[Leica] Polarizing filter

[henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)]

At 11:17 PM -0400 4/22/07, Marc James Small wrote:
>At 10:51 PM 4/22/2007, G Hopkinson wrote:
>>Yes, Marc ;-) However I'm pretty sure that Ric is shooting with a
>>modern M. Also he just wanted suggestions on how to use it. Same
>>technique for the old Leica types, nicht wahr?
>
>You may know Ric and know his gear but, if not, 
>assumptions of this sort on this group are 
>dangerous:  someone might as well be asking 
>about an UR-Leica with its Anastigmat lens as 
>about an M8 with a CV lens.  I doubt that 
>DRAGNET ever ran in Australia but the tag-line 
>on that show through its long life was, "just 
>the facts, ma'am".  And we do need to know the 
>facts before giving advice.
>
>Leitz has made a LOT of polarizing filters over 
>the years.  Leica made some after it took over 
>from Leitz.  But here is the killer.
>
>Leitz made a swing-out polarizer in A36 (slip-on 
>36mm) mount, the POOLN, but this was moribund 
>due to market laughter before World War II and 
>was quietly done in with extreme prejudice in 
>1940.  That was the only swing-out polarizer 
>made by Leitz or Leica until this current model 
>to my relatively certain knowledge.  As recently 
>as a decade back, Leica was marketing what they 
>called "pol-filters" in the following sizes:
>
>linear:  42mm slip-on (for E39 lenses)
>circular:  E (screw-in) 55, E60, E67, E77, and in Serie 5.5, 6, 7, and 8
>
>None of these were swing-out.

Leica made a swing out polarizer in the 50's and 
60's in E39 and E43 sizes, both with integrated 
hoods. They worked quite well.

>
>Every other polarizer made by Leitz or Leica to 
>this point has been a simple slip-on or screw-in 
>filter.  These are used in a completely 
>different manner than would be this current 
>filter.  And a bit depends on the type of camera 
>being used.  Using a polarizer on an SLR is 
>different than using a polarizer on a 
>rangefinder.  Using a polarizer on a Leicaflex 
>is different than using a polarizer on an R6. 
>Using a polarizer on an M3 or a IIIc is 
>different from using a polarizer on an M6.  It 
>all depends on the gear being used, and Ric 
>hasn't shared this knowledge with us, though I 
>wish he would do so, as our collective wisdom 
>will serve him well.
>
>Let us presume that he has an R6.  In that 
>event, he needs the appropriate circular 
>polarizer for his camera.  He focuses the 
>camera, turns the pola-screen to reach the 
>desired effect, and clicks the shutter, and away 
>we go:  the camera will automatically adjust the 
>exposure.
>
>Let us presume that he has an M3.  In that 
>event, he has to unscrew the polarizer and turn 
>it to figure out the best effect he is seeking. 
>(There are index marks on the edge of the filter 
>so he can note which number is topmost.)  He can 
>then screw the filter back into the lens, set 
>the appropriate index mark to the top, figure 
>out the appropriate exposure either by the 
>preferred and more accurate <he grins> sunny-16 
>rule or by the use of a light meter, and then 
>adjusts for the effect of the polarizer, and 
>this varies a bit from type to type.
>
>So, we do need to know the type of gear Ric is 
>using before giving him advice, and it is 
>dangerous to assume anything.  Hoppy's advice 
>was dead-on for someone using one of the current 
>Leica polarizers with a late M camera but would 
>be dead wrong for other cameras.
>
>Marc
>
>
>
>
>msmall@aya.yale.edu
>Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!
>
>
>
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