What's new
Medium Format Forum

Register a free account now!

If you are registered, you get access to the members only section, can participate in the buy & sell second hand forum and last but not least you can reserve your preferred username before someone else takes it.

Filter brand recommendations

S

sleamiller

New Member
I have a 503CW and an 80mm lens and a 150mm lens right now. I want to get some filters that will fit both lenses so I need a system that will allow me to buy just one filter for both lenses, not 2 different sizes. My questions are: what brand of filters do you recommend? What is the largest size I need if I am also thinking of getting a larger lens like a 350mm? And last question... what parts do I need to put all this together? I have heard Cokin, Hoya, and others.
 
'Hasselblad', B+W or Heliopan, if of the round glass variety. Lee or Cromatek if of the square or rectangular resin variety.

Please forget about Cokin!

I'll assume your 80 and 150 mm lenses are of the CF or later type. If so, they both take bayonet 60 filters.
Bayonet filters do not have a screw thread, but, as the name suggests, a bayonet mount. That means the choice of manufacturer is limited, since only a few offer their filters in that mount.

All other lenses from 60 mm to 250 mm, plus the 38 mm Biogon, take the same size filters.
The 50 mm FLE CFi lens takes both bayonet 60 and bayonet 70 filters, the 50 mm CF (FLE and non-FLE) lens only bayonet 60 filters.

The 40 mm, and the longer lenses take series 93 filters.
These filters do not have either screw thread or bayonet mount, but are held in place in between the two parts of a sun shade.

To use square resin filters, you do need a filter holder.
The Hasselblad ProShade 6093 takes up to 4 100 mm square filters.
You can't use longer, graduated filters in it, but need a Lee holder/shade for that.


Older Hasselblad C lenses have different filter mounts: bayonet 50 for all lenses from 80 to 250 mm; series 63 for shorter lenses, except the 40 mm (which takes huge bayonet 104 filters); and series 86 filters for longer lenses.

Hasselblad F and FE lenses take bayonet 70 filters, except for the 50 mm and 350 mm lenses, which both need series 93 filters.
 
Sara

I use the Lee Filter System with step-up rings to fit the individual lenses. My initial investment of a few hundred pounds was worth every penny. I would only go for the 'pro' size whatever system you chose as these last a very long time. All my filers, including a circular polariser, are also from Lee Filters.

Here's the link to Lee Filters.

http://www.leefilters.com/

Regards,
Rabiya
 
My 80 lens is older and I belive it is a 50 bay. I will check out the Lee since it sounds like it will fit both lens. Thanks. What filters should I start with? Christmas is coming up after all.
 
Sara,

That's not the way to start using filters.
You should not ask us which one(s) to get, but do without until you find you need a particular filter, and then get that one.
 
Sara Bradner (Sleamiller) wrote on August 23:

' 2007 - 6:03 pm,'
Click to expand...
Sara Bradner (Sleamiller) wrote on August 23:

' 2007 - 6:03 pm,My 80 lens is older and I belive it is a 50 bay. I will check out the Lee since it sounds like it will fit both lens. Thanks. What filters should I start with? Christmas is coming up after all.'
Click to expand...

I echo QG. Push some rolls of film first.

Consider:
1) for darker skies and more defined clouds a linear polarizer for color or black and white; red for black and white only. Circular polarizers are more expense and cannot be used [on many] autofocus systems.
2) for color or black and white: UV or Skylight filters; they are also cheap lens protection.

Steve
 
I have shot several rolls of film and I am trying to get an exposure problem corrected but once I get that I wanted to start tinkering with filters. The previous post of "do without until you find you need a particular filter, and then get that one." does not make sense when you read my earlier post that I have a 503CW (sorry I didn't say Hasselblad) and I know with the 2 lens I mentioned and the fact that they are 2 different bay sizes if I just rush out and buy a filter for one then it will not fit the other lens. I want to buy a system that works for both.
 
The 40 mm, and the longer lenses take series 93 filters.
These filters do not have either screw thread or bayonet mount, but are held in place in between the two parts of a sun shade.>

Q

I really like the supplied filter adapter and shade however to my disappointment when it came time to finding some filters and especially a polarizer.

The only one available polarizer in the US and elsewhere is the Hasselblad #41646 and sells for $650.00 USD.

The Hasselblad is a Linear polarizing filter and actually threads into the lens and the outside portion of the filter is an adapter for the Pro Shade. The supplied filter adapter and shade are therefore not utilized when using the filter.

Heliopan no longer supplies series 93 and only perhaps B + W will make one. I ordered two filters last March and was told after 7 weeks that Germany wanted 4 more weeks, then near the end of May I was told that they would no longer provide them.

I have placed an order from a German camera store and I am currently expecting delivery of two custom made filters from B+W this week as this is a far less expensive alternative to the Hasselblad and I prefer coated circular filters. If the polarizer works? Then perhaps there will be a shade problem albeit not a large problem. The second filter is a series 93 and should fit the supplied adapter shade.

Regards:

Gilbert
 
Sara

Sounds like you might be going for the 'drop in' style eg Lee (and yes, avoid Cokin as they are pretty low grade).

However, if you do go for bayonet ones (eg as protective filters), and gasp at the price of some of the exceptional Heliopan, B+W etc ones mentioned, then take a glance at the BETTER end of the Hoya filters. HMC minimum, but beyond that they are good.

There seems to be some opinion about that in the long term the brass of the B+W etc will outlast the aluminium of the Hoya, but I doubt it in practice. But get the Euro-ones if budget allows...

BTW, B50 filters, in particular, seem abundant and cheap 2nd hand.

Nick
 
As for filters on the CF40: I was faced with the same silly prices for 93mm filters. I went a different route than 93mm filters: once you unscrew the Zeiss 86-93mm converter ring aka 'shade' you will find a perfectly fine 86mm filter thread. Standard thread even (contrary to the thread on e.g. the C50 lens, )

There is one slight snag: the 'petals' of the CF40 protrude a bit too much to just fit any 86mm filter. So you need a spacer to make sure the filter glass is free from the 'petals'. What I did to fix that is buy a 86mm "protection glass" (really, that is what they called it, made in India). I quickly removed that glass. Then put the 86mm ring in my lathe and turned it down to the minimum thickness required to make standard 86mm filters fit, and free from the 'petals' of the lens.

I leave my homegrown ring on the CF40, and have the 86-93mm Zeiss-supplied ring mounted on that one. I just have to remove the front-most Zeiss ring to avoid vignetting. Once I need a filter I remove the 86-93mm ring and install a 86mm filter. Sofar I only have a 86mm B+W orange filter. Want to add a thin polarizer soonish (could have used that one here in the National Parks, ).

I can post pictures of this whole thing once I get back home.

Wilko
 
BETTER end of the Hoya filters. HMC>

The latest and greatest ones I looked at were more expensive than Heliopan and I wasn't looking at the series 93>

Wilco:

If the desire for a 40mm lens improves you my want produce some more and sell them.

The ones I am having made are actually priced well with in the normal range for new high quality filters. I just hope it works. I did find a Tiffen polarizer that will work. During the past few years I have replaced all but a few of my filters with the SHMPC Heliopans, so I really wanted to stick with them or B+W. I would think that those 40mm FLE's that were given away would drum up some filter requests. The Hasselblad 41646 was discontinued a couple of years ago, I believe. Strangely there aren't too many of them around, at 650 I would think a lot of them would be on the shelf. Perhaps they did not produce very many.

Regards:

Gilbert
 
Steve,

Circular polarizers are more expense and cannot be used [on many] autofocus systems

It's the other way round: if autofocus (and light metering) systems have a problem with polarized light, they will only work with circular polarizers.


Sara,

You don't need to tell us that a 503 CW is a Hasselblad...
wink.gif


I understood your later question to be about what sort of filter (red, yellow, etc.) you should get. You had just told us you were going to check out Lee filters, right?
Asking us what filters (red, yellow, etc) to start with (should you do that), would be uhm... not good.


Gilbert,

I have a 93 mm B+W circular 'Käsemann' polarizer. I don't remember what it sold for when i got it, but it was considerably less than the Hasselblad filter. Though it still was not cheap. I'm sorry to hear that they don't sell them anymore.
The Hasselblad filter indeed 'doubling' as a ProShade lens adapter, and bearing the Hasselblad name, will make it more considerably expensive.

There is no way i can attach a shade to the 93 mm polarizer, and perhaps getting the Hasselblad filter/shade adapter isn't such a bad idea, despite the costs. It's that i do not use polarizers often (don't like the look when used as a orange-filter-substitute-for-colour), else, perhaps.
Does the 93 mm fiter you ordered have a front mount to take the ProShade adapter?


Wilko,

If not using a polarizer, putting square resin filters inside the ProShade and attaching the thing to the lens using the regular 93 mm ProShade adapter would seem to be easy enough, would it not?
It's cheaper too, since the same square filters can be used with all lenses you have.
wink.gif

It's only the polarizer that is posing a problem (uhm... is very expensive).
 
Better late than never: here are some pictures of my home-grown
86mm filter spacing ring that allows me the use of standard 86mm
filters on my CFE40 lens.

33936.jpg

Including the 95mm shade/ring

33937.jpg

Only the 86mm spacing ring mounted

33938.jpg

Side view. The front of the 86mm spacer is aluminium, the black
anodised covering fell victim to my lathe.

33939.jpg


33940.jpg

With 86mm B+W mounted

33941.jpg


enjoy,
Wilko
 
Does the 93 mm fiter you ordered have a front mount to take the ProShade adapter? >

Q

Sorry I missed your question.

No, but the filter is an unusual design, unlike the 86mm that sandwiches between the filer adapter and the shade, the polarizer threads into lens and extends perhaps 10mm outwards and the OD about 110mm which leaves about 4mm from the leading edge to the glass surface. It is wider than the lens shade and nearly as deep.

Wilco:

You have a good idea is there any vignetting?

Regards:

Gilbert
 
Gilbert,

The Proshade sits on the 'outer' bajonet of the lens. So the 'inside' bajonet is left free for filter mounting.

My 86mm 'hack' works quite well as far as vignetting goes, although I would have prefered a slimline orange filter. For a polafilter I would definitely want a slimline variant. Still have not bought a pola for the CFE40. I recently found a brand new 86mm for a very reasonable price but it wasn't a slimline so..

Wilko
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top