gessman wrote:
Not to be contradictory but different manufacturers occasionally use the same terms to describe different equipment but generally CS = Cross Screen also known as a "star" filter. When screwed onto the front of a lens it causes star points to radiate out from reasonably bright light sources such as street lights or sun reflections in car fenders, off of chrome, etc. I have filters for 4, 6, or 8 star points and one that's variable so I can put the points where I want them.
A skylight filter was designed to reduce haze from infra red light naturally emitted from the sun. UV for ultra-violet, 1A for IR. Both rays drastically affected film, causing it turn blue and hazy, especially at higher altitudes, the higher, the more the effect. You do not shoot film in or around Denver without them. These filters were to keep that from happening. Digital is either not or is less affected by IR and UV. Both filters came to be more used for "protection" than to cut the IR and UV. Be careful about putting them on your camera - they potentially become the "weakest link" due to the fact that the quality of the glass is often not up to the quality of your lens and they can cause degradation of your images. I have heard of these filters saving lens but very rarely. The big advantage of using them as protection is not for when you drop your lens, it's for when you have dirt on the surface that needs cleaning. Repeated cleaning of your lens can remove the multiple coating that is there which can cause you to gradually get more and more lens flare which ruins your pictures. By having that filter on, you clean the filter and don't affect the lens. I DO NOT use these filters. I personally think that whatever protection they offer is minimal and I don't want the objects between my lens and my subject, nor do I think most people do not who are picky about their images. I would suspect the number of lens that have been saved by a filter is extremely negligible. The filter manufacturers would not like me saying that.
Not to be contradictory but different manufacturer... (
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Hi Gessman, I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.
I'm glad you wrote about this because I was going to purchase some of these but you seem to think more glass on the lens will degrade the quality of the photo? It sounds like it's not necessary to use them since most people aren't using film anymore. I had been considering using them for waterfalls and ocean shots. You think I should save my money then?
