barbie.lewis Loc: Livingston, Texas

Hi!
Other than UV/Haze and C-PL, what is your current view? Screw-on filters? Square filters? Or do everything in Post-processing?

(I searched and the last discussion of this seems to have taken place five years ago in 2012).

Rongnongno Loc: FL

UV filters are useless... Even s a 'protection' for a lens.
CPL filters can be useful but in specific circumstances where light reflections are an issue otherwise many of them will create a cast, even the most expensive one (price is not equal to quality)

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

I have a filter or two in my backpack at various times. Sometimes I put UV/Haze filters on a lens but most often just leave them off. Although, I do wish I'd had the UV filter on when my tripod fell over in Yosemite! The lens face was nicked a bit but off to the side. I have an ND grad that I used once, it is the square kind to simply hold in front, but most often I just do an HDR approach when there is a high degree of dynamic range in a scene and that has worked very well so far. So, my graduated ND has been rendered fairly useless since I do the work in post. I do use a 10-stop ND (screw on) and love that and cannot do the same effect in post so I carry that one with me often. That's it, no other filters.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

For me, the square/rectangular filters were a God-send. Until I discovered them I had duplicate filters in 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, yada, yada.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Problem with those is that they are rarely made of optical glass so are usually more a source of problem than anything else.

The best option is a step-up ring to 72mm and purchase only this size for all lenses. Yes, the camera will look funky but heck, this works (and you can buy cheap lens caps for a dime a dozen!!!

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Leitz Loc: Solms

This is an often discussed topic. Unfortunately many posters, like you, do not use descriptive titles so the search function is pretty much useless.

cthahn

You can not do everything in either filter or software. Do what works best for you.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Forget about the Search feature here. It's not very effective, mainly because people post titles like Help, or What am I doing wrong?

Limiting this to "other than UV or CPL" leaves out the filters most people use. I use a clear filter on my lenses for basic dust and dirt protection, and I use a CPL when necessary. The most important thing, for me at least, is using a Xume magnetic adapter to hold the filters in place. Pop it on and pop it off in less than a second. I also do post processing with Lightroom.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes. Step-up rings are great. Buy one good filter and use it on several lenses.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Buy filters for the largest size lens you have, for me, it is 82mm and get step-up rings for the rest of your lenses

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Barbie,
All of my filters are round. There is use for a graduated neutral density filter, but haven't really looked into those very much. That use will be determined by what kind of subject matter you photograph. All of my lenses have high quality, B+W, UV filters. They provide some protection for the front element of the lens. I do selectively remove them depending on the situation at the time. My personal first choice is, as mentioned, B+W. That choice is based on a conversation I had with one of their engineering staff.
--Bob

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Jerry, I agree 100% with your answer & Bravo Zulu to Xume!!!

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I am a member of a very small minority here that keeps some sort of clear filter, whether a haze filter or occasional UV filter on the front of every lens all the time, unless I am photographing something requiring very close focus or using a really wide angle lens, which I don't have right now. Coatings on lenses are usually quite soft. If the front surface of your objective lens (the front element) is coated, that coating will not stand up forever to repeated cleaning. And while glass is almost completely chemically inert, most coatings are not, and can react with things that are sometimes in the air. If filters are coated and of good quality, are kept clean and in good order, and replaced when damaged, they will not affect the quality of your images, except as mentioned earlier.

I fully understand that there are strong feelings around this issue, especially on this site, and my mission is not to change anyone else's choice. But this is mine, and these are my reasons.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I'm with you, Larry.
--Bob

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

I do not use UV filters unless in a situation where there is a lot of wind and blowing sand/dirt. CPL is good for reducing reflections, such as on water, also can make colors richer, but do not work on an overcast day because the sun needs to be at approximately 90 degrees to the lens. Most filters are screw-on, even neutral density that are solid, which makes the very easy to use. Any filter that darkens the view will require a slower shutter speed, which is anti-hand-held in most situations. Square filters have their uses. I have a graduated ND filter that comes in handy for bright skies with darker foreground [sunrise, sunset, very sunny day]. There are holders for them, but I prefer to hand-hold them.

A lot of people believe you can do everything in PP. I do not. If you have blown out highlights, they can never be recovered. If your shadows are extremely dark, they will show a lot of noise when brightened. Using a darkening filter can compensate for brightness [CPL and solid ND]. Using a grad ND filter can help provide the best overall exposure making your editing easier. There are situations where HDR is the best way to go, and should always be considered an option.