Filter dilemma for 82mm solution

[AdamD]

Hi. Need some wisdom from y’all….

I’m trying to work out a solution for the 115mm Rodenstock lens that uses 82mm filters. I currently have a set of 67mm filters and I’d like to replicate that in 82mm. That includes a yellow #8, deep yellow #15 and a red #25. I also have a Formatt Hitech 100mm holder system.

You’d think it would be easy to replicate that in 82mm world, but im having a heck of a time. I wanted to start with Heliopan. I can find 2 out of 3 of those filters in circular threads, but they are back ordered a kinda too expensive anyway. B+W has two of those but not all and back ordered. Teffin has a few, but not complete. So I stared looking at square filters (4x4) 100mm. Can’t find those either!

If poly-types are good quality, that might open a door. Then there’s resin and gelatin too.

Any suggestions on how to pull this together?

Thx!

[Keith Pitman]

I found all those at B&H in Tiffin, all in stock.

[Peter De Smidt]

https://hoyafilter.com/catalog/?p[12]=BW

[ruilourosa]

Have the same problem with the same lens, worst with CF...

for BW i adapt in the rear element some i have in 58mm i believe...

[ruilourosa]

great lens though, been using i 8x10 and with care i almost get infinity with corners!

[AdamD]

great lens though, been using i 8x10 and with care i almost get infinity with corners!

Yeah its a pretty impressive lens on any format.

I do struggle with the "do I need this" or "do I want this". I have a Rodenstock 90mm and 150mm. So one could easily argru this is too close to both of those. These one other factor though. On my camera (Arca-Swiss) with standard bellows, the 90mm gets jammed up pretty easily. If I need any rise or fall I end up pressing the bellows together pretty tightly. It's actually best to use rise/fall AND tilt, but I find more and more that using tilt on the wide lens is a super challenge in the desert landscape I live in.

So, the 115mm might be a better wide angle lens to use.

[Drew Wiley]

82mm is a standard size from all the major manufacturers. All my own 82's are HMC (Hoya multi-coated). I don't see any logic being fussy about the optical performance of a lens, and then making compromises with the filters. Tiffen has a great selection, but they're uncoated and need constant cleaning. True Wratten gels attract grit and grime easily too, and are quite expensive if new; old one might be faded. HiTech filters scratch easily and are electrostatic, attracting dust, and don't have anti-reflective properties, so need to be well shaded, and might be fine in a studio; but I sure as heck wouldn't personally pick them for field use. Polyester filters, which Lee makes, will noticeably degrade image quality; I only use them for testing mock-ups, never for a serious shot. Poly is really a "lighting gel" material. Hoya MC glass filters should be readily available from B&H and the other usual suspects.

[AdamD]

I found all those at B&H in Tiffin, all in stock.

Yep I see that now. Thank you. I usually got to Adorama first....But that's I have Tiffin now in 67mm. I can't say there's a problem, but have read that Heliopan is a major upgrade. I have to wait for those, but I guess that's not the end of the world anyway. In Arizona its getting hot and when it his 90 degrees at sunset, I typically put the camera into hibernation.

[Renato Tonelli]

This is the reason I have a drawer full of filters (not kidding). Can wait out the backorder? It may not be that long.

[Drew Wiley]

Any high quality coated glass or multicoated glass filter would be an upgrade with respect to superior fine detail transmission, and significantly greater resistance to condensation and atmospheric smudges. Tiffen's strong point is their huge selection and relatively low price. I can't imagine using Tiffens in potentially dusty desert conditions. On the other hand, I'm not imagining it - been there, done that. I still buy from Tiffen when I need a niche product. But for most purposes like common contrast filters, plus certain common color film filters, Hoya has an excellent selection at reasonable price. I have a number of B&W, Heliopan, and Sing-Ray glass filters too. The expensive Euro brands tend to have brass rings, which makes them a little more resistant to "freezing" in place due to thermal expansion, versus aluminum rings like Hoya and Tiffen use. I just don't overtighten them. And an ordinary plastic zip-tie makes a good portable non-marring lens filter wrench.

Many out-of-stock Euro products might be six months or more behind. There is both a manufacturing and shipping and warehousing backlog due to the pandemic. Camera film filters aren't exactly a high priority versus sheer survival at the moment. All kinds of things are affected, not just camera stuff.

[JMO]

Adam, From your OP it sounds like you've already purchased the 115mm Grandagon N. I also standardized (initially) on 67mm filters for my MF and LF kit, but then had to add 82mm filters to use with certain other lenses that found their way into my kit. However, did you ever consider the 110mm Super-Symmar XL instead of the 115mm? The SSXL uses 67mm filters, and is an outstanding lens overall - 'just saying.

[AdamD]

Adam, From your OP it sounds like you've already purchased the 115mm Grandagon N. I also standardized (initially) on 67mm filters for my MF and LF kit, but then had to add 82mm filters to use with certain other lenses that found their way into my kit. However, did you ever consider the 110mm Super-Symmar XL instead of the 115mm? The SSXL uses 67mm filters, and is an outstanding lens overall - 'just saying.

Ok guys here’s an update….but first.

JMO, yes I looked at the 110mm and ruled it out on account of cost and the fact that I already have a 90mm f/6.8. I thought those would be too close. Anyway, I also was able to get a green line 115mm from a very good source, so it kinda worked out that way.

After reading your comments I decided to not try and save a few bucks and just went with the Heliopan. I ordered the #8, #15 and #25. Only the #8 is in stock and who knows how long the others will take, but at least I’ll have something. I wish it was the #15 that was in stock, that’s my most used filter.

Thanks all for the help!!

Adam

[Bernice Loui]

Note on using filters on the front of the Schneider 110mm f5.6 SSXL, the front element is REALLY close to the top of the filter threads. If the filter glass does not have sufficient distance to the front element of the 110mm f5.6 SSXL, there will be contact between filter glass and front element. Not good at all.


Bernice

[hiend61]

The grandagon 115/6,8 is a superb lens, one of my prefered ones. The filter solution I use for my largeformat system is 105mm and 86mm glass filters. 86mm for lenses from 49 to 67mm diameter and 105mm for lenses from 72 to 105mm diameter. Mainly for 3 reasons;
A. If you spend your bucks in top quality lenses, buy the same quality filters.
B. 100x100mm resin filters are prone to reflections.
C. As Bernice says, many glass filters don´t have sufficient distance to the front element of large format lenses. The use of 105mm glass filters with a steep up ring allows the filter to have sufficient distance to the front element of the lens and avoid any possible vigneting problems if you make extreme movements with wide angle lenses. WhenI was a novice in LF I purchased 67mm filters for my first lens, a Grandagon N 210/5,6, and I marked the front element the very first day I used the filters.
Of course I use 100x100mm filters, just for the filters that I use seldom or for the ones not available in glass, but to avoid reflections, I use them behind the lenses, attached to the back of a Sinar DB Shutter.
Any glass multicoated filter from Heliopan, B+W or Hoya will be an excellent option.

[AdamD]

UPDATE:
I just received the first of three 82mm filters. They #8 yellow Heliopan happened to be in stock.

I'll have to wait about 6 weeks to get the more important #15 and #25 filters. That's unfortunate, but, considering the temps in the Phoenix area are hitting 90 degrees, I'll be putting the Arca-Swiss into hebernation pretty soon. I'm going to try to get it out and up into the mountains this summer, but even then it's still pretty warm under the cloth!!

[neil poulsen]

I thought through a similar dilemma and finally decided on 77mm as a standard. But at that time, I had a RB67 outfit, which uses 77mm filters. Otherwise, I might have gone with 82mm as my standard. I have step up (to 77mm) adapter rings for all my smaller lenses. Plus, 77mm filters abound and tend to be reasonably priced.

Here are a couple specific cases. The multi-coated 120mm Super Angulon uses 82mm filters. I've long had the single-coated 121mm Super Angulon, which is 77mm, so I decided not to upgrade that focal length. (You could consider this lens, versus the 115mm.) I think that it performs well on color or B&W, and it can cover 8x10. (On axis.) The 82mm would have been convenient for my 620mm Repro Claron, which has that filter size. (I'm surprised it isn't larger.) This lens is used for 8x10 black and white, so I don't mind using gels. Instead of a 90mm f5.6 Super Angulon (82mm filter size), I decided on the more convenient Nikon 90mm f8 SW, which has the same 235mm image circle and takes 67mm filters.

Had I gone with an 82mm standard, my favorite deep yellow multi-coated, Schott glass #12 filter would have been hard to find.(But, probably not impossible.)

And after all that, along comes a 90mm Super Angulon f5.6 XL lens that I purchased for quite a reasonable price on the Forum. It has a 95mm filter size. So, I think that I'll use rear mounted filters for this lens.

[Drew Wiley]

You might get a significant performance loss with rear-mounted filters. That topic itself has been discussed a number of times. Most lenses aren't optimized for that kind of configuration. Filters belong in front. Besides, you might run out of real estate back there, bellows-wise, especially with significant rise.

[Greg]

For any filters 77mm or larger (well also 62mm) I go to eBay and buy NIkon, Canon, B&W, or Pentax brand used/pre-owned filters. They are high quality filters but because they may be 20-40 years old they command lower prices. Pentax brand - (made for their 67 SLR) is definitely the best bargain out there. Canon brand - the rarest. Nikon brand - the most out there so a lot to choose from, prices vary a lot. B&W - seem to be priced as real bargains or priced like new ones. I never buy one with any scratches on it - a scratch may be described as minor but that's a relatively subjective term. 95mm size seems to be the best bargains - step up rings are your friends! Live in Connecticut and only buy from the continental USA. Have bought internationally and both times the filters were shipped in only padded envelopes... Fortunately (actually amazingly) they arrived unbroken. Took me a few months but acquired my set/collection of 95mm filters for the price of buying one new filter.