UV filters ...

wgp1987 · May 12, 2009

keep them on all the time? or does it affect shooting?

benhasajeep · May 13, 2009

You can keep them on. Very little light modifying properties to them.

z06-jim · May 13, 2009

I keep mine on all the time, mainly for protection of front glass...:thumbsup:

Torus34 · May 13, 2009

1. Cheaper to replace a scratched filter than a scratched lens.

2. I have yet to see any 'with' and 'without' comparison shots that show any degradation in image quality at all excepting, perhaps, flare from the filter surface when shooting a scene which contains the sun or other bright light. And I've been looking for 50 years.

Garbz · May 13, 2009

Take them off only when there are noticable problems caused. I.e. ghosting when shooting into a streetlight or sunset, otherwise keep it on.

wgp1987 · May 13, 2009

i had some lens flare the other day and wasnt sure if the filter was causingit ... inthe future i know! thanks guys

dcclark · May 13, 2009

Be aware that filters can cause problems in odd lighting situations. I keep some kind of filter on at all times, unless I'm in an unusual situation: very bright lights, very long exposures, or sometimes at sunset/sunrise. Otherwise, enjoy!

dhilberg · May 13, 2009

UV filters can be left on all the time for protection. No, they won't affect the image in any way. Make sure you're using good quality multicoated ones though, as cheap ones might introduce flaring and ghosting. Check out the Hoya S-HMC line if you haven't made a purchase yet.

Dwig · May 13, 2009

wgp1987 said:
keep them on all the time? or does it affect shooting?

I never use them except in very special conditions such as blowing sand or water. I've never scratched a lens in 50+ years of shooting.

They always degrade the image, though often not to a noticable degree. They will noticably increase the likelyhood of flare, even when using a hood. They will also increase true optical chromatic aberation and radial astigmatism, particularily with wide angle lenses.

The fad of using such filters for "protection" was a product of camera retailers in the '70s to increase profit when the market was moving fast to heavy discounting. Filters have large markups (more than high fashion clothes), so larger that the net profit of a filter sales can approach that of a modest lens.

In His Image · May 13, 2009

I keep mine on all the time...I personally don't see a difference, But I have only used mine continuously for a little over a month....

Montana · May 13, 2009

Dwig said:
I never use them except in very special conditions such as blowing sand or water. I've never scratched a lens in 50+ years of shooting.

They always degrade the image, though often not to a noticable degree. They will noticably increase the likelyhood of flare, even when using a hood. They will also increase true optical chromatic aberation and radial astigmatism, particularily with wide angle lenses.

The fad of using such filters for "protection" was a product of camera retailers in the '70s to increase profit when the market was moving fast to heavy discounting. Filters have large markups (more than high fashion clothes), so larger that the net profit of a filter sales can approach that of a modest lens.

BINGO! I'd rather buy another nice lens than buy UV filters for all my current ones. I do own UV's for the lenses that I use for outdoor sporting events where extreme dust may be a problem. Even then, I sometimes don't put one on and have yet to damage a front element.