HELP! Broken filter for Vivitar Solid Cat

R

Roger Hicks

Mentor
Local time
2:16 PM
Joined
Apr 15, 2005
Messages
23,920
Disaster! I dropped the clear filter for my 600/8 Series 1 and cracked it. Has anyone any idea where to find a replacement? I think it's 35.5mm but I'm not sure. I still have ND, orange and yellow filters but the ND makes the lens REALLY slow, and apparently you have to have a filter in the light path (part of the optical formula, allegedly). Anyone else had the same problem?

Of course I can just try it with no filter, and I will, but obviously I can't do a comparison shot, 'cos the filter is broken...

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger, both Heliopan and B+W offer 35.5mm clear filters, though depending on your preferred retailer, you may have to wait a few weeks to get it on special order because it's such a rarely used size.
 
Oren Grad said:
Roger, both Heliopan and B+W offer 35.5mm clear filters, though depending on your preferred retailer, you may have to wait a few weeks to get it on special order because it's such a rarely used size.
Click to expand...
Thanks very much, but I wondered if anyone was SURE that the size was 35,5mm. After some quick Googling it seems that it is widely agreed that it was. Some reviews refer to VMC filters but I rather doubt that there are optically significant differences in the thicknesses of the different marques.

Cheers,

R.
 
The instruction manual for the 600mm Solid Cat, with specifications noting the filter size as 35.5mm, can be found here:

http://www.boggys.co.uk/download.php?filename=Vivitar_S1_600mm_f8_Cat_OM_400dpi.pdf

The manual does say (p. 8) "Standard 35.5mm filters are not recommended", but does not say why - was there an optical reason, or was this just a way of getting owners to purchase any necessary replacements from Ponder & Best rather than another supplier?
 
Roger, Oren, I think what Vivitar meant was that you needed a high grade UV filter in the light path-not cheap crap. Either that or there are problems with the physical size of the filter.

My Tamron 200-500 zoom uses 43mm filters in the rear, but they have to be the special Tamron filters with the thinner than normal mount. Regular 43mm off the shelf filters will not fit. This might be the issue with the Series 1 flters-they were custom made for that one lens.
 
MrFujicaman said:
Either that or there are problems with the physical size of the filter....
Click to expand...

Good point. You'd think that the instructions would be more explicit on the point if that were the issue, but OTOH it wouldn't be the first time that a company's instructions were technically imprecise.

Neat how a seemingly simple question turns out to have these extra layers of complication.
 
If you really get stuck it might be possible to have a new glass cut from an existing filter and inserted into the existing metal filter ring if the ring has a screw thread mount for the glass insert. Essentially you get an old UV lens of appropriate size (36mm would be best given it is already close) mark out the correct new size then grind it down and fit it. Fiddly but if you have no option........ I have certainly swapped out filter glass and even made small adjustments in this way to fit new glass into an existing filter ring. But never made larger changes. I have done this when for example I had a nice Leica silver filter ring for a Leica in 39mm but the glass was colored for black and white shooting and I wanted UV glass instead for every day use. In this way I could swap the glass and keep the ring.
 
You might check under Perkin Elmer solid cats for other sources for filters. That's who designed and originally sold them to the government.

There might be additional info on the filter sizes and pitches from them. I doubt Vivitar did any changes to the product of that level.

B2 (;->
 
peterm1 might just be on to something, Roger..

I bought my M3 6 years ago and it came with the #13352 Leitz lenshood/polarizer combo gadget. The polarizer had delaminated and was in awful shape. I bought a 43mm polarizer off Ebay and took it apart and swapped the ruined glass out with the one from the polarizer off Ebay.

You might just be able to do the same thing if you have a spanner wrench to take the Vivitar filter with.

peterm1 said:
If you really get stuck it might be possible to have a new glass cut from an existing filter and inserted into the existing metal filter ring if the ring has a screw thread mount for the glass insert. Essentially you get an old UV lens of appropriate size (36mm would be best given it is already close) mark out the correct new size then grind it down and fit it. Fiddly but if you have no option........ I have certainly swapped out filter glass and even made small adjustments in this way to fit new glass into an existing filter ring. But never made larger changes. I have done this when for example I had a nice Leica silver filter ring for a Leica in 39mm but the glass was colored for black and white shooting and I wanted UV glass instead for every day use. In this way I could swap the glass and keep the ring.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks everyone. I've just ordered 3x Kood UV filters (multi-coated, Japanese) for £10.99 delivered to a friend in the UK. That''s under $15. They're on close-out, hence the price, but they are apparently practising for Brexit and won't ship to France.

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger,
A bit late to this but, this page might prove useful:

https://www.filterfind.net/35.5.html

About a third of the way down the page is :
Tokina TM500 500f8

35.5 Tokina Japan slim for rear mount set/3...ND2x, ND4x, Skylight

w/leather pouch...n/o...39.00 qty 1

35.5 Tokina Japan ND2x slim for rear mount... clean...15.00 qty 1

35.5 Tokina Japan ND4x slim for rear mount... clean...15.00 qty 2

35.5 Tokina Japan Skylight slim for rear mount... clean...15.00 qty 1
Click to expand...

Regards,
Rob
 
CAT filter

CAT filter

I just noticed this thread.



It would be interesting if the new filters give another result than the original.



Minolta states that their mirror lenses take a special version of their filters. They offered two types with the same dimensions in their filter catalogue, possibly with two different types of glass. Quite substantial cost difference.



p.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top