 Meghan Gonski |
Filter2 what's the difference between (besides price) HOYA 77mm UV HD filter for $107 these are on B&H both under the category "UV filters"
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- Carlton Ward Contact Carlton Ward Carlton Ward's Gallery |
Hi Meghan, UV is for Ultra-violet which will cut the hazy look from the image if there is hazy lighting to begin with. The clear is just a protective filter to protect the lens. One thing to consider is if you need them at all. I have either my lens cap or a lens hood on while I am carrying my camera and take off the cap when ready to shoot. I have the B&W versions of the UV & a Circular polarizer which are a little more $$ but my thought is that I dont want an inferior filter degrading my L lens quality. I also have a couple of Hoya's and I dont notice any quality issues with them either BUT I rarely use them at all except when its really hazy or the CP for shooting waterfall/landscape photos and I need it for its effect. I cant knock anyone that uses them for protection as I watched a friend drop his Nikon with an expensive Nikkor lens and the filter broke but the lens was perfectly fine (saved). Read the reviews on B&H or if you buy them at a camera store - try a couple of test shots and see for yourself. my .02, Carlton
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Lynn R. Powers |
Meghan, Being that the camera sensor has a filter to reduce UV neither does anything but protect the lens from debris, or the occasional dropped camera/lens. I want a filter that does something besides protect the lens so I use a skylight filter which reduces the blue cast. Here in the PNW by using this filter on our often cloudy days I get good flesh tones that would otherwise have to be photoshopped. For heavy haze, especiallyn up here out on the water, I like the UV Hazxe #15. Even it doesn't always remove all of the haze but it does a pretty good job. I only use one filter at a time unless the combination is a circular polarizor and a ND or GND. Carlton and I ALWAYS, or almost, use lens hoods. If there is a lens on the camera there is also a lens hood on it. The hood helps to reduce flare, glare and increase contrast as well as protecting the front element. Carlton mentioned a circular polarizer. What he didn't mention is that his is very expensive. I had one. Now I have one, one step down from it, along with a step-up ring so I can use it on my 67mm lenses. Lynn
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Meghan Gonski |
Aw thank you Carlton for always looking at these questions on BP, you've had such good information for me over the years. Your "my .02" made me smile. never seen it written that way before. :) Thank you Lynn too! I am sorry it took me so long to reply. I read this thread and then got distracted for awhile :( I did not know that DSLR has UV inside the camera making the UV filters somewhat negligible. I came into digital from film so that's why I thought I needed a UV filter. Carlton, you said you have a BW UV filter, what's the difference between a BW UV and a normal UV filter? Why would you need that one and not the other? Lynn, I live in Alaska which is by the ocean. But I don't shoot by the ocean much at all. I've dropped a camera three times. Once the hood broke but not the lens or camera. Once my tripod didn't stay stable and it toppled over! that broke my filter, camera was okay, the lens didn't break in that term but it had a slight malfunction inside so I had to get another lens. And once tonight it fell of a chair but everything was completely fine to my relief. There was a lens cap on it but it popped off during the fall.
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- Carlton Ward Contact Carlton Ward Carlton Ward's Gallery |
B&W is a brand name and they do make quality filters (my 77mm B&W Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Coating filter is $175). I will someday belly up the $400 for a Singh Ray Circular Polarizer or ND filter. They are the best I have seen but pricey. I know Tony Sweet & other BP instructors also love them as well. Luckily, my L lenses are all 77mm so it will work on any of them :) Lynn & I live up in the Pacific Northwest which is usually over-cast and we often get fog & Dragons Breath (the clouds that hang over the mountains from the sleeping dragon that lurks on top of the mountain). I usually use the natural look for dramatic/mood characteristics so I dont want to filter this out. I may try the Skylight filter Lynn mentioned as well. This image was taken in August from backstage at a music fest and I zoomed in to go over the top of the band that was playing in front of me to get this capture. The clouds had completely covered White Horse Mountain and then a whole opened up revealing a peek of the peak :) Love in Light - and clouds, Carlton
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Meghan Gonski |
Okay i'm definetly going to have a filter on the end of my lens as I take sports photos often and there is most often wind with dust from the field. with an hour without a lens cap, I think would be a bad idea for no filter. I'm going to get the clear proctection one. another question though, I have already bought a "digital" UV for my other 77mm lens and two UV for my 18-55 and 70-300. If UV is not necessary as you guys say, and could also degrade more of the image. (i'm all about quality these days. sick of lesser quality I've been taking for a few years)Then, should I invest in "digital" clear protection filters for those 3 lenses?? #2 question; I have read that you are not supposed to rub or use cleaning liquid on filters as it will take off the coating of the lens. I was horrified when I read this because when I was just starting out with my film camera, I would clean my "film" filters often thinking I was doing good. But now I'm wondering if there is ANY kind of coating on them??? Should I toss them? #3 if you say I should toss the "film" filters , and if you say I should buy the "digital" clear protection filters; I could still use the "digital" UV filters on my film lenses right?
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Meghan Gonski |
ignore question #3 as you already answered that for me on another post
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