Filter Brands

[madisonofriel]

Hello, I want to buy a UV filter for each of my lenses to keep on all the time to protect them.
I have a set of Bower filters that was thrown in with a lens I bought and I know Bower is probably crap, so now I would like to buy something a little nicer.
But I don't really know the ranking of filter brands... I've seen Hoya, B&W, Tiffen, Bower ect.
Also I cannot afford to pay $20+ for one filter at the moment so I need something that's in the middle, reasonably priced and not complete crap.
Thanks.

 

[tirediron]

Wait until you have a little more money then; a $20 filter is probably complete crap. B+W, Rodenstock and Heliopan are very good brands, Tiffen and Hoya (their multi-coated lines) are typically decent. Ensure whichever one(s) you get that it has brass and NOT aluminum (aluminum on aluminum tends to gall and bind).

I do not subscribe to the "protection filter" theory myself, but if you do really want protection filters, get clear glass elements, NOT UV.

 

[The_Traveler]

lens caps prpvide good protection - and they don't degrade the image

 

[astroNikon]

Hello, I want to buy a UV filter for each of my lenses to keep on all the time to protect them.
I have a set of Bower filters that was thrown in with a lens I bought and I know Bower is probably crap, so now I would like to buy something a little nicer.
But I don't really know the ranking of filter brands... I've seen Hoya, B&W, Tiffen, Bower ect.
Also I cannot afford to pay $20+ for one filter at the moment so I need something that's in the middle, reasonably priced and not complete crap.
Thanks.

What size filters are you looking for ?
Clear Filters - B+W example ==> B+W clear filter Buy or Learn at Adorama

 

[madisonofriel]

Hello, I want to buy a UV filter for each of my lenses to keep on all the time to protect them.
I have a set of Bower filters that was thrown in with a lens I bought and I know Bower is probably crap, so now I would like to buy something a little nicer.
But I don't really know the ranking of filter brands... I've seen Hoya, B&W, Tiffen, Bower ect.
Also I cannot afford to pay $20+ for one filter at the moment so I need something that's in the middle, reasonably priced and not complete crap.
Thanks.

What size filters are you looking for ?
Clear Filters - B+W example ==> B+W clear filter Buy or Learn at Adorama

52mm and 58mm

 

[Gary A.]

I use protective filters. tirediron suggestions are right on. Protective filters are cheap insurance against the unknown. If you shoot in a studio then there are very few unknowns. Shooting outside the unknowns will increase and decrease depending on the environment you're shooting.

A high-quality protective filter will not significantly degrade an image. A protective filter will increase the propensity of lens flare and ghosting. That propensity is inversely related to filter quality. The better the filter, the more coatings, the lesser the chance of flare and ghosting.

For most photographers, removing a flaring protective filter is an easy task.

Good Luck and Good Shooting,
Gary

 

[Derrel]

Lens front elements need protection. As this video shows!

Canon Glass - YouTube

 

[Designer]

I cannot afford to pay $20+ for one filter at the moment so I need something that's in the middle, reasonably priced and not complete crap.

Maybe when I get a $2,000 lens, I will purchase a protective filter. For now I just use the lens cap.

 

[astroNikon]

essentially, with a cheap filter you'll want to take it off before you shoot anything special.
thus, the reason a lens cap is just as good.==> This Is Why You Shouldn't Buy a Cheap UV Filter for Your Lens

 

[4rum]

I shoot a lot of nature photos, particularly critters. Some don't want to cooperate and sit still while I remove a lens cap. Some don't take kindly to all that extra movement and seem to want to run away and hide ... silly critters. I have gotten shots in which I had a couple of seconds or less to focus and shoot. I've missed shots fumbling with my equipment. I have thousands of photos, some decent, some decidedly bad ... I've missed, several times over, more shots than I've made. Many of those missed shots I can honestly attribute to not having my lens cap off. What you shoot, how you shoot and where you shoot makes a huge difference. I'm on a lot of dirt and gravel back roads too. That dust will destroy the outer coating on your lens over time. I agree with the almost universal replies you've gotten, buy the best filter/lens protector you can afford.

 

[snowbear]

As said previously, buy the best you can afford. As far as whether or not to use them, it is a subject that is as hotly contested as religion and politics.

 

[Tinderbox (UK)]

protect your lens buy a dirt cheap uv filter and remove the glass then screw it to the lens and then you have got yourself a bumper and upped the protection a bit with no loss of quality.

John.

 

[Derrel]

Just put on the proper lens hood when out shooting, and under most conditions, take the lens caps OFF and stow it in your pocket or back while out and actually taking photos. The only exception would be in areas where there is a lot of airborne particulate matter: at the seashore, or during the springtime when deciduous trees are oozing millions of particles of sap, or in the middle of a dust-fest such as near wheat combines or industrial or construction operations. When you're done shooting, use a soft brush to remove any particulate matter from lens fronts. Lens caps, protective filters...mostly not needed if a lens has a lens shade on it. We no longer have the chalk-soft lens front elements of the 1940's...lenses today are TOUGH. Take a look at the hammer and ball-point pen strikes on that $99 Canon 50mm lens in the video I linked to above...seriously..look at the horrific abuse doled out by a small claw hammer--with ZERO effect.

"Protective" filters are one of the single highest-profit items that camera stores sell. I know this because I used to sell photo/video gear; when you buy a filter, of any grade, you are being taken serious advantage of by the retailer. That $29.95 mid-grade filter? $2.99 per unit, by the gross.

 

[Gary A.]

I agree that the coatings on lenses are very hard. But, (the big but), on a few occasions, I've been able to remove a crushed protective filter and continue shooting. Cheap insurance I say.

 

[Derrel]

Canon Glass - YouTube

How many direct hammer blows does that lens take?

The Danish government also started an intense campaign advocating walking helmets...you know, for people out WALKING...

Copenhagenize.com - Bicycle Culture by Design: A Walking Helmet is a Good Helmet

"The Danish Road Safety Council recommends walking helmets for pedestrians and other good folk in high risk groups."

The slogan is catchy in Danish since it kind of rhymes. All in all it's a brilliant project. Let's save some lives."

and this one: "A bike helmet is a fine substitute for walking helmets, so there's no need to take it off when you get off your bike. Keep it on throughout the day for maximum safety."