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.