A silly question

[sinned79]

Hi all,
Please dun laff if my question sounds silly to you.

I just bought a voigtlander 35mm f1.4 SC (single coat).

Was looking around for a single coated UV filter to protect my lens... but seems like not much option (Chiff camera sell a bit too ex... maxsavers out of stock) for this 43mm size.

Not keen to look for a multi coated UV filter cos it will defeats my lens's single coated purpose right? As in slapping a multi coated UV filter over a single coated lens will make the lens somehow multi coated?

The reason I got for the SC (single coated) version is the contrast.

Please advise if i should still pursue to find a single coated filter or a multi coated filter will do just fine. Else I think I top up a little more to get a hood instead.

Note: Getting the filter for lens protection purpose only.

 

[enivre]

Good question, but I don't have an answer to your filter problem.

As for a hood, if you don't mind the wait (and slight risk), you can consider getting buying a screw on 3rd party 43mm hood from Ebay. I bought 4, 2 came in the wrong colour. Buy those that are vented and make sure you specify the colour!

They are much much cheaper than the original hoods but they do have a tendency to somehow loosen once in a while, just need a quick tightening after. Also, for some reason the vents sometimes do not line up as they should. But for a fraction of the original hoods, I'm not complaining.

Do note that hoods are do not completely prevent damage to your front element. While they might protect against some physical damage, I realised that a filter actually prevents water droplets from hitting the front element. I had a lot of problems cleaning off water droplets on the front element after visiting a waterfall (I suspect also because the water is very mineral rich).

 

[Benji77]

Just shoot the lens as it is first to see if the contrast suits your taste.
43mm filters are not that easy to find.
IMO, the hood makes the lens what its not out to be - big!

 

[sinned79]

Good question, but I don't have an answer to your filter problem.

As for a hood, if you don't mind the wait (and slight risk), you can consider getting buying a screw on 3rd party 43mm hood from Ebay. I bought 4, 2 came in the wrong colour. Buy those that are vented and make sure you specify the colour!

They are much much cheaper than the original hoods but they do have a tendency to somehow loosen once in a while, just need a quick tightening after. Also, for some reason the vents sometimes do not line up as they should. But for a fraction of the original hoods, I'm not complaining.

Do note that hoods are do not completely prevent damage to your front element. While they might protect against some physical damage, I realised that a filter actually prevents water droplets from hitting the front element. I had a lot of problems cleaning off water droplets on the front element after visiting a waterfall (I suspect also because the water is very mineral rich).

thanks for the advise! you got the link to the ebay store you bought your hoods from?

 

[sinned79]

Just shoot the lens as it is first to see if the contrast suits your taste.
43mm filters are not that easy to find.
IMO, the hood makes the lens what its not out to be - big!

yeah 43mm filters really hard to find... i search very long just now only found 3 brands, B+W, Hoya and Tiffen. :|

 

[enivre]

thanks for the advise! you got the link to the ebay store you bought your hoods from?

items in Terence's Camera store on eBay!

Bought from here I think, no affiliation with the seller, so buy at your own discression. He some cheapo 43mm UV filters too..

 

[Benji77]

I suggest to skip the hood (but this is a personal taste). It really makes the lens so much bigger.
Filters protect the front element more than a hood when it comes to water/spit

 

[enivre]

I suggest to skip the hood (but this is a personal taste). It really makes the lens so much bigger.
Filters protect the front element more than a hood when it comes to water/spit

Can buy a cheap one and try, don't like just put one side. Not much harm done IMO... The problem I find with hoods is not so much the addition length it adds but the additional width it adds. In a tight bag the hood can get snagged onto the dividers within the bag, quite irritating at times.

In any case, I've smashed a lens into the ground before and it was the hood that saved it (hood split in half), a filter might have been useless in this case.

 

[sinned79]

I suggest to skip the hood (but this is a personal taste). It really makes the lens so much bigger.
Filters protect the front element more than a hood when it comes to water/spit

yeah, I very much prefer a filter over hood... in fact i dun use any hood for my DSLR lens (only except once... when I went to BKK to shoot songkran, i use hood + filter! lol). but if really cannot find a UV filter... then I will use a hood... better then no protection... since this lens I bought brand new, a bit heart pain if it got scratched due to my neligence...

 

[sinned79]

items in Terence's Camera store on eBay!

Bought from here I think, no affiliation with the seller, so buy at your own discression. He some cheapo 43mm UV filters too..

thanks for the link! I will check tonight cos office block ebay :/

 

[kgston]

The whole point of coating is to increase transmission and reduce internal reflection for each piece of glass element. So if you want to maintain as much of the "original transmission characteristics" while still using a filter, you shud get one of those super high end filters with tons of coating so the filter will be "invisible" in front of your lens.

In fact, if you use a single coat filter, you will reduce contrast (depends on the environment) in your image and not get the "original transmission characteristics" that you specially bought the lens for. Using a multi coated filter doesn't make your single coated lens multi coated..

 

[sinned79]

The whole point of coating is to increase transmission and reduce internal reflection for each piece of glass element. So if you want to maintain as much of the "original transmission characteristics" while still using a filter, you shud get one of those super high end filters with tons of coating so the filter will be "invisible" in front of your lens.

In fact, if you use a single coat filter, you will reduce contrast (depends on the environment) in your image and not get the "original transmission characteristics" that you specially bought the lens for. Using a multi coated filter doesn't make your single coated lens multi coated..

ohh. thanks! something new for me to learn.

 

[sinned79]

Just get a multi-coated one.

If you think that using a single coat filter will preserve the purity of the flares and wanted aberrations, it will not. Added a non-coated or single-coated filter in front of the lens is just adding one more element to degrade image quality. Using a multi-coated one will keep light transmission high and keep flare at a controllable level.

thanks for the advise.

 

[virtualme78]

I've learnt something new as well! Thanks!

 

[sinned79]

Since you already learnt your lesson I fixed your comment

lol thanks :embrass:

 

[Thedraperyfalls]

Congrats on your new purchase!

On the topic of hoods, a small one is actually quite awesome.

I use the Voigtlander LH-6 and I have it on permanently.
It adds just a smidgen of bulk but it's really, really negligible - your mileage may vary.

The hood does a great job at protecting the lens, both from fingerprints and knocks.
I had a little accident in Vietnam and the lens took a direct-whack.
Everything was unscathed except for the hood which became koyak.

Best of all, with the hood on I can leave the fiddly lens-cap at home.
So my camera is always ready, it's a strangely gratifying feeling.