The UV or protective filter for your lens: a sales staple of every camera store for decades, but are those filters worth the money, with some of them being over $100? Everyone who advances in photography will eventually ask, so let's take a look.
As a photographer, and former camera salesperson, I choose not use any filters unless the conditions or photographs demand it, which sometimes they do.
As a photography teacher and coach, I wouldn't tell you what to do. But you can take advantage of my knoweldge and experience to educate yourself so you can decide what to do.
First let's clarify the purpose of the protective filter. It's just like a windshield for your lens. It doesn't enhance or make your photos better in any way. Poorly made filters (usually indicated by very low price) can actually degrade your images quite noticeably. Good protective filters are ground to precision from high quality optical glass and have special coatings that minimize additional flare and maintain as much clarity as possible. However, your lens is also specially -- and better -- designed to reduce flare, and many lenses include grime-repelling coatings already (Nikon and Canon's fluorine coat, for example).
UV filters -- a different category of filter which were sold as protective filters in the early years of digital -- offer no benefits in digital photography. In the film days, UV light could affect the color and contrast of the image, so you would put on a UV filter to minimize that. Digital sensors have UV filters built in, so there's no need for a UV filter on digital cameras, and UV filters themselves are often not made as well as filters dedicated to protection.
Should I get a protection filter?
Owning a protection filter and keeping it on the lens at all times are two different practices. I own protection filters, but I don't keep them on at all times.
First, I'm used to handling expensive glass somewhat carefully. Also, for those who insure their equipment, the redundant protection and expense of filters is less of a necessity. Another reason I wouldn't keep a protective filter on all the time is it can reduce optical clarity, which I don't want, especially since I paid for such a high resolution sensor and expensive lenses. Also, any additional glass over your lens may cause flare when shooting toward a light source that your lens by itself would otherwise eliminate -- even if the filter is an expensive, high quality one. Ansel Adams, the guy who made us crazy about photography and utterly mastered the art and equipment, recommends in his book "The Negative" not using UV filters, due to a reduction in optical quality, unless you're in a severe environment (dusty, dirty, etc). Adams was a stickler for the best quality. I don't know about you, but his assessment is good enough for me. So, like Adams, I would use a protective filter if conditions or photographs demanded it, and sometimes they do. I've photographed on windy beaches, in rain and so called "color runs" where participants run through clouds of colored corn starch, and then groove out to music with more corn starch bombs exploding from the stage. Yeah, I'm putting a filter on for that, as well as a plastic camera rain shield.
Some of you plan to shoot in rough conditions, not looking to make a National Geographic cover and just want something to keep the heavy dirt off your lens. Great. Get a protective filter.
You may not care that much about a small reduction in optical quality and are so nervous about scratching your lens that you'd just rather pay for a high quality filter to keep on it like a lens cap. That's a bit irrational, but fine, you can do that.
There are some instances where, while working at a camera store, I saw customers bring in cracked filters and the lens was untouched. Did the filter help? In one instance, a customer had been photographing a dirt bike race and one of the bikes kicked a stone into the lens and cracked the filter but not the lens, and he then bough another filter. However, some of the pictures and stories of cracked filters on the Internet are probably far fetched. You can take a picture of a cracked filter on a lens and write any story you want about it.
One thing few people know and therefore consider is that not much on the front element of a lens actually shows up on pictures, even scratches. The camera is focusing so far beyond that element, nothing on it is usually in focus. Even specks on the sensor itself are often too soft and blended in with the rest of the picture to be noticed, unless they're on a plain area like the sky.
Filter conclusion
My suggestion is don't make your filter decision just because someone else does or says something, especially a salesperson. Accessories, especially Promaster accessories, are a huge profit center for cameras stores in the United States. The margins on filters are massive, and they're heavily pitched as a must-have. If a camera store doesn't pitch filters, I'm curious as to what else is driving their profits because camera and lens-add ons are so essential to margins.
However, you are the boss of your money, not salespeople, and your purhases should fit your photography. How comfortable are you leaving your lens unprotected? Do you frequently shoot in harsh conditions with debris and dirt? Also, do you insure your equipment already, and could you justify the expense of filters on top of insurance?
A protective filter is only one part of lens care. If you do use one, it's not a substitute for proper handling, care, insurance or our next topic -- cleaning.
Cleaning lenses
As long as we're on the topic of protecting lenses, I might as well answer the question of how to clean them. Everyone wants to sell you a special combination of proprietary cloths, wipes and goops. You guessed it: You don't need it. For everyday light cleaning, one of the most safe and effective methods is microfiber and optical cleaning fluid. Lens glass is tough stuff. It's hard ground and coated glass from one of the best glass makers in the world. Put microfiber cloth spritzed lightly with optical cleaning fluid on it, and you can't scratch it. When cleaning camera equipment, start from least aggressive to most aggressive. First use a small air blower to knock off loose dirt and dust that could create a sandpaper effect. If necessary, then use a brush, like the one built into a lens cleaning pen. After using a blower and brush, simply spritz a section of the microfiber cloth with the optical cleaning fluid (never spritz the lens), and then rub the lens in a circular motion from the center out. Then use a dry part of the cloth to wipe off any residue until the glass looks perfectly clear. Distilled water is a substitute to optical cleaning fluid in a pinch and is much less expensive. For me, distilled water works just as well, but it doesn't have the detergents or evaporative agents of optical cleaning fluid, so use it sparingly, with only a barely-dampened cloth. There are other good ways to clean a lens, but they cost more and I've shown you my favorite method of the ones I've tried. Some of the more expensive solutions might be more effective if your lens is super dirty, but for general repeated cleaning I haven't used anything better than microfiber and optical cleaning fluid. Microfiber isn't just a good lens cloth. It's exceptional for cleaning camera bodies, flashes, lens barrels and just about any other camera equipment you can think of. I prefer the larger towels or cloths vs. the smaller ones that come in those leather wallet-sized pouches. This is because the larger ones give me more cleaning surface area, seem to be more durable, and may hold up to laundering better -- although hand washing is gentler. For the camera itself, I would use microfiber and a light amount of rubbing alcohol or even less distilled water. I don't want any harsh detergents or eroding the finish or labeling on the camera body. The microfiber is designed to lift dirt by itself, so you don't need a detergent on the camera. For harder to reach areas, like around camera dials or in between buttons, or for more stubborn dirt, I've also used a clean toothbrush. I've dipped the toothbrush in rubbing alcohol and then shaken and dabbed the excess alcohol off before brushing the camera. You can find microfiber cloth packs on sale anywhere -- grocery, auto and hardware stores -- for around $5 to $10, and they're washable; just don't throw them in the dryer or add fabric softener (or dryer sheets). Brand isn't really important as many probably come from the same or similar factories. Distilled water is free of minerals and chemicals that come in tap water and is relatively cheap compared to cleaning fluids. You can easily find a small plastic spray bottle, also cheap, to pour the distilled water in and carry with you. The only drawback to microfiber, and it's a small one, is that sometimes you'll leave little fibers on the lens. You can easily use a little air blower to clean them off, but they won't affect image quality or damage the glass. Keep optical cleaning solution and a microfiber or two in your bag and another set back at home, and you probably won't spend another dime on fancy goops and wipes.
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