Are UV filters beneficial ? (+ poll)

[Hereford_EOS]

Thank you :thumbsup:

[colin C]

I seem to recall that Canon recommend a protection filter (clear optical glass) as part of their weatherproofing for L series lenses.

[H2OJunkie]

No filter for me. I have never damaged a lens in any of the cameras I own and won't put a filter on them to protect a lens I don't break. I don't even own a UV filter for any of my cameras, both digital and film.

[Hereford_EOS]

I have bought 3 x 77mm Hoya Pro1 protector filters & 1 x 67mm

Hoya Pro1 protector filter.
When I (eventually) go out with the camera I'll put it to the test.

Thanks everyone :thumbsup:

[Hereford_EOS]

I never use any filter when in the studio but outdoors I use Hoya HD Protector Filter. These are not UV as the camera sensor isn't sensitive to UV so totally pointless. Hoya introduced these filters for precisely this reason.

Thank you for your reply, appreciated.
I have used Hoya Pro1 in the past.

[SpringfieldPhoto]

I never use any filter when in the studio but outdoors I use Hoya HD Protector Filter. These are not UV as the camera sensor isn't sensitive to UV so totally pointless. Hoya introduced these filters for precisely this reason.

[Hereford_EOS]

I used to use Hoya Pro UV filters as protectors, but always thought some shots were slightly soft.
I recently purchased (with a friend) some lens calibration software (Reikan FoCal), and ran tests with and without the filters... The difference was very noticeable in that with the filters, the focus was off, and needed slightly more calibration... still looked wrong to me with filters, even after calibration.
I have now removed the filters completely, and have re-calibrated - very happy with the results.
I always have the correct lens hood on, which offers a good level of protection in my opinion.
If I were to use a filter for protection, I would use a good quality clear filter, not UV, as these are not required for digital cameras.

Thanks Mike, good to see you :thumbsup:

[mikep]

I used to use Hoya Pro UV filters as protectors, but always thought some shots were slightly soft.
I recently purchased (with a friend) some lens calibration software (Reikan FoCal), and ran tests with and without the filters... The difference was very noticeable in that with the filters, the focus was off, and needed slightly more calibration... still looked wrong to me with filters, even after calibration.
I have now removed the filters completely, and have re-calibrated - very happy with the results.
I always have the correct lens hood on, which offers a good level of protection in my opinion.
If I were to use a filter for protection, I would use a good quality clear filter, not UV, as these are not required for digital cameras.

[Hereford_EOS]

I have always used Hoya pro1D UV filters in the past and I think I'll order the Hoya brand again for my lenses.
Thank you for the replies, appreciated.

[lunarbo]

I have always used a good quality UV filter on my lenses. The peace of mind factor is incalculable ( given that I could calculate how much I've paid for the glass!)
If I'm ever in a studio with a model where every eyelash matters I suppose I could always take the filter off but that's about as unlikely as finding unicorn eggs.

[Ian Paul]

I was under the impression that my L lenses were not fully weather sealed until I added a filter. I have always used a good quality filter on all my lenses anyway from as far back as I can remember. Its cheaper to replace a damaged filter than a lens with a damaged front element. Great to have the forum back BTW. Regards, Ian W.

[MartinEOS]

Providing you have a decent quality one, they shouldn't affect the quality of the image, and it's much cheaper to replace a filter than to have the front element of a decent lens replaced. Digital cameras are pretty much insensitive to UV light, unlike film so they are not needed. If you are purchasing a filter to protect the lens than a "Protect" is normally cheaper than UV - but many people used to have spare UV carried over from film. If you use a cheap UV then there is a good chance it will degrade the image in some cases significantly. There are some times when even a good UV or even a Protect filter will affect an image, off hand when imaging Aurora - you get "Newton Rings" showing up.

[Hereford_EOS]

I have always used Hoya pro1D UV filters in the past. So my question is are they beneficial.
Do I buy them for my 'L' lenses or maybe not?

1. They are harmless but serve as a protection for your lens. (beneficial)
2. They do degrade the photo by some degree. (somewhat not beneficial)
3. Something else (please specify)