Just acquired a 250mm 6.3 Ektar Wide Field. There's a removable ring that screws into the filter threads on the front element - what's the ring for? Maybe to protect the threads when I'm not using a filter??

Thanks in advance - Bill

-- bill youmans (bill@greatgrips.com), January 29, 2002

Answers

Bill,

It's a retaining ring for an unthreaded, drop-in "series" filter. Sorry, but I can't remember which series filters the WF Ektar uses, but they should be available from Tiffen, etc., but for a price.

-- david haynes (studioblsp@mindspring.com), January 29, 2002.

I'll give a WAG of series 8...but that may be entirely wrong. Anyway, if you can fit a screw-in filter be careful because the thread pitch of the series retaining ring and a screw-in filter is slightly different. Some filters screw in fine and others bind and can strip threads if forced.

-- John Hicks (jhicks@bellsouth.net), January 30, 2002.