UV / Polarizer filter question

[dEARlEADER]

Can stacking a UV and Polarizer together cause fallout?

Thank you

 

[christopher walrath]

The only true need for a UV/Skylight filter is to help inattentive photographers in preventing damage to the front of the lens. If you are careful, forget the UV. It's just one more surface for sunlight to reflect from.

 

[Dubious Drewski]

Ok, I tried to Google it but all I ended up with was links to Fallout Boy websites and forums.

What is fallout? Do you mean vignetting? Cause yes, that will happen if you stack too many filters on your lens. There is absolutely no reason at all to have both a UV and a polarizer on your lens anyway.

 

[Garbz]

Depends on the lens. Stacking filters is rarely a good idea.

 

[Phranquey]

The only true need for a UV/Skylight filter is to help inattentive photographers in preventing damage to the front of the lens.

Yeah, like me. I like to hike with the camera and $1700 lens slung over my shoulder. More than once I have replaced a UV filter that saved the front element of my lens. Never leave home without it. I know, what about a lens cap? If I had to constantly worry about getting a lens cap off, I would probably miss half the quick reflex shots. I would rather occassionally replace a UV filter to have the ability to bring the camera up and ....click.

As far as stacking, I never do it. It may not make a difference in a particular photograph, but it you happen to have a light source in front of the lens, you are increasing your chances for ghosting and flaring.

 

[Helen B]

I guess that you mean fall off rather than fallout, though the obstruction caused by stacking too many filters is more often called vignetting. I use 'fall off' to refer to the natural decrease in illumination away from the lens axis (ie in the corners).

In general it is good advice to avoid stacking filters, especially when they are parallel - it leads to there being four flat, parallel air-glass surfaces in the light path, all capable of reflections, however slight.

Best,
Helen

 

[dEARlEADER]

thank you for the answers..

helen b. ... i did mean fall off (vignetting)... sorry...

i was taking some landscape pictures yesterday and put the polarizer over top the uv filter unintentionally.... (forgot to remove uv)

when i got home i noticed major vignetting and was worried it was my new 18 - 200 lens.... whew

thanks

 

[Mav]

I double stack filters when doing sunrise or sunset beach photos. A 2-stop ND filter to slow down the expsoure a bit so I can get some more wave action in the photo, and then a 2-stop Grad ND to balance the sky and the water. As long as I don't go too wide I won't get any vignetting.

 

[dEARlEADER]

The vignetting was at 18mm...

I'm gonna take more sky pictures today just to make sure it was the filters...

 

[christopher walrath]

I get vignetting with the 28-200 at 35 or wider with the third lens stacked. Just pay attention to those viewfinder corners. Image management is key for those keepers, folks. Trust your eyes. They can deceive you but they're all you got.

 

[dEARlEADER]

I never saw the vignetting through the viewfinder.... this may be due to the D60 showing only 95% I guess?....

I didn't pick it up on the display either... it was too bright outside...

 

[brileyphotog]

The vignetting was at 18mm...

I'm gonna take more sky pictures today just to make sure it was the filters...

That makes perfect sense...at a wide angle the lens can see the stacked filters.

And UV haze filters do have some effect on photo quality, or at least they did in the 35mm days (they take out UV haze). I don't think you really need 'em for digital anymore...so people use straight up clear filters for protective purposes a lot.