UV Filters

[Dolby]

Do you one?
What brand is the best?

Quick Googling says many use them all the time for protection of the lens - but I also read there are side effects :/

However, UV filters (in particular filters lacking optical coating) may introduce lens flare and have an adverse impact on contrast and sharpness, especially when a strong light source is present.[1]

Just wondering real world throughts?

Thanks!

 

[BigAl-sa]

google is your friend:

uv filters site:mybroadband.co.za/vb

I don't use them.

 

[undesign]

When I bought my DSLR I read up a lot about UV filters and opinions are roughly divided 50/50, with "old-timers" more leaning towards using them. Everyone is pretty unanimous on the topic of quality though - get decent ones if you don't want to degrade IQ.

Me, they sold me UV filters when I bought the camera - I've never used them, never will. I did buy hoods for my more expensive lenses though, it gives some sort of protection (and looks cool ).

 

[rrh]

Do you one?

Quick Googling says many use them all the time for protection of the lens - but I also read there are side effects :/

However, UV filters (in particular filters lacking optical coating) may introduce lens flare and have an adverse impact on contrast and sharpness, especially when a strong light source is present.[1]

Thanks!

Filters add air/glass surfaces, i.e. they must affect the final image.

That said, the final results will depend on the quality of the filter.

In general, unless you are shooting in an unfriendly environment, don't bother ...

 

[koffiejunkie]

So, I'm of the bwana school of thought here - hoods give much better protection. When I got my first DSLR, I followed the sales dude's advice and got a regular Hoya UV filter along with the 24-105L. I can't say that I notice any difference in image quality at all, but I do get the sense that with the filter on, the lens is more prone to flaring, although in fairness, the few times that it's happend, I didn't have the hood on, and on one occasion the flaring actually made the image nicer I did, however, stop using the UV because I felt the hood provides ample protection and when travelling I found it too much of a hassle to swap betwen CP and UV filters.

I buy hoods for all my lenses, and use them religiously, even indoors. With one exception - the 50mm f/1.8 II. That hood is too cumbersome and doesn't exactly provide a lot of protection.

Nevertheless, recently I found another problem. I've always had difficulty getting the lens cap on and off with the hood on, particularly with the 24-105L. To get around this, I bought a no-name center-pinch cap (you know, like every other brand makes), which makes this easy. But I find, when the camera is in the bag, with the hood on in reverse (otherwise it doesn't fit), the friction in the bag often causes the cap to come off, leaving the lens to the cap sliding up and down against it. I have the same problem with all my lenses except the 10-20mm (hood doesn't take up much space) and 50mm (fron element sits pretty deep). So I've started investing in good UV filters. Hoya HD models are pretty clear - you can barely see there's any glass in it unless you turn it to reflect light - and has some fingerprint resistent coating.

So far I haven't noticed any ill effect, and with the hoods on, flaring hasn't been an issue so far.

 

[bwana]

Lens hood good, UV filter bad

BTW - Flare doesn't always manifest itself as that pretty looking effect you usually see at the beginning of CSI Miami, often it will be a haze that robs your image of contrast and saturation.

 

[ChrisJ]

I only use UV filters when I am at the beach and then only if there is spray. My 100-400 seems to take a particularly dim view of UV filters producing soft images, without a UV attached it is very sharp.

 

[koffiejunkie]

BTW - Flare doesn't always manifest itself as that pretty looking effect you usually see at the beginning of CSI Miami

I don't watch CSI Miami. Las Vegas and New York, absolutely, but not Miami.

often it will be a haze that robs your image of contrast and saturation.

I'm aware of that. I haven't noticed it on any of my lenses with the hood on. I don't use one on the 10-20mm - causes vignetting.

 

[Dolby]

Ok - I think I'll get the hood for protection

Thanks !

 

[hilton]

I've read that filters are required to get proper weather sealing on some Canon L lenses. This website the-digital-picture.com has an interesting write up on it.

I may have read incorrectly of course.

 

[BigAl-sa]

Hoya HD models are pretty clear - you can barely see there's any glass in it unless you turn it to reflect light - and has some fingerprint resistent coating.

So far I haven't noticed any ill effect, and with the hoods on, flaring hasn't been an issue so far.

For those on the bottom end of the African continent, just be aware that Hoya have three different filter qualities, and you're most likely to find the cheapest one here. The colour of the label in the holder used to be an indication of the quality: green worst; blue/purple better; and grey/black best. I'm not sure what Koffie's HD is, but I hope the grey/black label .

 

[koffiejunkie]

I'm not sure what Koffie's HD is, but I hope the grey/black label .

It's the black: http://www.hoyafilter.com/products/hoya/HD-01.html

The old one I have is the green label - I intend to replace that soon with an HD but I've spent a lot of cash on camera goodies these past few months. It will have to wait a bit.

 

[hilton]

You can get the Hoyo Pro1 UV filters from cameraquip.co.za. I think they are the blue line so near the best but not the best.

 

[bwana]

I've read that filters are required to get proper weather sealing on some Canon L lenses. This website the-digital-picture.com has an interesting write up on it.

I may have read incorrectly of course.

The 16-35 f/2.8 II is one of those lenses. I do have a filter for mine but I've only ever used it once or twice and that was during a storm.

 

[GTi]

Do you one?
What brand is the best?

Quick Googling says many use them all the time for protection of the lens - but I also read there are side effects :/

However, UV filters (in particular filters lacking optical coating) may introduce lens flare and have an adverse impact on contrast and sharpness, especially when a strong light source is present.[1]

Just wondering real world throughts?

Thanks!

Here are different UV filter test.

http://www.lenstip.com/113.1-article-UV_filters_test.html