lancewit wrote:
What are the benefits or non benefits of using a UV Filter.
I have taken identical photo`s with the filter on and the filter off.
Can`t seem to see any difference when viewing my photo`s.
Help please.
Also, Thank you in anticipation for any replies.
Regards Lance Whittington.
This is a summary of the "best practices" used by top working pros who seek optimal technical quality.
> There is no optical advantage below about a mile above sea level, unless you use film. Digital sensors don't pick up a lot of UV. There isn't enough UV at low altitudes to affect digital exposures.
> A UV filter is habitually sold by camera stores, because the store probably makes more money on filters than they do on camera or lens sales. These days, they should be selling a *clear glass* "filter" (lens protector) for the reasons they tell you that you should use a UV filter...
> Although a clear glass filter is better for lens protection than a UV filter (on DIGITAL camera lenses), in a pinch, a UV filter can protect your lens from flying debris, splashed liquids, sand, many drops, and other mishaps. It removes about 1/6 of an f/stop of light. Clear glass removes about half that.
> For night time street photography or astrophotography, or any time you have a lot of point source lights in a scene, REMOVE all filters if the situation makes it safe to do so. Filters can cause light to bounce off the front surface of a lens, reflect off the back side of the filter, and then be picked up by the lens in a different place. This can cause a weird "double image" flare, halos, or ghosting.
> Know that any filter can add significant flare to scenes with specular reflections (mirror-like reflections of light sources off of metal or glass or liquids) or light sources visible in a scene.
> Use filters when you need them for a specific purpose. Avoid them when you know it is safe to do so.
> ALWAYS use a lens shade.
> Use a clear glass filter, or a circular polarizer, or a neutral density filter, when the situation calls for it. At 6000' or higher, use a UV filter.
> Use special effects filters only if you can't get the effect in post-processing. Post-processing options are almost infinite these days. Recording and developing raw files maximizes your options for different end uses.
In my film days, I carried up to 40 filters in my bag, for B&W effects, special effects, and color correcting various light sources for both Daylight and Tungsten balanced Ektachrome films.
> In the digital world, white balance and hue controls (in the camera and in post-processing software) get rid of the need for color correction filters.
> B&W images may be created from raw files in many different ways, with near-infinite variations, so the old red, yellow, orange, and green filters used at the camera are unnecessary — in fact, undesirable — for their former effects. Just record raw files and convert them EXACTLY the way you want them, in Lightroom and Photoshop or your choice of good post-processing software.
In short, UV filters play a very minor role in the digital world, unless you're in the mountains. CLEAR GLASS "filters" or lens protectors should be used instead, and only when needed for protection. Lens hoods should ALWAYS be used, unless you're using an extreme wide angle lens where vignetting might be an undesirable effect. The most common "effects" you can't get in post-processing are circular polarization, which darkens blue skies at right angles to the sun and removes glare from foliage and water, and neutral density, which allows wider apertures, or slower shutter speeds, or lower ISO, or some combination of those.