Happy owner of a new toy ! How to you protect it?

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

09/24/2010 10:00:15 AM · #1

YAY !
I just received my new toy : the huge Nikon AF 16-34 f/4 ... :D
I'd like to put a 77mm protection filter on the lens ... but I don't understand the difference between the prices.
Is there some not to buy? Which filter do you use?

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

09/24/2010 10:02:40 AM · #2

You have an awesome piece of glass there... don't degrade the image quality by putting on a UV filter. Use the lens hood to protect the front element, and only use a UV filter if and when you shoot in very inclement environments like blowing sand or sea spray.

vawendy

Sony Alpha 1

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

09/24/2010 10:07:18 AM · #3

Originally posted by kirbic:

whoa... I would have never expected someone to say this -- my filters seems to be all a bit pock-marked just from life. Why would you want to take a chance with it?

MinsoPhoto

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

09/24/2010 10:16:31 AM · #4

Originally posted by keyz:

If you must use a filter then get a very high quality one. Otherwise you just spend a good deal of money on some nice glass only to essentially shoot through your car window all of the time(if you buy a cheap filter)

I will use a high quality uv filter on my 70-200 if I am at the beach or shooting in rain/snow etc... otherwise I leave it off.

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

09/24/2010 10:20:35 AM · #5

Ok, thanks for your advices. I won't buy the 8$ filter ;)

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

09/24/2010 10:29:41 AM · #6

With the wide end being 16mm, you may have to spring for the thin edge filters to prevent vignetting. The standard filters have a wider band around the edge where the threads are, and the lens may "see" that when you are shooting wide. My 18-70 vignettes with a standard UV filter on a crop sensor cam, so I had to get the Hoya Pro polarizer with the narrow band and no front threads for it for that reason.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

09/24/2010 11:29:53 AM · #7

Originally posted by vawendy:

whoa... I would have never expected someone to say this -- my filters seems to be all a bit pock-marked just from life. Why would you want to take a chance with it?

If we use a lens hood religiously, and if we put the lens cap on when the camera is not in use, we should almost never scratch a front element. I have lenses that are a half-century old and have pristine front elements. I never use a UV filter.
A filter, even a very good one, will degrade image quality to some degree. The degradation can range from almost unnoticeable to pretty noticeable, depending on the focal length and design of the lens and the quality of the filter.

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

09/24/2010 12:10:26 PM · #8

When buying a lens, I always ask, "Can you throw in a nice UV filter with that?" So far, all of my lenses have had free UV filters included, which ranged in price from $40 to $80. I put them on right away because I tend to get lots of poutine on my lenses.

As far as degrading quality, I'd have to do my own test before I believe it's something I could notice, especially after I have a go at the file with Photoshop. If I wanted to avoid the extra lens flare for a particular shot into the sun, I'd take it off for that shot. Other than that, I'm not taking my UV filters off unless I'm shooting the Queen of England.

Message edited by author 2010-09-24 12:12:08.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

09/24/2010 12:12:58 PM · #9

While I do agree with kirbic, I tend to error on the safe side and use a filter.

However, if you get a very good one, you won't have to worry about degradation, flare etc. Personally, I recommend B+W filters...very durable and optically excellent. Check any reviews and you will find they are one of the best, though not the cheapest by far.

A 77mm UV filter from B+W isn't too expensive compared to polarizers, etc. You might look at prices at 2filter.com; they also have great sevice.

vawendy

Sony Alpha 1

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

09/24/2010 12:15:37 PM · #10

How much of a difference does a filter actually make? Anyone know of good test results showing the differences? I know it changes the color a tad (someone showed me the difference between b&w & tiffen just by putting them on a piece of paper.), but is the quality of filter vs non change that much?

Message edited by author 2010-09-24 12:16:45.

bjoern

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF

09/24/2010 12:23:59 PM · #11

Originally posted by vawendy:

How much of a difference does a filter actually make? Anyone know of good test results showing the differences?

I would say, it depends.

Shoot a candle in low light with and without filter. I did that and found the additional relections very annoying, but maybe the filter was of bad quality.

I personally leave it off and rely on the lens hood for protection.

Tommy_Mac

Nikon D800

09/24/2010 12:25:38 PM · #12

I always get the Nikon NC filters for my lenses and keep them on all the time. I would rather that get scratched up then the lens itself...

//www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/121298-REG/Nikon_2482_77mm_Clear_NC_Glass.html

MelonMusketeer

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 50mm f/1.4

09/24/2010 12:27:40 PM · #13

Good multicoating helps with reducing the internal reflections between the filter and the UV filter over the sensor. The better filters usually have higher optical quality glass, ground and polished to a closer tolerance than the cheapo ones as well.
I bought a lens on eBay one time that came with a cheap polarizer that was so bad that I could not even manual focus with it, and the photos were soft, though the lens was excellent with other filters or bare.

vawendy

Sony Alpha 1

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

09/24/2010 12:28:24 PM · #14

Originally posted by bjoern:

Originally posted by vawendy:
How much of a difference does a filter actually make? Anyone know of good test results showing the differences?

I would say, it depends.

Shoot a candle in low light with and without filter. I did that and found the additional relections very annoying, but maybe the filter was of bad quality.

I personally leave it off and rely on the lens hood for protection.

Yup. I've noticed that candles, moon, etc, create bad reflections on the filters. It took me awhile to figure that out. I couldn't understand why I kept getting and extra white spot!

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

09/24/2010 12:34:30 PM · #15

I'm with Fritz on this one and use my lenses au naturel. If I'm buying L-glass, I don't want a cheap piece of plastic between me and my image unless I have to.

I don't think I've ever seen a scratch on my lenses, and I shoot in some crappy conditions on the beach (although I probably have a polarizer on most of the time then).

09/24/2010 12:50:33 PM · #16

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Isn't polarizers making strange shapes in the sky at 16mm?

FireBird

09/24/2010 12:53:01 PM · #17

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

and use my lenses au naturel. If I'm buying L-glass, I don't want a cheap piece of plastic between me and my image unless I have to.

This is delicately close to a post that needs to be in the "Personal Life" Forum here at DPC Doc. At the very least it's TMI. ----------- Oh! You meant your lens........ Never mind.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

09/24/2010 01:06:27 PM · #18

Originally posted by keyz:

Originally posted by DrAchoo:
I'm with Fritz on this one and use my lenses au naturel. If I'm buying L-glass, I don't want a cheap piece of plastic between me and my image unless I have to.

I don't think I've ever seen a scratch on my lenses, and I shoot in some crappy conditions on the beach (although I probably have a polarizer on most of the time then).

Isn't polarizers making strange shapes in the sky at 16mm?

Ya, you have to watch for that, but you can usually even it out in post and the effect isn't nearly as pronounced even at 24mm.

@FB. LOL. Whoops!

SaraR

Sony Alpha a7R III

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM

09/24/2010 01:09:43 PM · #19

Originally posted by FireBird:

Originally posted by DrAchoo:
and use my lenses au naturel. If I'm buying L-glass, I don't want a cheap piece of plastic between me and my image unless I have to.

This is delicately close to a post that needs to be in the "Personal Life" Forum here at DPC Doc. At the very least it's TMI. ----------- Oh! You meant your lens........ Never mind.

Not sure Jason did mean his lens....

doctornick

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

09/24/2010 01:14:12 PM · #20

Originally posted by kirbic:

What he said! :)

Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS

09/24/2010 01:17:17 PM · #21

Originally posted by doctornick:

Originally posted by kirbic:
You have an awesome piece of glass there... don't degrade the image quality by putting on a UV filter. Use the lens hood to protect the front element, and only use a UV filter if and when you shoot in very inclement environments like blowing sand or sea spray.

What he said! :)

Yep, this sounds wise ;)

hopper

Canon EOS-80D

Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

09/24/2010 01:34:48 PM · #22

Originally posted by keyz:

Originally posted by doctornick:

Originally posted by kirbic:
You have an awesome piece of glass there... don't degrade the image quality by putting on a UV filter. Use the lens hood to protect the front element, and only use a UV filter if and when you shoot in very inclement environments like blowing sand or sea spray.

What he said! :)

Yep, this sounds wise ;)

I agree

bryanbrazil

Sony Alpha a7R V

09/24/2010 01:49:37 PM · #23

I'm with Kirbic and others...when I first started buying lenses I put UV filters on them. That didn't last long though, I've been shooting L lenses for years now with no filters and no scratches to show for it. And I often clean the front lens element with my shirt. :-) I'll never use a UV filter again.

Strikeslip

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

09/24/2010 02:28:01 PM · #24

So all you folks are saying I should take the UV filters off of my L lenses and let the poutine fall where it may??? It will improve the quality of my files???

I thought UV filters were supposed to improve the quality a tad.... by filtering out UV light?

:-O

Message edited by author 2010-09-24 14:28:54.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5