Lens Filter Question

gmccroskery
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Lens Filter Question

hiepphotog wrote:
Are you sure the Clear/UV filters affect the details clearly? Not my case so far. As for the need to have one on or not, up to each individual. Replacing a scratched-up filter is much cheaper than a front lens element. Not that one would easily scratch these, but it does accumulate. In the case of falling, it really depends on a lot of factors, but I do not think a front filter would help a lot.

I think this thread has gone a bit off the rails. My concern was with using protective filters on a long telephoto lens. I have filters on all of my lenses that will accept one -- no problem.
The issue is that I did some careful, controlled testing in my studio (tripod, wireless release, etc.), using my Olympus 100-400mm at full zoom (800mm equivalent FOV), and I can clearly see that even my B+W XS-Pro MRC nano UV filter does soften fine detail compared to no filter. This only impacts my bird photography to any extent worth being concerned about -- but, I do quite a bit of bird photography, so it does concern me.

In the final analysis, people should use whatever they feel works for them. I was trying to get people's thoughts -- not create a bar fight.

Greg

Aug 24, 2024 at 11:15 PM

sjms
Online
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Lens Filter Question

Aug 25, 2024 at 07:37 AM

ZoneV
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Lens Filter Question

gmccroskery wrote:
..In the final analysis, people should use whatever they feel works for them. I was trying to get people's thoughts -- not create a bar fight.

...

As an optical engineer who specifies filter quality:
Long focal length lenses are prone to bad filter form tolerances. So when a filter it not perfect flat on both sides, it introduce aberrations. And with flat we are talking about measurements taken in fractions of the wavlength of light.
So yes, you likely have some filters with bad form tolerances!

Aug 28, 2024 at 07:59 AM

Ripolini
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Lens Filter Question

gmccroskery wrote:
I know this question gets beat to death, but I am curious as to people's thoughts on using, or not using a protective lens filter.

Roger Cicala couldn't find any measurable effect of a (quality) filter on the MTF plots of the Canon 50/1.2:
https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2016/12/front-element-lens-protection-revisited/

ZoneV wrote:
Long focal length lenses are prone to bad filter form tolerances.

Does this depend on the focal length, or on the typically large diameter of the filters for long telephoto lenses? Thanx.

Sep 03, 2024 at 11:18 AM

Abbott Schindl
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Lens Filter Question

Ripolini wrote:
Does this depend on the focal length, or on the typically large diameter of the filters for long telephoto lenses? Thanx.

As I said early in this thread, I noticed a difference on my EF 100-400 f/4L (II) when I removed the B+W Pro filter. That lens uses the same 77mm diameter filters as the EF 24-105, 16-35 and other Canon f/4 lenses I have. I didn't notice the effect on the shorter lenses and I haven't tried a filter on the RF 100-500, which also takes 77mm filters.

Sep 03, 2024 at 07:52 PM

Flowernut
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Lens Filter Question

I use protective filter where needed. Example waterfalls to focus (protects from mist) and then with filter held by magnet, remove and photograph immediately. Same thing in geyser basin as water contains minerals that can be hard to remove or damage coatings. It may be luck, but I've never had an instance where the front element of the lens was damaged in over 50 years.

That said, today's high quality filters are probably not the issue they once were.

Sep 04, 2024 at 11:56 AM

1 2 end
FM Forums \| General Gear-talk \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 end

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.