Protective Filters...Yes or No???

[table1349]

My Not Quite Complete Protective Filter Article

 

[petrochemist]

An interesting read. TFS

 

[nerwin]

Yeah that was interesting. It's about time someone had the motivation to do an in depth technical test of protective filters.

However, I still won't use them.

 

[runnah]

Hey if you can sell a bit of aluminum and clear glass to people* for $200+ more power to you.


*morons

 

[nerwin]

Hey if you can sell a bit of aluminum and clear glass to people* for $200+ more power to you.


*morons

I honestly never understood why some buy really expensive lenses, like $3000 and then put a cheap $5 UV filter on it. I mean come on....

 

[Designer]

I think they need to do more testing.

 

[cgw]

They do more good than harm. That mid-to-high end filters don't measurably/meaningfully(that's Cicala's key finding) degrade image quality puts to rest the near-urban legend that they're a damaging factor. Can only say they've spared pricey-rare-favorite optics from harm on more than a few occasions. Cicala's especially good at debunking various "flat earth" arguments I see all too often here and elsewhere.

 

[fmw]

Hey if you can sell a bit of aluminum and clear glass to people* for $200+ more power to you.


*morons

I honestly never understood why some buy really expensive lenses, like $3000 and then put a cheap $5 UV filter on it. I mean come on....

Why does it bother you? Would you feel better if it were a $50 filter. A protective filter is just a flat piece of optical glass.

 

[Shafty]

I have a CPL which I take off and put on as I need it.

 

[OldManJim]

I wish I was good enough to be able to see the difference these filters make in my images........

 

[Shafty]

I wish I was good enough to be able to see the difference these filters make in my images........

Just test a filter on instagram

I didnt notice a difference at first but then I twisted it and my blues went more blue

 

[Derrel]

Filters: handy during the springtime when trees drop thousands of minute sap particles into the air: makes for easy,quick cleaning of the lens. Same at the seashore on days when the wind blows a lot of fine,fine salt-air particles onshore...easier to wipe down that flat, exposed filter.

Mostly, filters are sold as high-profit items for sales associates.

 

[benhasajeep]

I used too, until I saw pictures of comparisons with and without. Even with cheaper lenses (assuming lower quality). A direct hit to the main lens caused very little marks on the glass (using slide hammer, I think 3# slide). But a lens with a cheap filter on the front. Would get several marks (from the broken glass of the protector hitting and marking the good lens glass). The test lenses were all MF lenses from different brands. Would have several of each one (same exact lens). One would get the filter, and other would have nothing. Believe it or not, the lens barrel / actual lens piece mount would break more often than the glass (again the cheaper lenses). So, for the most part just chips in the glass were the worst, until they used more force than just letting the slide fall on the slide hammer.

After I saw that article. I thought to myself. How thick is that filter. They are all pretty thin actually. They actually take less abuse than the lens itself. And when they break, cause more damage than if it had not been there in terms of marks on the lens.

 

[pixmedic]

I use UV filters all the time and I think they work great.

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[table1349]

I use UV filters all the time and I think they work great.

View attachment 141905

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The 72mm, while more expensive, has the necessary room to keep the condensation off your desk all day.