Leica m8 for UV

[Yevgeny NP]

Dear all,

I asked this question on LUF and was directed here. I was advised not to make anything with the sensor and I was recommended to try Yupiter and Summarit 1.5. lenses and some filters. I own the UV/IR filter set and understand how to use them.

Here is my original LUF post:

I was demoed the new Ultraviolet Broncolor strobes recently, by a dealer, I was hooked and now I am researching my UV options. I have some experience with Ultraviolet and IR, mostly with film. Several years ago I had access to a Russian Quartz lens in PL mount and we adapted the lens to a SONY digicam, so I know some basics about the UV digital workflow.

I made a search on the LUF and found some interesting threads and I now think that my M8 can be used not only for IR, so my M8 as a UV camera does not look impossible.

I have several questions:

1) Am I right that the M8 can be used to take the UV pictures without any additional work on the sensor? If not, where I can modify the sensor?

2) Am I right that the lenses from Fifties can be used with filters and they are better for UV work? What would be your choice among the old lenses?

3) What Quartz lense in the M mount or any other mount (to be used with adapters) would you recommend? I know that Jenoptik manufacture a UV lense (saw it at Photokina-2008), is there anything cheaper available?
http://www.coastalopt.com/mmapomacro.html

Thank you all,
Yevgeny
Russia

 

[Vivek]

Yevgeny,

Jaap V was kind enough to let me check one of his M8s for UV response and I reported its usefulness on the LUF and p.net (which was, as usual, mucked up by some characters there). BTW, Kodak claimed that there will 0% UV sensitivity, in response to one of my queries.

Some of the first false color UV shots:

Leica M8, Industar26-M 5cm f/2.8 at f/2.8 and 1s, Baader U 2" filter (www.baader-planetarium.de) at ISO160

The camera owner in false color UV:

Yes, the CCD in M8 has better UV sensitivity than the ones in Nikon cams.

No, you do not need quartz lenses.

The M-Rokkor 40/2 is the best M mount UV capable lens I have used thusfar.

In general, one does not need a quartz lens for UV as the sensors in any commercial cameras do not have any sensitivity below~320nm.

The Coastal Optics lens (Nikon F mount only) has QC issues. I am unsure if they have been resolved or not.

 

[Yevgeny NP]

Vivek,

Thank you for your detailed answers and advice.
It is a relief that I wont need an expensive quartz lens for my m8. I will look in my closet, perhaps I still have some of the older Russian and Ukrainian lenses there to test.

Thank you again,
Yevgeny