UV FILTERS AND OR PROTECTIVE FILTERS – YES OR NO???????

For years, photographers have used UV filters to help compensate for the blue in our atmosphere, which increases with elevation.  It of course is touted for being able to cut through atmospheric haze like we find in so many areas all summer long.

But besides all those correctional effects that a UV filter can apply, perhaps the simple fact, that it provides the user a certain amount of protection for the front lens elements and lens barrels.

There are those who feel that simply having a lens hood on their lens is more than enough protection and prefer not to use filters at all.  And there are those who feel that they must have a protective filter on the front of every lens they own.

There is no wrong opinion here.  A lens hood can certainly protect lenses from impact. But protecting the front optics from dust, dirt, rain, pollutants, can only be accomplished by putting a protective filter on the lens.

For those who do not to use UV filters, the argument given is that the images they shoot will be degraded by adding this extra piece of glass to the optical path.   With the use of a poorly made and perhaps inexpensive filters, this certainly could be the case. 

But with HIGHLY MULTICOATED FILTERS, MADE FROM THE HIGHEST QUALITY OPTICAL GLASS, AND PRECISION MOUNTS, the chances of degrading the images under normal shooting conditions are extremely small if not at all.

HOYA PRO 1 UV FILTERS, HOYA SUPER MULITCOATED UV FILTERS, B+W MRC UV FILTERS, AND HELIOPAN SH-PMC, are some of the more expensive, high level filters to ask about. 

Multicoated filters allow the greatest amount of light to pass through because they barely reflect light back.  The also allow the light path to correctly enter through the lens so as to not cause reflections on the CCD or CMOS imagers in the Digital SLR cameras.

There are multicoated PROTECTION filters too.  They do not have the UV coatings and are considered optically CLEAR and this is something else you may want to consider.

Beyond the protection concept, you should also make sure that the POLARIZING filters you use have the same multi coatings.  The brands mentioned above all provide that kind of multicoated polarizer.

Also check out the CARL ZEISS OPTICAL CLEANING SYSTEMS.  I consider them to be one of the best in the market place today.

Ask one of the sales people at YOUR FAVORITE CAMERA STORE to give you a demonstration of inexpensive vs. expensive  multicoated filters. ((ESPECIALLY THE ONES I MENTIONED ABOVE))  Be sure to either bring your lenses with you or have a list of the lenses you own so that the proper advice can be given as to what filters and what sizes you need.

Elliot Stern