Are the Leica UV and Polarizing filters truely the best? Are they multi-coated so as to minimize flare? Why are they so much more than COMPARABLE MULTICOATED FILTERS from both B+W and Heliopan? Superiority or just for the cachet? Happy New Year! Albert Knapp MD

-- Albert Knapp MD (albertknappmd@mac.com), January 08, 2002

Answers

Albert. As far as I am aware, Leica UVa filters are NOT multi- coated: at least they have never advertised them as such. I don't know if polarizing filters can or should be multi-coated, so can't say anything about that. The only advantage as far as I can tell of Leica filters compared to the other German makers (all use brass rings) is that the Leica filters are cosmetically matched to their lenses.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), January 08, 2002.

Dr. Knapp, my suggestion is to place a Leica UV filter and B+W and/or Heliopan UV filter side by side and examine the difference in light transmission. The Leica filter is obviously NOT multi-coated; reflections abound. Not so the B+W or Heliopan. Leica is free to charge what it wishes for its products. You are the customer, so decide.

-- David (pagedt@chartertn.net), January 08, 2002.

Not to start a flame war, because I have no real opinion here, but: I understand that a few years back Zeiss spec'd its own Heliopan filters to no longer be multi-coated because they found it hampered resolution(!) while offering limited gains in transmission. Instead they opted for the higher resolution of single-coating. Tiffen followed suit shortly thereafter and dropped their multi-coated line. You will notice that B+W offers most of their filters both ways now...

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), January 08, 2002.

I hadn't heard that Jack, but it's an interesting thought and I'd be curious to know more. I'm trying to figure out how a coating with 99% transmission could degrade resolution more than one that reflects or scatters about 4% of the light. I do know that all of Hasselblad's current UV-Sky filters are multicoated, whether Zeiss has any say in the matter or not I don't know. Contax sells both a "protection filter" which isn't advertised as multicoated, and a multicoated UV under their name, but again I don't know what influence Zeiss does or doesn't have over them. All Nikon filters are multicoated as are Pentax's filters. I've seen Canon filters, they look extremely much like Tiffens, perhaps just a coincidence? I had heard that Tiffen discontinued their TMC line because they weren't selling, and besides being more expensive, most multi's (except B+W's MRC line) smear like the dickens when wiped, so I'm not surprised if camera stores have a hard time pushing them...and after all probably 95% of all UV filters sold are at the urging of salespeople when a customer buys a new lens. I did read somewhere that multi-coating is contraindicated with polarizers but I don't remember the rationale. I'm more than a little curious about this whole issue, as I have changed over all my Leica UV's to B+W MRC's at no small expense.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 08, 2002.

Several people have said that Heliopan filters are multi-coated, but their adds don't say this (at least the ones in Shutterbug and other photo mags). So I have wondered why Heliopan doesn't say so if their filters are multi-coated. Do the specs that come with the filters say "multi-coated"? (I don't have any Heliopan filters).

The only thing I have to add about Leica filters, is that they are very long-lived; and vintage Leica filters are sought by collectors as well as users of older lenses. You;d be surprised at how much an old chrome Leitz E39, E41, or E43 filter can cost. On the other hand, used (even mint) filters from other makers can be bought dirt cheap. FWIW.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), January 08, 2002.

As far as I know, Leitz filters are, or were, made by B+W. Not to repeat myself but I have an E39 that says Leitz on the top and B+W on the bottom [obviously a mistake was made]. People other than Schneider may make some of their filters. It would be interesting to know.

Art

-- Art (AKarr90975@aol.com), January 09, 2002.

Interesting discussion. I've dug out a few links that give the various manufacturers' claims about their filter coatings, etc:

http://www.heliopan.com/helio1.htm (looks like an unofficial site) http://www.thkphoto.com/catalog/hoya.html http://www.schneideroptics.com/filters/filters_for_still_photography/t he_b%2Bw_difference/ http://www.2filter.com/faq/facts.html (table with comparisons)

It seems that standard Heliopan filters have a single coating on each surface (with multicoating as a special order option). B+W and Hoya make both single-coated and multi-coated filters. The top of the range Hoya SHMC and B+W MRC have an extra layer that is supposed to make them easier to clean. Having just bought a Hoya SHMC UV, I can confirm that it's impressively transparent; when clean the glass is really quite hard to see at certain angles!

-- Richard Williams (richardw@icr.ac.uk), January 09, 2002.

Oops, let's try the URLs again (I won't even attempt to make them clickable!):

http://www.heliopan.com/helio1.htm

http://www.thkphoto.com/catalog/hoya.html http://www.schneideroptics.com/filters/filters_for_still_photography/t he_b%2Bw_difference/

http://www.2filter.com/faq/facts.html

-- Richard Williams (richardw@icr.ac.uk), January 09, 2002.

Here you go:

heliopan

thkphoto Schneider

2filter

At least I tried.

-- Art (AKarr90975@aol.com), January 09, 2002.

Art,

You are correct; Leica have filters made for them - sometimes I wonder what else is rebadged Leica. Minolta made cameras for them, Zeiss and Schneider have made lenses for them in the past.

AFAIK, in the old days, Leitz made a dizzying array of goods in their Wetzler factory. So, probably made filters for their vintage chrome lenses. I have an E39 on my 8-element Summicron. It is definately NOT multi-coated; I don't even know if its coated at all. It gives me satisfactory performance, but I'm sure a multi-coated, when bench tested, would be better.

On another note:

I saw that "vitriolic" anti-UV filter recently, and have to agree, somewhat: I broke a "protective" filter on my 20 1:4 Nikon lens (in combi-case) and the shards gouged my front element badly. I've never damaged a naked front element. Im a stickler for lens cleanliness, though, so I continue to use UV/Skylight filters, even periodically taking them off to clean the lens under them, pathetic. I've lost too many caps, and LOVE to wipe mist, finger prints, etc. with my shirt tail and not have to worry about soft coatings on my vintage lenses. And no, I don't shoot into the sun much; I don't find it photogenic.

I also agree with Martin Tai: grunge (smoke, oil, etc.) from the air WILL get on a naked lens, even in the case.

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 10, 2002.

I want to thank everyone for their answers. It seems that the Leica filters are not multicoated as the reflection under a lightbulb is white. A multicoated filters reflection would be magenta and green, similar to a multi-coated lens's. It seems that B+W is the best suited for the Leica and that is what I will use. Thanks again

-- Albert Knapp MD (albertknappmd@mac.com), January 10, 2002.