Thanks for the heads up, already contacting the company that provides the filters.
I just added some information on the two manufacturers.
If you can wait another two weeks I will also test the Opto Sigma 5m filter on the VM 35mm 1.7 to see if it is even better than the Eksma filter I just already tried.
PS: I would love if the next person who buys a Proxar 1m filter would make a video or some photos explaining how to remove it from the casing.
That is really missing so far.
Fred Miranda wrote:
I believe that shim thickness is batch variant. I've seen two ZM 35/1.4 lenses from different batches that had different shim thicknesses (shim colors were different).
So, what works for Guy may not work for you and you will have to play around removing shims and testing the lens to see if infinity focus is achieved by a modified shim combination.
The same goes for step-up and step-down rings. Different brands may have different lengths and that may influence vignetting.
Yeah, I get the variance between lens requires different shims, my misfortune was that my copy of the lens didn't require a silver shim but would have been useful for my purposes with the Proxar.
I think my setup is identical to Guys, I'm using Fotodiox step up rings.
GMPhotography wrote:
Make sure your 52mm retaining ring is fully down. Fooled me too . You can tell if you hear the lens shaken inside the mount. When fully down it makes no sound and is tight
Ok Guy
So here is my setup, I have a Fotodiox 46-55 stepup ring, next the Proxar then the Fotodiox 55-52 step down ring. The 55-52 stepdown ring actually clamps the Proxar into place, i have no need for a 52mm retaining ring to hold the Proxar in place because the lip on the step down ring already serves this function. I know you are using the retaining ring but on my setup it serves no purpose at all.
Regardless of the minor issue I'm really impressed with the overall sharpness of this lens espeially at landscape apertures and it's way smaller than my ZE 25.
Yes it seems after Fred sent me a email things maybe different with the same lens. Just have to play with the shims until you get it right. I just put together my ZM 35 setup but now I need to go in and work the shims for infinity. Cant wait to take both these lenses to NY to shoot in a few weeks. Ill be going with my VC 12, ZM 25 and 35. Now I just need to get a ZM 85. I can't find a good used black one for a reasonable price yet but i have some time.
I thought of something with the ZM 35mm lens. Not sure this will work though. If you want to keep the hood. I thought if you started with a blank 49mm filter than put the hood on than put your 49-55 rig on. What Im not sure about is getting the 5m further away from the front element what it may do. Will that affect infinity. First Ill get the normal setup for infinity but I may try that idea.
GMPhotography wrote:
I thought of something with the ZM 35mm lens. Not sure this will work though. If you want to keep the hood. I thought if you started with a blank 49mm filter than put the hood on than put your 49-55 rig on. What Im not sure about is getting the 5m further away from the front element what it may do. Will that affect infinity. First Ill get the normal setup for infinity but I may try that idea.
I thought about this as well but I think the problem with that approach is once you add the Opto Sigma to the empty Filter housing there likely will not be enough threads to screw the steup ring due to the thickness of the Opto Sigma.
GMPhotography wrote:
I thought of something with the ZM 35mm lens. Not sure this will work though. If you want to keep the hood. I thought if you started with a blank 49mm filter than put the hood on than put your 49-55 rig on. What Im not sure about is getting the 5m further away from the front element what it may do. Will that affect infinity. First Ill get the normal setup for infinity but I may try that idea.
---------------------------------------------
MIRANDA1 wrote:
I thought about this as well but I think the problem with that approach is once you add the Opto Sigma to the empty Filter housing there likely will not be enough threads to screw the steup ring due to the thickness of the Opto Sigma.
Unfortunately the OptoSigma 5m does not fit on an empty 49mm filter.
GMPhotography wrote:
Yes it seems after Fred sent me a email things maybe different with the same lens. Just have to play with the shims until you get it right. I just put together my ZM 35 setup but now I need to go in and work the shims for infinity. Cant wait to take both these lenses to NY to shoot in a few weeks. Ill be going with my VC 12, ZM 25 and 35. Now I just need to get a ZM 85. I can't find a good used black one for a reasonable price yet but i have some time. ...Show more →
I'm glad I didn't sell my 85 zm, mine is a keeper for sure. I'm also looking forward to traveling with my M mount kit this spring, I might not even need a roller bag this year. Planning on taking the Tri-Elmar 16-18-21, ZM 25, ZM 35 ZM 50c and the ZM 85, just need something in the 135 range that is compact, as much as I love the Zeiss APO 135 it's a beast of a lens and a pain to travel with.
I've thought about the VC 12 but I've never shot that wide so I'm not sure if it's something I'm willing to spend money on at this point in time.
Fred Miranda wrote:
---------------------------------------------
Unfortunately the OptoSigma 5m does not fit on an empty 49mm filter.
I'm curious if some of the cheaper filters would allow sufficient threads to at the step-down ring, there is a significant amunt of variance in filter body thickness from brand to brand. I'm seriously considering contacting SK Grimes to custom machine an adapter that would allow mounting the Proxar directly on the filter with sufficient depth for a retaining ring and hood. I have a custom filter that he built for the Tri-elmar so I think this is perfectly doable.
Maybe I said it wrong. Put a 49mm empty thread first than your 49-55 than 5mm than your step down and retaining ring. This 49 empty may give you enough room to get your hood on and extend the filter threads
Fred Miranda wrote:
---------------------------------------------
Unfortunately the OptoSigma 5m does not fit on an empty 49mm filter.
GMPhotography wrote:
Maybe I said it wrong. Put a 49mm empty thread first than your 49-55 than 5mm than your step down and retaining ring. This 49 empty may give you enough room to get your hood on and extend the filter threads
I see. That's a great idea Guy.
I just tried your suggestion but instead, I used a 49mm UV filter just to try it out. It actually works and looks much better.
...and maybe it will be possible to use the original Zeiss hood without any vignetting. What do you think Guy? I know we are getting a little extreme here.
The beauty of this is that we can still remove the original hood by first removing the filter set-up on top of it.
That may do it. We need to stay wide as we can . So empty 49 to start than 49-55 and 55 retaining ring and stop there. The hood will protect and stay original for us. I just need to find a 55 retaining rings . I'm going to order a 49 too UV and take the glass out. Hate losing our hoods.
Fred we may not need that empty 55 just the retaining ring may do it.
I'm going to order a 49 and 55 UV filter with a 55 that has a retaining ring.
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GMPhotography wrote:
That may do it. We need to stay wide as we can . So empty 49 to start than 49-55 and 55 retaining ring and stop there. The hood will protect and stay original for us. I just need to find a 55 retaining rings . I'm going to order a 49 too UV and take the glass out. Hate losing our hoods.
Fred we may not need that empty 55 just the retaining ring may do it.
I'm going to order a 49 and 55 UV filter with a 55 that has a retaining ring.
Thinking this over, I don't believe it will work Guy.
The problem is that a 55mm retaining ring is too wide to hold the PCX 5m in place.
So, the last thread must be 52mm which is causing vignetting. Of course this is only happening because we added the 49 filter in the begging to be able to use the Zeiss hood.
Perhaps if both 49-55 step-up and 55-52mm step down rings are thin enough, it may not cause vignetting.
You may replace the Zeiss 49 UV filter with an empty 49mm filter but it needs to be just as thin. (I tried an empty 49mm I had and it was too thick and caused vignetting even though the other filters were thin). However, if it's too thin, it may not reach the other side of the hood where the 49-55mm step-up ring will attach to.
Aside from that, I didn't test if pushing the front-lens further away from the lens further will degrade IQ (by using an extra 49mm filter first). That's a very important test but at least there is a way to use the Zeiss OEM hood with this front-lens set-up.
