rscheffler Offline Upload & Sell: Off
|
I received a 46mm and 58mm about a week or so ago... Have been busy and just opened the 46mm right now. Looks OK. I rarely use filters but have been on the lookout for a decent polarizer. I decided to try these due to the great reviews of their NDs and seemingly reasonable pricing with the Kickstarter offer. I am glad they decided to offer something for us RF shooters. Would have liked a 55mm for my 90 Cron, but apparently I'm one of the very few who shoot with anything 55mm threaded. Got the 58mm instead and will adapt it to the 90 and also the 180/3.4 (60mm thread).
Next up is to get some of their NDs once they offer them in RF sizes (apparently they plan to do so). Wish they'd offer custom sizes too, like Series VIII for one of my M lenses. Got a 2-stop B+W ND for that one when they were actually in stock and discounted at B&H, but it has noticeably annoying yellow/green shift. Sure, correctable. But it's also a very difficult to clean filter... And I would have preferred three stops.
Edit: A few thoughts about the 46mm X4:
Rotation in-hand feels good. Mounted on a lens, I do notice slight unevenness (of the 46mm filter - haven't yet opened the 58mm) that feels like a few miniature ball bearings or something slightly gritty catching the rotation. It's absolutely nothing serious. Just not perfectly consistent. Front ring can move side to side slightly if so manipulated. Again, I don't think it's a problem. Front threads are deep enough for me to attach screw-in lens hoods that I prefer over the Leica hoods on some of my lenses, but not surprisingly, does result in some vignetting.
Filter is too wide to allow use of the Leica-supplied hoods for the 28 Cron (v1) and 21 SEM. Perhaps a pain for storage (i.e. in the camera bag if I want to keep the X4 mounted), but to actually manipulate the filter, it would be necessary to remove the hood anyway, so in practical use, it's not a big deal, other than losing the ability to block unwanted direct light. The filter ring of the 50 Lux ASPH is a lot thicker than the other Leica lenses I have in 46mm filter thread. As a result, the X4 doesn't 'overhang' the barrel and allows the built-in sliding hood to move properly. Downside is that the X4's very thin knurled ring that threads into the lens is very difficult to directly grasp, making filter mounting and removal a lot more difficult. Basically have to push down on the front of the filter while turning it to use friction to eventually get it on all the way, with some use of fingernails to barely grasp the mounting ring's knurls. Removal is also more tedious than I'd like. But I guess with it being a brass filter ring there shouldn't be a problem of binding in the field.
I did a few test shots and polarization works, as expected. Haven't run any with/without tests for changes in sharpness or WB, etc... in part because it's -20C right now, and windy. Therefore not much fun to stand outside for a rather dull test.
|