Leica filter prices!

P

pukupi

Guest
Is a Leica UV filter really 5000 Yen better than a 2000 Yen Kenko UV filter?

Does anyone buy these?
 
I think the Leica filters are made by B+W of Germany.... which themselves are not cheap but are of brilliant quality. Ofcourse you are also paying for the Leica branding... if you need some Leica filters and want the best quality have a look at B&H Video for B+W MRC filters (here are the 39mm MRC filters):

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...arch&Q=*&shs=B+W+mrc+39mm&image.x=0&image.y=0

...not much point putting a cheap and nasty filter in front of the best Leica glass.
 
I just bought 2 39mm Hoya filters. B&W filters are about the same price as Hoya, $22.00, here in the US. I read some where that Leica uses Hoya glass in their filters, so that, true or not, is good enough for me.
 
My Leica filter has pathetic looking coating. So much reflection off the surface. If I had to buy this 39mm filter, it would cost me almost as much as a 77mm Hoya Super HMC and the Hoya has almost invisible glass; very faint reflection i.e. better light transmission. It must cost a lot to engrave Leitz Wetzlar Germany on the ring.

Alas the 0.5mm thread pitch prevents me from buying a Super HMC Hoya for my Cron. Maybe I'll get a B+W MRC when this Leitz one is full of scratches, that's if B+W makes one 39mm 0.5mm pitch one.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
And once you get your filters, go look at the cost of the eyepiece diopters, $76.

Why did we get ourselves into this?
 
Luckily I have 20/20 eye sight so I don't need to get diopters. :)

Does your collapsible Summicron take regular 39mm filter Ralph? I checked 3 Summicrons, all rigid type I, and they all use 0.5mm pitch. Maybe newer Leica lenses have 0.75mm pitch so we can use any good quality filter with reasonable price.
 
Yes, it takes regular 39mm filters. I am surprised that yours doesn't. I was not aware that any of the 50 Summicrons took anything different.
 
The B+W MRC F-Pro filters are the top-of-the-line as akalai says. Unfortunately they are also top-of-the-line in price.

Hoya filters are remarkably good, and Hoya also OEMs for many other companies. I have a green Vivitar 58mm filter for my 21/2.8 that is clearly a Hoya. The big difference between a Hoya and a B+W (apart from the glass) is that the finish on the B+W is much harder. The Hoya filters will not last as long as the B+Ws.
 
A piece of used Leica filter is priced at almost a new B+W MRC filter locally. Personally I don't lean towards which one, but base on the availability & the market price.
 
Try Heliopan filter, they use the same glass as B+W and Leitz filter (Schott or Zeiss glass). I think you could get new and inexpensive by order from HK or you may find them in Japan.

Pop
 
What I like about B&W filters, and why I pay more vs Hoya, is the brass filter ring which doesn't bind or stick like the aluminum of Hoya and some other brands.

Zoltan
 
Yes, it is worth 3000 Yen difference. Once you get a Leica (I don't own one) you need to buy everything Leica or you will not stand out when you are photographing the same thing as me. (You do have that Leica bag and hat right?) I will be very impressed and so will all the other suckers next to me and look at their lame filters and say "man, I wish I HAD a Leica filter....that will make my pictures sooo much better" :)

Seriously, I was a Marketing major. What that is called is "percieved pricing". If they lower their prices, their products will not be percieved as not being special. And if you buy it...I wish I was working in marketing again so that I may reap the benefits of selling a piece of glass for a lot of money.

I used to get B+W filters and then for some reason, I wound up with a bunch of filters that I use for B&W film. I stopped buying B+W when I couldn't figure out which filter I had on what lens.
 
emaquiling said:
Yes, it is worth 3000 Yen difference. Once you get a Leica (I don't own one) you need to buy everything Leica or you will not stand out when you are photographing the same thing as me. (You do have that Leica bag and hat right?) I will be very impressed and so will all the other suckers next to me and look at their lame filters and say "man, I wish I HAD a Leica filter....that will make my pictures sooo much better" :)
Click to expand...

I don't own any Leica gear but there is a used lens I'm interested in so if I get it I'll be sure to also get the hat, bag and t-shirt as I will not be able to take good photos without them ;)

emaquiling said:
Seriously, I was a Marketing major. What that is called is "percieved pricing". If they lower their prices, their products will not be percieved as not being special. And if you buy it...I wish I was working in marketing again so that I may reap the benefits of selling a piece of glass for a lot of money.
Click to expand...

This explains why the boxes of Leica accessories are covered in dust at my local camera shop :D
 
I've been thinking about taking the cardboard covers off of cheap disposable cameras and modifying them to fit over my leicas to discuise them from the leicaphiles and mythlickers.
 
Just curious, since you are in Japan and I've never been there except to change flights. What do you see most of there? Are there a lot more people shooting with Nikons or Canons or Leicas? Are Leicas costing A LOT more than Nikons? Do you see a lot of people with medium format? Do you see people with large format out there? I don't really know and it'll be interesting to see a perspective from someone there.
 
emaquiling said:
Just curious, since you are in Japan and I've never been there except to change flights. What do you see most of there? Are there a lot more people shooting with Nikons or Canons or Leicas? Are Leicas costing A LOT more than Nikons? Do you see a lot of people with medium format? Do you see people with large format out there? I don't really know and it'll be interesting to see a perspective from someone there.
Click to expand...

Most people have some form of P&S digital camera although camera-enabled mobiles are used more often than not despite their lower resolution.

Amongst photographers there are lots of big Nikon and Canon SLRs and dSLRs. While there are plenty of medium and large format cameras in my local camera store, it would be unusual to see one being used outside a studio. There is also a lot of Leica and other RF gear but this too is seldom seen on the streets although I recently spotted a fellow RFer carrying no less than four Leica kits. :eek:

Price wise Leica gear is expensive but so too is top line Nikon and Canon gear.
 
I was in Vienna recently and saw a Japanese tourist with an M series, M4 I think.

Also in the film "Japanese Story" the Japanese character was shooting with an M6.

Whilst on films, in the more recent "Sideways" the professional photographer character started a portrait session with a tripod-mounted Hassleblad and then switched to a hand held M6.

Maybe Leica gives cameras away to film makers.
 
I try to pick up quality filters when and where I can second hand. I just received 5 perfect 49mm filters from Cupog that he says were made by Zeiss. (I imagine they're CZJ.) The maker's name isn't on them but they appear to be first-rate quality. Each has it's own leather pouch and I paid $38 total, including shipping.

Another source of quality filters are those coming from the FSU with different lenses.

I also try to find Hoya, Tiffen, Vivitar and other good brand name filters when I can get them for a few dollars each. A lot of lenses sold on ebay will have a skylight or UV filter on them....... and often be missing the lens cap!

Walker
 
The Hoya HMC Super are suppose to be pretty good filters. But they are not available for the 39mm thread. So I generally use the B+W MRC filter.

But I think most of the time you do not really need a UV filter in front of the lens. I usually don't use any UV filters because most people use UV filters as "protective" filters, while I find the lens hood does a better job protecting the front element. I only use the UV filter at most twice a year when I am at really sandy places or places with lots of water splashing...


Flowen
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom