Is the polarizer for Leica for the 21 and 24mm lenses also? The information I have tells me it is not for the 55mm lenses. Thanks Gil

-- g garcia (gil-garcia@worldnet.att.net), May 04, 2001

Answers

There are several sizes of Leica circular polarizers. You can see a good list, for instance, at New York Camera & Video's website, URL: http://www.nycv.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html? catid=134&sid=5pkBs30GQ9yC21t

Regards, Ray

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), May 04, 2001.

I think Gil's referring to the Universal (swing-out) Polarizer for the Leica M. Leica does not make an adaptor for E55, but it certainly can be made (I made one!). It will work well with the 90/2 and 90/2 APO-ASPH, but not with the (1st-version) Tri-Elmar or the 21 or 24 because the polarizer has an integral hood that vignettes these lenses. If you want to polarize the 21 or 24 (ok for reducing reflections but for darkening blue skies it will make one side darker than the other, a result of the wide angle of coverage vs. your position relative to the sun)or the 1st-version Tri-Elmar, it is easy to make an adaptor if you're handy with a Dreml tool or power drill: Buy a 67mm polarizer (can be a linear rather than circular type, so you can save some money)and a 55-67 step-up ring. Screw the ring onto the lens, look through the finder and mark the part of the stepping ring (protruding beyond the lens' front flange) you can see through the finder. *Remove the adaptor from the lens!!!*, and carefully (to avoid gouging the threads)use a small drill or dreml tool to cut out (with the drill, drill several holes that slightly overlap each other, then file the remainder smooth) an oval hole in the flange (i.e. the flat part between the 55 and 67 threads)that you could see through the finder. Now, attach the adaptor and polarizer to the lens. You can now look through the finder and the cut-out and view how the polarizer changes as you rotate it. If you have more than one lens you may need to make more than one cut-out as the thread timing is probably different from one to another. Also, you'll need to sight the polarizer through the *camera* finder, as the accesory finder magnification is too low to see the cut-out adequately.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), May 04, 2001.