Can screw-in UV filters be used for LF lenses?

[kalvino67]

Hi all,

I know many of you do not use UV filters on your LF lenses. However, I live in a coastal area where sand and sea salt make UV filters (for lens protection) almost a necessity. I used this strategy for my 35mm gear with great effect.

The problem is LF lenses protrude quite a bit and so I'm not sure if the filter will hit the glass when screwed in. The filter and lenses in question are:

filter: B+W UV Haze MRC.
Rodenstock lenses: 90mm 6.8 Grandagon-N/ 150mm and 210mm 5.6 Apo-Sironar-S

Does anyone have any experience with this lens/filter combination or wishes to comment on their own setup for these situations?

In addition, if the UV filter can screw in w/out hitting the lens, can a Cokin P or Lee adaptor plus Grad ND or Polariser be attached whilst the UV filter is attached. That is, can I leave the UV filter on all the time, even when using a Grad ND or Polariser? Will there be any vignetting issues?

Thanks in advance.

[Gene McCluney]

Yes, you can certainly use screw-in filters with your LF lenses. Whether the single filter, or a combination of filters will vignette depends on how much of the lens coverage you use. A stack of three filters (for instance) may not vignette when you are using a given lens for a 4x5 negative, but may vignette when you are using the same lens to shoot a 5x7 negative.

[kalvino67]

Hi Gene,
Thanks for the quick response.

I should've indicated 4x5 format. My major concern is buying the filters and then not being able to screw them in w/out damaging the (protruding) lens.

[Eric James]

...My major concern is buying the filters and then not being able to screw them in w/out damaging the (protruding) lens...

This is a real concern with some lenses. The one (notorious) example I know of is the Schneider 110mm SS XL - screw a filter home on this lens and fingernails on a chalk board will sound sweet in comparison. There is a remedy however: step-out (e.g.67-67mm) or step-up (e.g.67-72mm) rings can be used to separate the surfaces. Using step-up ring will also allow you to standardize your filter sizes around a common diameter.

The lenses you mention are all top rate. I only have experience with the 150mm lens (my favorite lens). With regard to the subject at hand I have two step-up rings attached bridging to 72mm and have had some vignetting problems when I use the Cokin P system (outer slot removed) with graduated neutral density filters.

[Bob Salomon]

" know many of you do not use UV filters on your LF lenses. However, I live in a coastal area where sand and sea salt make UV filters (for lens protection) almost a necessity. I used this strategy for my 35mm gear with great effect."

There is another option if you don't want the slightly yellow color of the UV filter.

Heliopan makes an absolutely clear protection filter out of Schott glass with their SH-PMC coating on both sides which passes over 99% of the light that strikes it on to the image plane and the top layer on each side repels dust and moisture. Since it is glass it will also bar some UV but not as effectively as a UV filter would. It is mounted in Heliopan's standard slim brass ring with both male and female threads.

[kalvino67]

For anyone else's information, I found a few old Hoya screw-in UV filters for the 90mm and 210mm lenses and all is ok. The 150mm is less protruding so it should not be a problem.

I will probably just invest in the Cokin P system and detach the UV filter when using either a Grad ND or a polariser.

Thanks for your comments.

[Vaughn]

To increase the distance between the filter and the lens, one could put a step-up ring on first. For example, if the the lens has a filter size of 58mm, get and 58 to 67mm step-up ring and then buy a 67mm UV filter. A little more pricey -- buying the step-up ring and the larger filter.

Vaughn