For those who use UV filters....

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KansanShooter

Senior Member
What do you use or recommend? I want to keep my lens free of dirt and scratches as I will be shooting a lot outdoors. But I want a good one that wont affect the clarity or picture outcome to much. I have only seen one brand sold at best buy and walmart...Sunpak? Im guessing these are not the best as they are only $10. Also how do you know which size to get? I have the Nikon kit lens that came with my D5100. Its the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR.
 
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jwstl

Senior Member
KansanShooter said:
What do you use or recommend? I want to keep my lens free of dirt and scratches as I will be shooting a lot outdoors. But I want a good one that wont affect the clarity or picture outcome to much. I have only seen one brand sold at best buy and walmart...Sunpak? Im guessing these are not the best as they are only $10. Also how do you know which size to get? I have the Nikon kit lens that came with my D5100. Its the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR.
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I recommend you skip the UV filter but others may disagree. I don't know what subjects you'll be shooting but if it's landscapes you'll want a circular polarizer. That's the only filter I put in front of my Nikon glass.
 
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Rick M

Senior Member
A decent multi-coated uv is about $30-$40. Check Bhphoto or adorama. I don't use them, but some feel they need protection.
 
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stmv

Senior Member
I often decide on a protective filter for lens that have the outside element exposed. some Sens have the element pretty deep inside the lens, and those, I don't

the 18x55 outer lens is curved and close to the outside edge, so, easy to get fingerprints and dust, or I suppose scratches.

overall, I am on the camp of not using filters except for when I want effects like polarizer,, or darkening the image for longer exposure,,

Or, I out hikng, and worried about drops.
 
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pistnbroke

Banned
the sign of an amataur is a lens cap IMHI ..put it in the box when you unpack the camera .....so to keep the muck off the lens and allow you to clean it without chance of damage to the front element fit a uv filter ....you can put the ploarizer on as well when needed
 
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Dave_W

The Dude
pistnbroke said:
the sign of an amataur is a lens cap IMHI ..put it in the box when you unpack the camera .....so to keep the muck off the lens and allow you to clean it without chance of damage to the front element fit a uv filter ....you can put the ploarizer on as well when needed
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Can you explain how protecting the glass of a lens a sign of an "amateur" even if there's a filter on the lens? Is that kind like the old "filtered ciggs are for girly men, real men smoke real cigarettes" kind of thing?
 
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Dave_W

The Dude
I would avoid using a "UV" filter since there's no need to protect your sensor from UV rays and instead use a clear glass filter made of the highest quality optical glass. I like B+W filters and but have found that Marumi glass is equally high quality but priced much more reasonably.
 
Scott Murray

Scott Murray

Senior Member
I use CIP filters, ND Filters, and used to use UV filters until I realised they did sweet f all for me. Ok I have shot action rally shots where I am wearing the dust and in fact have a few professionals running for cover in one shot. Did I use a UV no. Did it scratch the lens NO. Why? You ask? It's because I did not rub the lens with my shirt, I did not even know dust was on my lens lol...

I never used a UV for the below shots...

44294-Press-Evac.jpg
44294-86.jpg
 
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STM

Senior Member
I use UV filters on every single one of my lenses except my 16mm fisheye (for obvious reasons) and 300 and 600mm (since they both have a built in one). I use Hoya multi-coated filters exclusively. They are top notch quality, though expensive, and will protect the front element of the lens and are a whole lot cheaper to replace than another front element, should something happen that damages them.
 
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stmv

Senior Member
I actually the metal screw on lens caps, and when storing in my bag, or backpack, I like the metal lens caps simply because they stay on,, and are tough as heck, Takes a bit more to take off, but I like the idea of protecting my glass. too many times, I have had the snap on lens caps pop off, expecially when hiking on rough terrain. The really old lens used to have the metal lens caps as a standard. Those are real gems.
 
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STM

Senior Member
pistnbroke said:
the sign of an amataur is a lens cap IMHI ..put it in the box when you unpack the camera .....so to keep the muck off the lens and allow you to clean it without chance of damage to the front element fit a uv filter ....you can put the ploarizer on as well when needed
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WTF?

I have been doing photography for over 40 years, both as an amateur and as a professional and have had my photos published in major publications and ALL of my Nikkors have their lens caps installed when not in use. And they all have HMC UV(0) installed as well. What exactly is "amateurish" about protecting the front and rear elements of your lens with lens caps?
 
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jwstl

Senior Member
The rule of thumb to live by is never put a cheap filter in front of a nice lens; all you are doing is degrading the image. Also, UV filters for the UV are unnecessary in digital photography as the sensor handles that for you. If you want a UV for protection be sure to use the rule above. Personally, I would choose a multi-coated "clear" filter over a UV filter if you feel you must have one. And, contrary to what others have said, keeping your lens cap on the lens when in your bag etc. is not a sign of an amateur; it's good practice.
 
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jwstl

Senior Member
Dave_W said:
The fact that Ken Rockwell believes lens caps are for amateurs tell you all you need to know...

How to Spot an Amateur
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Indeed.

I prefer to take the opinion of someone who knows what he's talking about. Let's see what Nikon guru Thom Hogan had to say about UV filters a few years ago. He refers to film but it's even more true of digital...

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Thom's Maxim #19: Don't put extra glass or plastic in front of your expensive, well designed glass unless you need to.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]There's a tendency amongst amateur photographers to put UV or Skylight filters on the front of every lens they own. This tendency is encouraged by photo dealers, who, as they ring up your expensive new toy add "and you want a skylight filter to protect that lens, right?"[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The reason the dealer asks this is simple: it's a way to increase their profit. Mail order outfits such as B&H and Adorama have made it difficult for local dealers to charge list price on lenses (though some still manage). For example, the markup on a 24-85mm AF-S lens is quite small, meaning that the dealer might make only $50 on your purchase. The markup on a $30 filter can be as high as 80%. By selling you that filter, the dealer can make another $24 on the sale, increasing his profit by 50%.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]So the question is: do you need that filter?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]First, let's examine why a UV or Skylight filter is usually suggested: it won't change colors, nor does it lower the amount of light that passes through to the film/CCD significantly. While most are made of multicoated glass, the two extra air/glass surfaces will have a slight impact on overall contrast due to refraction. Some dealers will tell you that you need these filters to get proper color at altitude, or in bright conditions, or some other nonsense. But the truth is that film hasn't needed UV filtration for quite some time now--all modern film stocks have virtually no UV sensitivity.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]So what have you gained by putting a filter in front of your lens? [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Well, the other normally suggested reason is "to protect the front element of your lens from accidental scratching or breakage."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I suppose. Small scratches on the front element of most lenses don't actually have much effect on optical performance, though. Indeed, unless the lens is a very wide angle lens, about the only optical effect a small scratch would have is exactly the same one as a filter has: lower contrast. (On wide angle lenses at small apertures, depth of field might be large enough so that you'd see optical degradation due to a scratch or blemish.) And if you're going to bump the lens hard enough to create more than a minor scratch, you're probably hitting it hard enough to bust the filter, and glass scratches glass pretty darn well in such situations, so I don't hold much faith in the "protection from breakage" theory.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In short, I don't see much of a reason to put a filter on my lens for protection.Indeed, I've found that lens hoods tend to do a better job at that, anyway.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]But note what I implied earlier in this discussion: adding a filter to your lens degrades optical performance. A really well made filter won't degrade performance noticeably, but it will degrade. Poorly made or inexpensive filters degrade performance more than well made ones. Every air/glass (or air/plastic) transition in a lens adds reflections, despite multi-coatings and quality materials. Every reflection decreases overall contrast. Some reflections can be insidious in this respect--especially if light is hitting the front filter surface unevenly.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Thom's Maxim #20: Good filters are expensive.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I'm always amused when a student pulls out $10 plastic filters and sticks these on the front of their $1400+ lenses. What's the expectation here? Unless it's some cartoon-like effect, this is an almost certain way to lower the quality of image that your camera can capture.

[/FONT]http://bythom.com/filters.htm
[/FONT]
 
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