Lens Protection: What is the "best" filter for lens protection? I understand "clear" filters are exactly that, with zero light or color attenuation. I have a "skylight 1B" filter which...

BobbyT Loc: Southern California

What is the "best" filter for lens protection? I understand "clear"
filters are exactly that, with zero light or color attenuation. I have a "skylight 1B" filter which I sometimes use with my Nikkor 18-200 mm lens and recently bought a Nikkor 12-24mm f/4 lens which i want to "protect". I do mainly artwork photos so I want no color alteration.Which should I use? Does the "skylight filter" alter the color?
Thanks

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

BobbyT wrote:

What is the "best" filter for lens protection? I understand "clear"
filters are exactly that, with zero light or color attenuation. I have a "skylight 1B" filter which I sometimes use with my Nikkor 18-200 mm lens and recently bought a Nikkor 12-24mm f/4 lens which i want to "protect". I do mainly artwork photos so I want no color alteration.Which should I use? Does the "skylight filter" alter the color?
Thanks

In my opinion, the "best" filter for protection is a lens hood!

I recently scrapped using filters on all my lenses and image quality went up. I am of the opinion that ALL filters will degrade or alter the light passing thru it.

I am sure others will agree and disagree, but be prepared to spend a bit of money on the better quality filters to reduce the altered light as best they can.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I see it two ways.

When I'm serious about photography and concentrating on camera use, I take of the UV filter and use a lens hood.

If I'm out for another purpose and carrying the camera for moments of opportunity, I may put a "protection filter" on.

For the OP's question, "Skylight" and "UV" filters DO have some effect on film, but little or none on digital sensors. Most seem to agree that "Clear Protection" or "UV" filters accomplish the same thing on a digital camera.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

BobbyT wrote:

What is the "best" filter for lens protection? I understand "clear"
filters are exactly that, with zero light or color attenuation. I have a "skylight 1B" filter which I sometimes use with my Nikkor 18-200 mm lens and recently bought a Nikkor 12-24mm f/4 lens which i want to "protect". I do mainly artwork photos so I want no color alteration.Which should I use? Does the "skylight filter" alter the color?
Thanks

The "best" filter for protection is the hood that is made for that lens! ANY filter placed on/in a lens will effect the image in one way or another. Think about what is involved, an image captured by an electronic sensor, plain and simple. That sensor does not know and does not care what is used, but it knows if something is there. The sensors in today's DSLRs are incredibly sophisticated and can detect any and all differences across the image. Whatever is placed in front of the sensor will effect the recorded image. It is as simple as that. :lol:

mechengvic Loc: SoCalo

BobbyT wrote:

What is the "best" filter for lens protection? I understand "clear"
filters are exactly that, with zero light or color attenuation. I have a "skylight 1B" filter which I sometimes use with my Nikkor 18-200 mm lens and recently bought a Nikkor 12-24mm f/4 lens which i want to "protect". I do mainly artwork photos so I want no color alteration.Which should I use? Does the "skylight filter" alter the color?
Thanks

A lens hood does most of the protecting... But the day you notice the scuff marks on your front element's coating or a scratch that you have no idea how it got there...(like what happened to me) You'll wonder why you didn't put a clear B+W on the front of that sucker.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

Lens hood does it for me and has already saved my 55-300 once. It snapped off as it was designed to do. I only use filters when I need them for a specific situation like cutting through glare on water. Most anything can be done in Lightroom that a filter can do, IMHO. I think always having a hood on helps me get more quick shots that I might have missed if I had been fumbling around with filters. My 2 cents...

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

mechengvic wrote:

A lens hood does most of the protecting... But the day you notice the scuff marks on your front element's coating or a scratch that you have no idea how it got there...(like what happened to me) You'll wonder why you didn't put a clear B+W on the front of that sucker.

I'm not arguing against the use of filters in certain extreme conditions like a windy day at the beach, I can say, however, that after a number of years of daily use of various lenses without filters I have no front element scuffs or scratches that I can see..

DOOK Loc: Maclean, Australia

I know that using a filter for protection is ground into the minds of many photographers. However, I don't go along 'with the crowd' on this matter. In a lifetime of photography, I have never used a filter solely for protection, & have never had a damaged lens (maybe I've been lucky). Yes, I used a UV filter back in the film days, & I occasionally use a CPL these days. In my opinion, unless you want to use a filter to enhance/change the image that nature provides, the best way to guarantee the best image quality is to use no filter. JMO.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

BobbyT wrote:

What is the "best" filter for lens protection? I understand "clear"
filters are exactly that, with zero light or color attenuation. I have a "skylight 1B" filter which I sometimes use with my Nikkor 18-200 mm lens and recently bought a Nikkor 12-24mm f/4 lens which i want to "protect". I do mainly artwork photos so I want no color alteration.Which should I use? Does the "skylight filter" alter the color?
Thanks

Yes, Skylight filters have a tint, and will alter the colour. They were widely used as warming filters for film, but are not recommended with digital cameras.

BobbyT Loc: Southern California

Thanks much for responding to my call. I appreciate all the input!

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

BobbyT wrote:

What is the "best" filter for lens protection? I understand "clear"
filters are exactly that, with zero light or color attenuation. I have a "skylight 1B" filter which I sometimes use with my Nikkor 18-200 mm lens and recently bought a Nikkor 12-24mm f/4 lens which i want to "protect". I do mainly artwork photos so I want no color alteration.Which should I use? Does the "skylight filter" alter the color?
Thanks

Your lens will alter colours.
The room you are in will alter colours.
The time of day and type of day will alter colours.
AWB will alter colours.
The variation of colours in the image and whether you are under or overexposing a certain area will alter your colours.
If you are using the lens inside, what do you need to protect it from?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Dngallagher wrote:

I am sure others will agree and disagree...

Always a safe statement. :D

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

BobbyT wrote:

What is the "best" filter for lens protection? I understand "clear"
filters are exactly that, with zero light or color attenuation. I have a "skylight 1B" filter which I sometimes use with my Nikkor 18-200 mm lens and recently bought a Nikkor 12-24mm f/4 lens which i want to "protect". I do mainly artwork photos so I want no color alteration.Which should I use? Does the "skylight filter" alter the color?
Thanks

If you shoot artwork, you are probably capturing raw files, along with a color correction target, such as an XRite ColorChecker Passport or similar. This will take into consideration and correct for any color contribution from the lens, filter(s) or anythign you place in the light path.

You can use a UV filter, Skylight, or clear - with digital it really doesn't matter. This article shows you need not spend for a Heliopan, B&W or other pricey filter:

http://www.lenstip.com/113.1-article-UV_filters_test.html

Tom47 Loc: Gettysburg, PA

During the forty plus years of photographing various subjects under varring conditions I have never used a filter except for CPL. None of my lenses have ever been scratched nor scuffed. Now that we have come into the digital age and the corrections that can be made through photo processing I really do not see any need for the use of filters other than a CPL or ND.

Big Bill Loc: Phoenix, AZ

BobbyT wrote:

What is the "best" filter for lens protection? I understand "clear"
filters are exactly that, with zero light or color attenuation. I have a "skylight 1B" filter which I sometimes use with my Nikkor 18-200 mm lens and recently bought a Nikkor 12-24mm f/4 lens which i want to "protect". I do mainly artwork photos so I want no color alteration.Which should I use? Does the "skylight filter" alter the color?
Thanks

There is no "best" filter; there's only best for you.
When I'm in control of the environment, like landscape shooting, it's lens hood only.
But when I'm shooting at a Renn Faire, there's a UV filter on the lens, too. Learned that the hard way when a kid on dad's back put a turkey leg into the lens. :shock: