For those who use UV filters....

E

Eye-level

Banned
Call me right or call me wrong I don't care what you call me but here is my set up...

Lens caps, front and back, for all of my units and body caps for...well...the bodies. :)

I use L37C's (which is a Nikon UV filter) up until now and CP filters on other cameras don't have a Nikon CP yet but I will have someday...must have it...must be Nikon for me...

I am going to put a Nikon Haze filter on my 105/2.5...yeah yeah I know about PP and all that...I don't care I want the warmth right out of the camera...don't care about miniscule image degradation I ain't trying to win no sharpness contest or any contest for that matter.

I wouldn't mind having a ND but then I start getting weighted down with a bunch of extra crap...

Here lately I'm thinking about permanently mounting lens hoods on all of my units too...

:)
 
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S

snaphappy

Senior Member
Well, I'm just a newbie but I read the pros and cons for adding a filter to lenses and opted for filters. My reasons were because the 18-55mm had no hood and doesn't seem like I can get one for it and the 35mm has a tiny hood. I was getting frustrated by snow and ice on my lens. I find a filter easier to clean because when cold I can remove the filter warm it a bit and get the snow/ice off the filter easier. My 70-300mm has a nice big hood and so I feel it is much safer and I rarely have difficulty with snow/ice on the lens.

I'm also quite often around animals and children which are notorious for nose and finger prints. I'm not a pro and don't have big money in lenses but the money I've spent is alot for our family and so I must care for them as best I can. I may not get quite as clear a picture when I have my filter on but if I'm in a safe clean spot taking an important picture a filter is easily removed. I recently tried my first CPL filter and I loved it. When not in use my lenses have front and back caps on them.

I think you have to look at everyones opinions and reasons, look at what you plan to do and expect from your lenses and make the choice that seems best for you :D
 
J

John!

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
Click to expand...

Wha..!?? I disagree. I never understand why people spend thousands on a nice Nikon nano crystal coated lens only to slap a $10 piece of plastic junk in front of it. All optical benefits of the expensive glass are gone.
I dont use UV filters at all. I use lens caps and hoods for protection. I've never had to replace the front element yet.
Has anyone here ever replaced a front element of a lens? I have no idea how much it costs, but I have been told that it's the cheapest element to replace if it should get broken. I dunno. :confused:
 
BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
I'm late to the game on this one, and there's lots of advice here. I'm in the "I use a filter for walk around protection" camp, as well as "lens caps are for people who want to protect their lenses and know their filter size" camp (the rear one also acts as a great place to stick a label so you know which butt end is the one you want when you're staring at 5 of them in a bag and aren't anal enough to put the same lens in the same place every time). I carry an old Royal Crown sack in my camera bag and if a buttoned shirt pocket is not available I'll unscrew the filter and stick it in there when I'm in a situation where the filter might interfere.

For KansasShooter, my advice is to get yourself a good clear filter, UV or otherwise, of the right size (you mentioned 55mm before, but you have a 58mm screw on the front of that lens). Once you get it, do your own testing. Shoot with it and without it, into the sun and not, closeups and landscapes, daytime and night. Be methodical and see if it makes a difference, and specifically where it makes a difference (it will impact the photo, but not always). Then decide if you want to keep it on or remove it in certain situations, and if you feel it's a worthwhile investment on future lens purchases.

There's no universal right and wrong here. The primary thing, as I see it, is comfort level. You know how you shoot and where you'll take your camera. If you're inside most of the time and have a lens cap on when not shooting then you probably don't need one. If you walk through the woods and come back with scratches on your arms from branches as you attempt to protect the rest of you and your equipment from harm then there's a shot that you'll eventually end up with a stick across the lens face (and they'll get under that hood as well, those buggers), so some type of protection, filter, cap or otherwise, is worthwhile insurance. After that, it's all about the pictures. So if you stick something on your camera, get to know how it impacts the image, and learn when you want it and when you don't - something that applies to the entire glass tube on your camera body.
 
BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
One more thing to add. Others have mentioned the placement of the front element in the lens and its proximity to the leading edge of the lens tube as a factor in the need for add'l protection. I will also point out that the closer the element is to the front of the lens the more likely you'll get low light reflection (ghosting) between the front of the lens and the back of the filter. I shoot at night a lot and had never noticed an issue with the filter on my 24-85mm. But a week ago I was shooting a tree silhouetted by a partial sunrise with a small crescent moon under one branch. When I checked the image for focus and zoomed on the moon I was floored to see a slight ghost below it (wish I'd saved it as an example). Took the filter off and it was gone. Stuck my 85mm 1.8 on with filter (deeper set front element) and did not have the issue (the camera stayed on the tripod).

Like I said, get to know your equipment - but remember, you never stop doing so.
 
Patrick M

Patrick M

Senior Member
This is real interesting, and lots of views. So here's my tuppence worth.
I travel a lot, and carry the D5100 in either a slingback or smaller messenger style bag....depends on circumstances.
My old D80 did suffer scratches...so I use Hoya u/v filters to offer protection. The U/v happens to be the one I'd use most, so if I forget to take it off, that's not usually such a big deal. Note. It's a few seconds to remove, so if I want to be sure my expensive lens shot isn't going to be adversely affected by the far cheaper filter, I take it off!
It's a few seconds of my time. Far cheaper than the lens it's on.
We have choices. Mine is to protect the lens with a filter and remove the filter when I'm shooting. To me, I get the comfort of that idea of protecting the lens. I agree with earlier comments in that it may not really offer protection..but the zips and locks on my bags have scratched the filter. The lenses I use look like new. Go figure....



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I guess all I have to add is that as long as I'm the one paying for my lenses I'm going to be putting... something... in front of those lenses, when needed, to prevent damage.

I do remember what was, for me, a pretty routine hike some few years ago where I inelegantly tripped over my own two feet and took a hard tumble/face plant. The cheap 1A filter took an even harder hit, I guess, because it shattered. My actual lens was fine.... Would the lens have suffered had the filter not been there? We'll never know.

What I *do* know is I unscrewed the now smashed filter and went on to take several photos worthy of National Geographic because I'm just that awesome and no, you can't see them.... :p
 
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