Pardon my ignorance but how can i accurately use a ND filter or even a polarizer with a rangefinder camera like my new M6 ?

-- stuart babcock (stubab@camcomp.com), March 12, 2002

Answers

You can't.

-- Roger (roger@yahoo.fr), March 12, 2002.

Of course you can.

I'm assuming you're shooting landscapes. I suspect a grad. filter is easier to use than a Pol; the dyes are set and don't depend on the orientation of the filter w.r.t. the sun. Just realize how your filter is dyed in relation to the horizon.

OOPS, I was reading ND and was thinking grad. Perhaps that's what the other poster was thinking too.

For a pol., I take it off, rotate it in front of my eye to where I like it, then put it back on with the same orientation. I can get it on the lens within a few degrees - accurate enough. I know it's a bit cumbersome, but for landscapes I have the time. There are gadgets avail. to speed up the process.

For a ND it's even easier, the M6 is not fooled by these filters.

-- chris chen (chrischen@msn.com), March 12, 2002.

I think perhaps the poster did mean graduated ND (a regular ND is like any other filter unaffected by orientation). Using a ND-grad on a rangefinder camera is not a simple as composing so the horizon is in the image center. The grad effect varies according to the lens focal length and aperture in use. The only sure-fire way to guage this is by shooting a series of test slides for each lens against a blank wall using different apertures and varying the shutter speed to keep the exposure even. Keep them in order and note where the division falls at each aperture (eg 1/4 down from top, 1/3 down, etc.) and make yourself a laminated cheat-sheet to carry with you. Since these filters are used for landscape photography you will normally have time to consult the card...in fact it takes less time than trying to visually position the filter in a Cokin holder. You select the aperture you need for the placement of the division and vary the exposure by shutter speed (you're on a tripod anyway, right?). Rotating the filter for skewed horizions, if you ever do it, is an easy judgment call. The only downside is sometimes a too-large aperture may be required, which reduces DOF undesirably.

This refers to using the circular, rotating ND-grads. You could also use the Cokin "A" size, but then you need to make tests and data for aperture *and* vertical filter placement. However if you confine yourself to a couple apertures (f/8 and f/16 for example)it isn't a big deal.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), March 12, 2002.

How do you use a graduated ND filter with an M6?

Put it under the enlarger lens.

8^)

(Sorry - couldn't resist. Chris and Jay show the way. In addition you can 'bracket' the horizon line placement by shooting several exposures and sliding the filter up and down a few mm for each.)

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), March 12, 2002.

Stuart. In answer to the question about polarizers for Leica M, I am copying an answer I gave in response to a question about the 35/2 Summicron aspheric in another thread. Here it is:

If you wish to use a polarizer on a Leica M, you are more or less restricted to the M polarizer (this is a linear polarizer, the older version is designated 13352 in its E39 lens configuration and 11351 for E43 lenses) accessory marketed by Leica. This allows viewing by extending the polarizer 180 degrees to cover the viewfinder, adjusting the rotation until you get a suitable effect, and then rotating it back into place over the lens, which will give the same effect as you saw through the VF. You can use a circular polarizer, but you will have to hold it up to the light to see what, if any, effect you will get. The M-polarizer is suitable for E39 lenses such as the 35/2.0 Summicron-M or 35/2.0 Summicron-ASPH-M. This polarizer has its own built-in lens hood, which you would use instead of the clip-on lenshood that comes with the lens. Rangefinders were not really designed for use with orientation dependent filters that require viewing the scene, but the M-polarizer works well, and is a good thing to have if you frquently like to use polarizers.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), March 12, 2002.

Thanks for your help !!

-- stuart babcock (stubab@camcomp.com), March 12, 2002.

and again:

-- stefan randlkofer (geesbert@yahoo.com), March 12, 2002.

Or this:

Check out http://www.photoequip.net/

Works GREAT!

;-),

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), March 12, 2002.

Heres how to mount filter as in the original question. once you determine which way is up, you place a small red dot of modeling paint on the filter to see from above. I have used this for years, the only drawback is the filter will move as from not being snug tight, but once you overcome this its a charm. mike

-- mike (thearea19@aol.com), March 12, 2002.

If you are using an M5, CL, or M6 why not, with the meter switched on, simply rotate the filter, looking through the viewfinder until you get the minimuin exposure reading. This would place the polarizer in it's maximum effective position.

An idea from the Contax G2 forum.

Regards,

-- Alan Purves (lpurves@mnsi.net), March 14, 2002.