Are filters necessary for lenses?


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noobie

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Jan 29, 2007
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I heard from a photographer, he said it is better to put filters on your more expensive lens to prevent UV from the sun will damage/degrade the lens coating, it this true? I peeped into his lens bag and saw all of his lenses really got filter one. haha. But putting a filter will degrade photo quality.
 

I heard from a photographer, he said it is better to put filters on your more expensive lens to prevent UV from the sun will damage/degrade the lens coating, it this true? I peeped into his lens bag and saw all of his lenses really got filter one. haha. But putting a filter will degrade photo quality.

to your question

all nope.
 

Yup, UV will not damage your lens and filters will not degrade your photo quality. Most people use UV filters to protect the glass on the front of your lens. Imagine a kid with oily hands touching your lens. Is it easier to replace clean a lens or a filter? Or if something were to damage/scratch the glass, is it cheaper to replace your filter or lens? That's what the filter is used for, now that most of us are shooting digital. Of course there are also other filters for special effects.
 

For me, primary reason for putting filters is to protect the front lens element.
 

I heard from a photographer, he said it is better to put filters on your more expensive lens to prevent UV from the sun will damage/degrade the lens coating, it this true? I peeped into his lens bag and saw all of his lenses really got filter one. haha. But putting a filter will degrade photo quality.

That so-called "photographer" doesn't know what he's talking about.
 

I heard from a photographer, he said it is better to put filters on your more expensive lens to prevent UV from the sun will damage/degrade the lens coating, it this true? I peeped into his lens bag and saw all of his lenses really got filter one. haha. But putting a filter will degrade photo quality.


theres nothing wrong with putting on a UV filter...and it can serve to protect the front element from scratches, more than degrading coating. as for degradation in photo quality, i think if u use good quality filters, its very difficult to spot any difference... if at all..

normally i have a UV filter on most of my lenses, unless i use a polarising filter.
 

same here.

from what i read somewhere UV filters do degrade picture quality. but this effect is so little that you probably wont even pick it up if you were to do a 400% crop.

best to just keep your lens safe from scratches and marks and leave the UV filter on.
 

It doesn't have to be a UV filter for protection. If you can find someone/company that makes and sell superbly cheap optical glass without any coating and has thread like any filter, I'd bet lots of people will buy that. But most buy UV cost its about the cheapest screw on filter around.
 

I heard from a photographer, he said it is better to put filters on your more expensive lens to prevent UV from the sun will damage/degrade the lens coating, it this true? I peeped into his lens bag and saw all of his lenses really got filter one. haha. But putting a filter will degrade photo quality.

the key word is

Are filters necessary for lenses?

the answer is no

after spending big money on good glass, you put a filter in front of it to degrade the quality?
Does not compute ...
 

I heard from a photographer, he said it is better to put filters on your more expensive lens to prevent UV from the sun will damage/degrade the lens coating, it this true? I peeped into his lens bag and saw all of his lenses really got filter one. haha. But putting a filter will degrade photo quality.

1. for protection: either with luck+care, lens hood or clear filter (UV/skylight/NC)

2. for UV reduction, normally not an issue on digital sensor, but may makes a difference on very high attitude with hazy days.

degradation of quality, depending on how critical you are. most of the time, you can't see the difference. if your UV filter gets dirty, yes will affect more. but if you dun use the UV filter, front elements will also gets dirty. of cos lens hood users or extremely careful ppl may not think so if they take care of the lens without uv filter.
 

I heard from a photographer, he said it is better to put filters on your more expensive lens to prevent UV from the sun will damage/degrade the lens coating, it this true? I peeped into his lens bag and saw all of his lenses really got filter one. haha. But putting a filter will degrade photo quality.
Even my cheapo lens have B+W UV MRC filter on it :embrass: .

Regards,
Arto.
 

I use filters for effects... ;p Or there is a need such as the polariser and the ND filters...
 

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