Honestly, UV isn’t must-have—use the hood. I carry: • B+W 39mm MRC Nano UV-Haze 010M Filter (~$60) only for rough days • Hoya 39mm PROND1000 ND Filter for long exposures • B+W 39mm Käsemann MRC Circular Polarizer Filter for glare/sky when needed.

+1 to reply #2 — UV as “always-on protection” is overrated imo. Hood + cap does most of it, and extra glass can bite you with flare. For long exposures, I’d grab a solid ND first: Hoya PRO ND1000 10-Stop Neutral Density Filter 39mm is decent value (around $70–90). If you want one filter to rule most days, a variable ND like Tiffen Variable ND Filter 37mm works, but can get funky wide-open. What’s your lens filter size, 39mm?

Warning first: the easiest way to mess up a Leica M setup is treating a filter as “free protection.” Cheap or dirty filters can add flare/ghosting, lower contrast, and make night lights look smeary… and on an M lens you’ll notice it fast. Also, stacking filters (UV + ND + whatever) is a recipe for weird reflections, especially shooting into sun.

For your situation, I’d say UV is *not* a must-have. In my experience, the hood + a good cap + just being a little careful is the best “protection,” and it doesn’t risk image quality. If you really want something on there for street chaos, get a high-quality clear/UV and treat it like a removable sacrificial layer—only when conditions are sketchy (crowds, sand, kids, etc).

If you shoot bright sun + long exposures, ND is the one I’d prioritize. A solid ND (or a variable ND if you can tolerate potential cross-patterns at stronger settings) actually expands what you can do: wider apertures in daylight, motion blur, etc. CPL is useful but more situational (reflections, wet streets, windows), and it can be annoying on rangefinders since you’re rotating blind.

My simple kit: hood always, ND in the bag, clear/UV only sometimes. What kind of long exposures are we talking—water/motion blur or just wide-open in sun? cheers

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