Will a lens filter and lense cap work together?

[cbourbeau32]

I'm wanting to add an UV filter to my camera lens and wonder if my center pinch lens cap will still work. I did some searches and couldn't find anything on it.

Thanks, Charlie

 

[480sparky40 39]

Usually, but not always. Some 'thin' filters do not have threads on the cap side so there's nothing for the cap to grip in to.

 

[spiralout462]

Yes. Most of the time. The better question is..........Why do you want a UV filter? Have you considered a OEM hood for protection? Filters tend to degrade image quality and not offer any protection whatsoever.

 

[table1349]

I'm wanting to add an UV filter to my camera lens and wonder if my center pinch lens cap will still work. I did some searches and couldn't find anything on it.

Thanks, Charlie

Just curious, why do you want to put a piece of glass over you expensive lens?

 

[cbourbeau32]

Just curious, why do you want to put a piece of glass over you expensive lens?

My photography class instructor recommended it to protect the lens. She said she always keeps one on all her lenses and it saved her $1,000 lens when she dropped it. Cracked the filter but the lens was saved. I'm not sure if it is a good idea but she swears by them.

 

[table1349]

Well this is a giant debate, I will just say that I don't use them for protection. I use the hard plastic OEM lens hood. Unless you are willing to pay BIG bucks for a top quality filter then you will most likely have image degradation from the filter.

Your DSLR doesn't need a UV filter, and proving that a filter saved a lens is pretty hard to do unless she took the lens and then dropped it with out the filter to see what actually could have happened. If you are interested in the subject you might use the search function on the forum and look up UV filter for protection. You will find plenty of reading.

 

[480sparky40 39]

...... Cracked the filter but the lens was saved.......

I've lost count how many times I've heard this claim, but to this day, NO ONE HAS PROVED IT.

 

[Jamesaz]

I once dropped a lens that did have an expensive filter and it broke. 28-80 2.8L. Boss not pleased.




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[petrochemist116 141]

If your in an environment with blown grit/sand/sea water then a UV lens can add some worthwhile protection. Otherwise I've seen more scientific attempts to test their impact protection that conclude they don't help at all.
As suggested above a hood (it needn't be OEM) will offer more protection & help reduce flare...

In film days UV filters did improve the photos, so the theory that they also protected the lens was never queried.

 

[fmw]

OP. Fashions change. Old timers like me and your instructor have done photography effectively through UV filters for decades. It is currently out of fashion with the younger set. Do as you please.

 

[kalgra]

I use the high end expensive uv filters simply because it makes me feel I am doing the most I can to protect the surface of my investment from dust and other debree. I have a terrible phobia of touching the front of my camera lens with anything. I suppose this is mostly due to my own ignorance regarding the different coatings and what not and I am a person who almost always errors on the side of caution when it comes to taking care of my things.

I have read many time that it's not a good idea to put an inferior piece of glass in front of a high quality lens and that makes sense and I agree with that. That said does an expensive high quality filter rally degrade the image that much or at all? Is a high end filter really inferior? I suppose in some cases yes but let's say I am talking about a canon L series. Is a premium uv filter going to take that much away from my shot?

I'm still a noob so maybe for me I'm just not skilled enough to know the difference but I want to say they haven't seemed to degrade my images. If there is really something thing to this I will stop using them as I find it hard to believe a uv filter will do much to save a lens that dropped. That's just my own gut feeling.

If the expensive filters do degrade the IQ I'm gonna stop spending $150 a pop on them. I do a lot of macro. One lens I have is a 15mm wide angle macro which requires the subject to literally be just a couple millimeters from the front of the glass to get true 1:1. I use a filter on that one because some times I'm focusing on a bug or lichen on a sharp rock or stick and its really easy to bump the front of the lens possibly scratching it. The hood does not help me in this case because it limits me from being able to get that close to my subject.

 

[astroNikon]

I dropped a lens once (actually twice) with a ND filter on it. It landed on the edge. It bent the filter edge instead of the lens. This was a aluminum ring filter (not brass). It did make it a bit tough to get off the lens.

The same lens I dropped with no filter (and no hood) on the edge. This cracked the plastic ring (not completely off) around the lens to hold a screw-on filter. Though a filter would still screw on to it.

So I understand the argument of the filter possibly can protect a lens. If I dropped it on the lens' side, or other side that goes onto the camera then the filter would have had no effect on helping the lens.

If the impact is directly perpendicular to the filter element then that filter element can be broken and pushed towards the lens element and scratch the lens element. If the filter element is plastic then who knows.

Of course, If I just used a lens hood that would have gotten the impact instead of a filter.

I'm much more careful now.
All I saw when I dropped that kit lens was dollar signs floating away ...

I do have a couple UV / clear filters but their Heliopan and most people won't spend that much .. they'd rather buy a lens.

 

[SCraig]

And once again a question having nothing to do with the filter / no filter question has turned into a filter / no filter discussion.

As was stated: Yes, in most cases a lens cap will work with a filter. All of my lenses have filters on them and the lens cap clips on them without any problems.

 

[robbins.photo]

And once again a question having nothing to do with the filter / no filter question has turned into a filter / no filter discussion.

As was stated: Yes, in most cases a lens cap will work with a filter. All of my lenses have filters on them and the lens cap clips on them without any problems.

See this road? Yup.. not going down this road.. not again. Bridge is out at the end, your not getting anywhere, just going to have to turn around and come back.

Lol

 

[kalgra]

My apologies you are absolutely right robbins. That said with all the filters I use they are threaded in the front so at least for the canon, zeiss, and rokinon lens caps I have they all work perfectly well with the uv filter.

Edit:
I should have direct this at SCraig.