Personally, I could go either way. I have 2 UV's, one for my 18-70 and one for my 80-200 (it came with one)...I only use one some of the time, if conditions exist.
I just can't decide if buying one for everything is worth it.
To be honest though, I've noticed that with a UV filter on, I get more flare, which I don't necessarilly want. Then there's the whole question of image quality and just how much one would degrade that.
Obviously, at the beach or something, you're going to want one on the lens as the salt spray gets all over everything...so maybe sometimes would be the answer.
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Anyway, who uses one for everything, who doesn't, and why or why not.
You're going to get a mixed bag with this one. I for one though, use either a UV or skylight just about all the time. There are times that I take them off. When I'm using a different filter for starters (polariser etc).
If you are getting more flair then try a higher grade filter. On some of my shots, I was getting a little flair on one lens so upgraded the filter. Don't see it nearly as much.
I've Hoya SHMC Pro-1 on all of my lenses. Never saw any degradation in picture quality.
One more input here, couple of years ago I had a promaster cheapo skylight on one of my lens and lens kept giving me out of focus or wierd results. Once I replaced that filter with Pro-1 never saw problem again. IMO filters are good only if they are high end ones.
Edited by praveenk25 on Feb 02, 2006 at 11:35 AM GMT
I use them in a odd way. I've found that the newer lens caps don't do a great job of keeping dust off the front of the lens so I buy the cheapest filter I can find and screw off the filter with lens cap when taking a shot and screw it back on when I'm finished
Prior to digital I did, primarily as lens protection. However, uses the UV filters with digital created a number of reflection issues, as one of my prime subjects are trains, and the strong light on the locomotive reflected badly with UV filters, removing the filters solved the issue, so I no longer use them.
i use filters to keep my lens' front element away from dirt, dust, sand and fingerprints... removing those filters from my lens won't give me better photos.
talking about flare.... i found that when i encounter that , flare is still there most of the time evern i remove the photo. i think the lens design is more important than using filter or not.
I really never use them. It's rare that I'm shooting exposed to any kind of aggressive elements, and I'm careful enough with my gear that a lens hood provides enough protection for my tastes. Were I to be shooting out in the wilds, on a beach, in the desert, etc., I'd mount one. I've always used them when shooting outdoor music festivals, where the crowds trample the dirt and kick up giant dust clouds...but those are also the events where you come home with a white t-shirt turned uniformly brown. 95% of the time I keep my lens faces bare with hoods.
I shoot mostly sports.. roudy fans, rain, snow, hail... I buy good UV filters and there have been a number of occasions that the filter saved the lens...
I've never had u.v filters on any lenses, i have them but they sit in a box with all my other camera junk, although i use the polarising filter every now n then to eliminate reflections!!!! ...and of course my lee filter kit with ND grads.
Peter F wrote:
uv on all as protection, except the 18-70 (don't know why i don't have on the 18-70)
Interesting... I put 77mm B+W UV on my Sigma 10-20 and 70-200 VR, but for my 18-70 I got a cheap POS UV filter. I think the 18-70 deserve a better filter though... Maybe I will get a B+W for it.
Frankly I think that UV filters were invented so that camera shops could sell you a little dinky lensy thingy @ $70+ dollars just to make an extra $50 bucks profit everytime they sell a lens !!!
There ain't no way, no how that that little piece of glass in a piece of metal is worth no $70 !!!!
I view it this way, if you are going to abuse and weather your gear, then protect it, If you are shooting in a "clean" environment, then for-go it, be free, go commando!!
I have them on my 50MM and 24-70 for protection. I find the front element on those two lenses stay cleaner longer the then front element on my 70-200 which I do not have a filter for. I plan on buying a UV for my 70-200 the next time I make a purcahse from adorama.
I used one for a while on my 70-200 BW. It kept the front element clean. I still have it 77 mm. For sell. Where did all of my front caps go. Guess they are in a coat pocket or I dropped them on the trail. Damn ! Filters are a gimmic in the digital age as they were in the film age. But I still hold on to my split density ones and my Poler..
