Hi:

The question that I am about to ask may sound stupid to most of you, but I just have to know. I know some of you use filter for black and white photograph and some don't. For those of you who do use filters, which brands of filters is best for the M lenses? Does different brands of filters produce different result on a same lens? I would like to know which brand(s) of filters will bring out the best qualities of the M lenses?

-- Edward Yu (fallot@ms2.hinet.net), November 23, 2001

Answers

Edward,

I've used Hoya, Tiffen, Ednalite, Harrison & Harrison, Kodak, Spiratone, Nikon, Olympus, Zeiss, Hasselblad, Heliopan, B&W, Canon, Leitz, Hama, Rollei, and others I can't remember. All have worked fine for me.

My guess is that if you measured the effects of a filter in a laboratory, there would be a difference. As a pratical matter, I've never seen a difference in a 10 x 15 inch print due to a filter (aside from the desired effect) . A dirty filter is the biggest problem; keep them clean.

Today I buy either Hoya, Tiffen, B&W, or Heliopan depeneding on what B&H has in stock. With Leica equipment size matters; Tiffen doesn't make 39mm filter anymore. For every lens I buy I get a Hoya Sky 1B (MC if available), a yellow 12 (normally made only by Tiffen), a 25 red (Hoya, B&W, or Heliopan), and an IR 87B generally a B&W. If I have the 25 red and IR in the size required I don't buy them; I do buy a Hoya Skylight for every lens and a yellow 12 up to three in the same size.

The yellow 12 is the most important BW filter to me; outdoors I allways use it unless I want a stronger effect then I use the 25 red. Ansel & Fred were big users of the 12 yellow as well. Tiffen makes them in sizes 49mmm to 95mm; Heliopan will make them on special order I've been told.

Decide what filters you need and buy them from Hoya, Tiffen, B&W, Heliopan or Leitz. You won't see a difference provided you keep them clean.

-- Tony Oresteen (aoresteen@mindspring.com), November 23, 2001.

FWIW, I ordered a Medium Yellow Filter from B&H, (used). Series 7 for 28 Elmarit R. I cleaned it, very carefully, and to my surprise it seemed to star shedding the Filter Material from One Side of the Disc! First time I have ever seen it happen. No trouble at all returning it from B&H, (they've always been very good about that sort of thing),and I ordered a new one from Heliopan. Still waiting! Made me think twice re Tiffen though. Cheers, Pete

-- Pete Harvey (nnn0lmt@worldnet.att.net), November 23, 2001.

Tiffen filters are a sandwich of the filter gel and two pieces of glass. A filter of one piece, lot dyed, optical glass is a much better idea. Hoya's mounts are almost all made of aluminium which can cause problems with the filter seizing onto the lens (their high end ones and the ones they make for Leica use brass). Leica, Heliopan, high end Hoya, Schnieder and B+W all make excellent quality filters.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), November 23, 2001.

I'm surprised to learn the Hoya make Leica filters (thought it was B+W) and to learn that they make any filters in a brass mount.

-- Bud (budcook@attglobal.net), November 23, 2001.

Mostly what you're buying is the quality of the filter mount and antireflection coatings for the standard B&W filters (Orange, Yellow, Green, Red, etc). I tend to buy B+W or Heliopan as I like their mounts, plus I only buy a couple of filters so the high price is a somewhat small consideration. But I've used many different filters over the years and not seen much to distinguish between them in use.

Be sure you always use a lenshood with a filter to minimize flare.

Godfrey

-- Godfrey (ramarren@bayarea.net), November 23, 2001.

Hi Bud,

I am asleep at the wheel again!!! You are right B+W makes the Leica filters and Hoya uses only anodised aluminium mounts. Hoya supplies the optical glass for some of the Leica lenses.

Sorry about that,

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), November 23, 2001.

thought it was B+W As far as I know they have in the past. I have one 39 mm orange filter that must have been a mistake. When mounted, it reads Leitz on the top and B+W on the bottom. ;o) Must have been some transition on the ol'production line.

Art

-- Art (AKarr90975@aol.com), November 23, 2001.

Edward: I always use a colored filter when shooting black and white film, most often a medium yellow. I have filters made by Leica, B+W, Heliopan, and Hoya. They are all good but I use the Leica filter most since it is the only medium yellow I have. I sometimes use the yellow- green filter but prefer the look of the yellow. Good luck in finding what you want.

-- John Alfred Tropiano (jat18@psu.edu), November 23, 2001.

FWIW, My favorite filter is B+W's 023. Works great and achieves excellent highlight separation in snow. I should super-glue it to my 24mm.

-- Mike DeVoue (karma77@att.net), November 23, 2001.

For some of the above-mentioned filters, you are somewhat on the horns of a dilemma. If you want a Kodak Wratten #9 (K3 cloud filter); a #12, or #16 deep yellow, for instance, you can get them in a Tiffen filter. They have a wide selection. But the filters aren't as good as you might wish. My Tiffens are not only not multicoated, they're not even coated at all. Maybe they coat them now. Hoya filters are multicoated, but they only make a limited selection. Some of the sharpest pictures I've ever taken were through Hoya filters. The last time I went shopping for a #9 or #12, they didn't exist in the B+W range, or Heliopan, either.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), November 23, 2001.

I've been buying Heliopan, but only because that's the only brand I can find locally that includes the 39mm, and other weird Leica, sizes. For consistency with subtle color-correction filters I get Heliopan even in the common sizes, but that's less of a problem with strongly colored filters for B&W.

But I've never had quality problems with any brand of filter I've bought (Hoya, Tiffen, mostly). Just lucky, I guess.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), November 24, 2001.

I use only Leica filter on Leica lens

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), November 28, 2001.