filters fare poorly. Tiffen: fail.

 

[B.J.Scharp]

B+W MRC. Only ones you can easily clean in the field (of the brands I've tested).

And I only use `protection' on older lenses. Newer lenses are hard enough by themselves, and only get a filter for B&W or slide purposes.

 

[Rashomon1415]

You buy Leica to have light go through Leica glass and only Leica glass. Why would you "un-Leica" it by slapping a filter on it?

 

[kokoshawnuff]

B+W clear for protection on all my lenses because I don't like some of the results I've gotten from UV filters (either Heliopan, B+W, or Leica)

 

[Shade]

For uv filters I prefer b / w, since the coating is much better than the leica, you can literally see the difference with your own eyes and not to mention they are also thinner than the leica.

I even like Hoya better since they have the same quality with less price. However its just my sickness that I wont put a made in japan filter on a made in germany lens. No offense.

I only use leica when there is no other options.

 

[Vics]

I don't use any filters for protection. I DO keep a hood on all the time (partly to protect the glass). I do use filters on my Rollei often, but not for protection. I sometimes shoot landscape or architecture with the Rolleis and a yellow or even a red filter helps with skies and such.

 

[jsrockit]

No hood, no filters... I like to go bareback!

 

[barnwulf]

I shoot almost all black and white film and rarely use filters at all. Sometimes a yellow. With my M8.2 I don't often use any filters unless I am shooting for a color image and then I use a UV/IR. I usually use B+W although I think I have a couple of Leica filters that came free when I bought the camera. Jim

 

[Leigh Youdale]

I use B+W filters for B&W film, ranging from red to light yellow/green, but I don't bother with UV filters at all now. I used to when shooting colour but I'm transitioning to digital for colour work now. Fuji X10. I do use lens hoods nearly all the time.

 

[Bingley]

I always use filters even though I only have one Leica lens. The lenses are in great condition, and I often shoot in dusty locations, so I'm sold on the added protection for the front element. Mostly they're B&W skylight or UV filters, although I got some clamp on filters for my Elmar 50/3.5.

 

[Matus]

I have once come across UV filter REVIEW over at LensTip.com where the Hoya HMC UV-0 produced the best results. Accidentally this is also one of the cheaper filters. I got these for all my Mamiya 6 lenses.

 

[gavinlg]

Recently put UV filters on my lenses. Got tired of using lens caps when out and also my filter-less 17-40mm f4L is looking very dusty under the front element (and thats a weather sealed lens!)

So I'm using the b+w 007 clear MRC filter on the x100, and hoya HMC uv-0 on the canon lenses. They're both pretty similar in optical quality - minimum artifacts under bad conditions, but the b+w is built much nicer - brass ring vs alloy on the hoya.

 

[21-135 Apo All Good]

I always use filters, and try to always use Leica filters. No matter how many times I wipe them, I can't get a wipe mark to show! Rain, dust, fingerprints, all wipe-off with ease. I too have had a couple of close calls in my 45+ years of photographing. Filters have saved the lenses for sure!

To those that seem to have "flare" problems, perhaps the use of only the best newest optics AND the use of lens hoods would help solve your problems. Aspherical and Apo are the ONLY lenses I own, besides the Noct. and the Noct. tames light sources in the image.