Use of Lens Naked without any UV Filters

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Use of Lens Naked without any UV Filters

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kanuck

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I was just wondering if anyone out there uses any of their glass without a UV filter? I was out shooting the other day, and someone in our group mentioned that he often shoots without one. I know this is dangerous because of the expense of the lenses in question ($1000+ not being protected and all).

The less filters on a lens, obviously the better the image will be. UV light is translated by the lens in different environments. For example, UV light is extreme near bodies of water. Some UV filters reduce or limit UV light like a B&W or Hoya, while Tiffen blocks it out completely. Of course their are warming, graduated and neutral grads as well. I was generally taught that images will not suffer if you leave a UV filter on at all times so I have done so.

Does anyone not use them? Anyone back and forth? I hope this has not been covered. I'd love to discuss this actually. Our group argued over this for the better part of an hour on the way down the mountain. :)

Posted 3 years ago #
warprints

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I do not use UV filters on my lenses on my digital camera, but do use them on my film cameras. However, although there is a big debate about using "protective filters" on digital lenses, I do have high quality clear "filters" on all my digital glass. My background involved a lot of photography in swamps and other environmnets where crap usually got on the lens, and I bumped the lenses around a lot. I use protective filters out of habit. The general consensus is that on digital cameras, you really rarely, if ever, need UV filters.

Posted 3 years ago #
adamz

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depends on the cost of filter - if the price of filter exceeds 10% price of glass than I don't use it, in my case I don't have a filter on my Bigma - 86mm UV with MRC from B+W is way to pricey for this lens.

Posted 3 years ago #
kanuck

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Interesting, thats the exact kind of information I was hoping to find. So basically you do use high quality filters on your digital glass but only because of the nasty environments and potential bumps that can occur? I use protective filters out of habit also, but I didn't know digital differed from Film. It makes sense though. What kind of filter do you consider to be "high quality" clear filters?

Posted 3 years ago #
kanuck

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adamz, would you consider any other filter manufacturer such as Hoya and their new coated filter line? I know that with B&W, once you exceed 72mm the prices really get crazy. I'd love to have some Lee Filters actually. 86mm for the Bigma thats unreal! I didn't know that geez...

Posted 3 years ago #
Regulator75

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I have been using the Hoya Pro1D filters.
http://www.hoyafilter.com/products/hoya/pro1d-01.html

I tend to keep the UV filters on all the time, unless I am doing long exposure and shooting at night. As they can sometimes cause unwanted lens flares.

Edit: No filters on my Tamron 90mm or Nikkor 50mm as the glass is recessed in the lens casing.

Nikkor 18-200mm - 1 UV and Polarizer
Nikkor 35mm - 1 UV
Tokina 11-16mm - 1 UV

Posted 3 years ago #
adamz

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kanuck - I've been using B+W for the last 10 years, and I'm bind to this company - love their products. The construction is incredible, as it's a solid brass ring filled with multicoated glass - once I've even had a deep check of the glass in it, as I've seen how my lens is bumping from a rock and the glass breaks into pieces - the lens survived w/o a scratch on the front element, unfortunately $100 went away.
I aslo use B+W polarizers, and love the Kassemann Pol Cir, You have to see it to believe it how different it is from regular cir-pol filter
as for other brands I've heard that Hoya is good, but haven't checked it myself.

Posted 3 years ago #
warprints

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Kanuck - seems to be an ad for B+W filters here. Most of my filters are B+W.

Posted 3 years ago #
ted2001

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I don't tend to be in swamps often any more, but at the beach where salt spray is deadly. Add another vote for B+W. I use them on all my lenses. When Nikon made filters, I used theirs. I also find the Singh-Ray filters both interesting and high quality.

adamz, I have not tried the Kassemann Polarizer. I use their standard polarizer. Do you really find a difference and what kind?

Posted 3 years ago #
shivaswrath

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I use clear filters on ALL lenses above $299 - clear Nikon or Tiffen ULTRA digital clear.

I also have a ND filter (77mm) I use for landscape shots as needed.

I think the clear filters provide very MINIMAL issues with flaring/stray light issues for 99% of my shots. . .it's cheap insurance.

My 18-55 VR and 55-200 VR don't have filters, since they just don't get used often or would be easy enough to replace if smutz got on them.

Posted 3 years ago #
adamz

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ted2001 - kassemann gives this nice warm touch that is missing in a regular polarizers, if You like warm images (and I do)

Posted 3 years ago #
Meinrad

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If I use a filter, it is to achieve a filter effect, not a protection effect. Any glass, through which light passes at an angle of incidence other than 90 degrees, alters the light path. Most filters also are not multicoated. Here we are, demanding ever better coatings from Nikon, such as the Nano-coat, and then we put "window glass" UV filters on our cameras to degrade all the minute gains made by the optical wizzards in Sendai. Makes no sense to me . . .

My most used lens (14-24) can't take filters, so the decision has been made for me. I don't even possess filters for my tele zoom - and I wouldn't want them, either. My 50mm f/1.4 has a few filters which I use if I need the desired filter effect. A UV filter is not amongst them.

Posted 3 years ago #
PB PM

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No UV filters for protection, with one exception, a lens that I do not have a hood for. I've found that hoods offer more than enough protection for the front element, 99% of the time. Why would I degrade image quality with a cheap piece of glass?

Posted 3 years ago #
warprints

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Recent Convert said:
Here we are, demanding ever better coatings from Nikon, such as the Nano-coat, and then we put "window glass" UV filters on our cameras to degrade all the minute gains made by the optical wizzards in Sendai. Makes no sense to me . . .

All my digital use filters are multicoated

Posted 3 years ago #
Gentoo

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I tend to keep UV filters on my lenses. In fact my 70-200 and 300 F4 came with Hoya UV filters and I just leave them on. It's part of my paranoid behavior with my gear but I do tend to shoot around water a lot as well. My new 300 2.8 lens is too big for any filter on the end but takes a drop in filter instead.

Posted 3 years ago #
mb

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I use mostly Nikon neutral NC filters for protection, high quality and thin so you could use them on a widest lens and not to expensive. Most important I do not see any difference on images with or without them.
UV was important for film (mostly by improving sharpness against UV CA) but on digital sensors they do not have much effect (UV is very well filtered by Bayer and UV filters inside the camera and lens coating) unless you are shooting on very high altitudes and then only marginal improvements in sharpness should be expected.

Posted 3 years ago #
poster

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I use Hoya Super HMC filters. Good investment if it helps to protect the glass against environmental factors.

Posted 3 years ago #
NSXType-R

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Yeah, I hear many arguments against using filters, but I too am paranoid, and as cheap as the 35mm 1.8 is, I can't afford to scratch the front of the lens. The filters I use are really really cheap Tiffen filters, and I know it may be slightly detrimental, but to me it's not a big deal.

Posted 3 years ago #
kanuck

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I also have a few B+W filters and I have heard great things about the Kassemann. The Kassemann is the most expensive polarizor in their line and unfortunately it is not stocked where I live.

Recent convert, I also have the 14-24 so I am constantly paranoid about it being unprotected. How do you keep yours clean? I have only had mine now since late november.

PBPM you are right about the hoods protecting the front glass. On two seperate occassions I had a dropped 50mm 1.4 D lens. Once when it had just a UV filter on it and the filter thread on the lens was cracked, fixed for $90. Again 3 months later with the metal hood attached and the hood stopped any damage from occurring so I agree with you hoods are usually enough especially the metal HS-9 hood for 52mm lenses.

Posted 3 years ago #
kanuck

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NSXType-R I am also far too paranoid as I have invested an insane amount of money on glass now for my D700 so I usually use UV filters all the time. My 14-24 keeps me worried sick as I shoot and then the cap goes right back on instantly! I agree with you that with cheaper primes its ok to take the filter off possibly.

Poster, are you happy with the new Hoya super HMC filters? I hear they are great in extreme situations like people who shoot dirt bike races. They are also an excellent price. If I have the cash I usually continue to purchase B+W like warprints, adamz and many others on this forum. I'd love to give Lee and Singh Ray a shot also.

Posted 3 years ago #
nau

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filters filters and filters

saved my lens atleast 2th

- ones I bumped it so hard (freaking 18-200 Nikon and no lock button) it would scretch front element for sure if I havent had UV
- was doing shot with a lot of spray paint - cleaning filter was bad enf - dont know what would happen with a lens if Ihad to clean that much crap from it

Posted 3 years ago #
poster

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kanuck said:
Poster, are you happy with the new Hoya super HMC filters? I hear they are great in extreme situations like people who shoot dirt bike races. They are also an excellent price. If I have the cash I usually continue to purchase B+W like warprints, adamz and many others on this forum. I'd love to give Lee and Singh Ray a shot also.

I love them. Great quality. You won't see any flares with normal use. I saw a tiny flare after I pointed the camera at the sun. And even then it's really unnoticeable. But of course I had my hood on, and it all depends on the lens. So take it as you will.

They are made in Japan if that makes any difference. I had tons of sht on it. From salt ocean water to grit and mud. They work awesome.

There's a Polish saying,

If you are rich enough to own a dog, you are rich enough to buy the dog house.

In the grand context of things, spending $100 on high quality filter is nothing if you spend above 1k for a lens. That's what I think anyways.

Posted 3 years ago #
kanuck

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Poster, is there any chance that the coating can be eventually wiped off? I have heard that filters need to be cleaned a certain way or else multi-coating can be damaged. I know the HMCs are designed to used in bascially any environment.

Geez nau, how in the world did you get spray paint off of there? I have a hard enough time just with basic rain drops coming off! haha

Posted 3 years ago #
heartyfisher

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High Quality filters are the way to go.. but its not so much the multicoating(or lack of) that is an issue its the flatness of the glass filter itself. if its not perfect you will get patterns and streaks in the image. You may not be able tell if you don't know what you are looking for, but, if you shoot a uniform pattern in the back ground, say a fence, it will be obvious. so for absolute best quality images .. take the filter off.. other wise keep it on.. I keep it on 99 % of the time..:-)

Posted 3 years ago #
Meinrad

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kanuck said:

Recent convert, I also have the 14-24 so I am constantly paranoid about it being unprotected. How do you keep yours clean? I have only had mine now since late november.

In one of my earlier contributions, I asked (and then later explained) how to get saltwater splatter spots of the lens. It worked like a charm: I cut a circular piece of microfiber cloth that covered the lens. I used it as a wick for destilled water. Front element is like new again. Otherwise, nothing has ever touched that lens. The hood is on, until I aim, and it goes back on right away. You'll get used to that.

Posted 3 years ago #