got a leica!

[back alley]

yes sir, my latest from ebay arrived today.
it's a genuine leitz wetzler, made in germany #1 yellow filter in 39mm!!
fits puurfect on my cv 35/2.5 lens.

sorry, just couldn't resist this little taste of bad humour!

i wonder if this will make me a better shooter or improve my poor cousin bessa lens performance??

in all seriousness, i 'won' this over a month ago and nearly forgot about it - it took so long to get here - from a western state to boot! but it's in mint shape and was dirt cheap and i like having a yellow filter on for b&w.
i'm curious to see how the xp2 chromogenic film reacts to a yellow filter. from what i've read it should behave as most any b&w film normally would.

i'm excited...it doesn't take much...i know...

joe

[Rich Silfver]

Joe, nice. Your filter will also only cause 1/2 stop in light loss.
I keep a yellow filter (#1) on constantly when shooting b&w.

One of these days I'll get my act together and order a B+W multicoated light yellow-green filter which would be even better for people shots and will become a permanent fixture on the lens when shooting b&w.

[Doug]

Well, now you can genuinely report shooting Leica glass! I think a yellow filter is a great standard item to just leave on the lens for most B&W work.

It should behave pretty much the same with XP2 as will other B&W films, but XP is naturally a bit more sensitive to warm light than Tri-X for instance. So using the camera's meter should give you reaonable exposures.

It seems with Tri-X I was always skirting underexposure in reddish light or with a yellow-orange filter. At long last I finally concluded there was a spectral mismatch between the film and meter. The meter reports brighter light than the film records; it's more sensitive to red than the film, so says to stop down a bit further than would be best for the film. Same when the TTL meter reads through a yellow/orange/red filter.

But Ilford's XP film has more red-sensitivity than Tri-X. Likely a more accurate match with the meter. I suppose meters vary in their spectral sensitivity too, like films; my experience mostly relates to Pentax Spotmatics, 6x7s and mostly my good ol' Gossen Super Pilot SBC.

The yellow filter should darken shadows and skies, lighten skin complexion and give a smooth skin texture, and be an all-round attribute to B&W photos!

[SolaresLarrave]

Heck, Joe, Leica is Leica and you're getting first class glass!

Soon enough you'll be able to pick up a 'cron 50/2 LSM or better yet, a Summarit! The latter have (they say) a particular dreamy, soft quality... Just keep looking!

[Brian Sweeney]

Summarit's are Very Affordable, and go for less than the Summicron! I like mine, they give a unique quality from a more gentle age.