[gm4life]

So my big day arrived the 300 * made it in, I have OK weather in Iowa, no snow etc. Relatively warm well into the 40's etc - I am all ready to see what my 1 grand got me. I mount the 300 on the tripod collar to my Manfrotto 290 Extra tripod with the 496RC2 ball head, disable SR, and enable 2 second self timer, crank my ISO setting way down and take my first photo. What I am greeted with on the view finder and laptop is the most marginal photograph I have seen in a few days nothing is tack sharp - "fuzzy" is the technical term - I am nearly positive I have it in focus etc... I thought I did everything "correct" and I took a few more same results. I then go ahead and take aim at the only thing left I can think of and I remove my Hoya Alpha MC UV filter - start taking the same photos again. Time after time the photographs are coming back sharper and it is delivering the results I expected. This got me wondering...

I then took out the 55-300 for a quick spin and when shooting I found the photographs to be very good - not as good as the 300 * but still sharp for that kind of lens. This made me wonder how come the Hoya Alpha MC UV filter of course a different size, at the same focal length did not interfere with sharpness of the image on the 55-300 at 300mm? I mean the weird thing was the modestly priced lens and modestly priced filter did just fine. When I went to the expensive lens and modestly priced filter the results were worse than the modest lens and filter... The next step was to go "rob" a 77mm Pentax SMC branded Skylight my dad has had on the 400 * F5.6 for overly 13 years and see my results again - the 300 * performance was still as exceptional as the performance with no filter at all. Can someone tell me why this is? Naturally it is a better filter - but still... I am really logically struggling with this one. All the other lenses I have use the same Hoya Alpha MC UV filters even the 55 * too, and my Limited's all the results with these modestly price filters have been great - but the big boy 300 * didn't like them.

I am going to order a few different filters for my * lenses, a few nice (i.e. more expensive) Skylights and a couple clear HD filters too. I will keep rocking the less expensive Hoya Alpha MC UV filters on the other lenses as the do the job well, but it begs the question - why do the other lenses deliver sharp photographs with the moderately priced filters but the 300 * didn't? Any expert/advice thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[Driline]

I have OK weather in Iowa,

Who in their right mind would live in Iowa? Corn, Pigs and cows not necessarily in that order. Oh yea........me.

Can someone tell me why this is? Naturally it is a better filter -

Putting a UV filter on the end of your lens is like shooting through dirty glass. Who needs them? Can you tell I'm in the NO filter camp? I do use color polarizers and ND filter and they are fantastic filters, but they are there to do a job. Oh, and I only purchase high end expensive filters. YMMV.

[Driline]

Why do you add a filter?

Most people add plain filters to protect the end of the lens element. There are two camps out there. Those who use plain filters religiously and those who do not. There are pros and con's to both. I'm in the ...NO filter camp

[gm4life]

Why do you add a filter?

Protection for the lens plain and simple. Some people get creative with special ND filters etc. I use them for protection just in case.

---------- Post added 01-22-17 at 06:19 PM ----------

Who in their right mind would live in Iowa? Corn, Pigs and cows not necessarily in that order. Oh yea........me.



Putting a UV filter on the end of your lens is like shooting through dirty glass. Who needs them? Can you tell I'm in the NO filter camp? I do use color polarizers and ND filter and they are fantastic filters, but they are there to do a job. Oh, and I only purchase high end expensive filters. YMMV.

You are clearly in the no filter camp, but I can in good conscience not use one just in case. Hopefully blowing another 150 bucks will fix this problem. 😀

[BrianR]

I've posted this one before, these are 100% crops from the DA*300mm (trying different settings on a tripod, target is the cover of a moth field guide), the column on the right is with a cheap and nasty ebay UV filter:



It's like shooting through an old pane of glass on a neglected farmhouse. I did a few trials for the UV filter shots, just in case I messed up the focus or something else, but no, a bad filter is a bad thing to put on a high quality lens.

I'll speculate, but I'd guess a 77mm filter is getting large enough that it's tricky to make perfectly flat. It's possible a 'mid-range' 77mm filters will be noticeably poorer than a 'mid-range' 58mm filter. My example wasn't mid range though, definitely low end in my case.

It's also possible that the DA*300mm goes into sulk-mode as soon as anything but a top-notch filter goes in front of it. Lenses have feelings you know.

[gm4life]

Do you use your lens hood? It's been my experience that lens hoods protect the front elements of my lenses and help contol unwanted lens flare.

Absolutely I always have a hood if the lens has one. Still need a filter, I have a 77mm Hoya 1B Skylight and Hoya HD Clear hopefully those will yield results similar to the Pentax Skylight. I got the same two filters for the 55mm * too.

---------- Post added 01-22-17 at 06:48 PM ----------

I've posted this one before, these are 100% crops from the DA*300mm (trying different settings on a tripod, target is the cover of a moth field guide), the column on the right is with a cheap and nasty ebay UV filter:



It's like shooting through an old pane of glass on a neglected farmhouse. I did a few trials for the UV filter shots, just in case I messed up the focus or something else, but no, a bad filter is a bad thing to put on a high quality lens.

I'll speculate, but I'd guess a 77mm filter is getting large enough that it's tricky to make perfectly flat. It's possible a 'mid-range' 77mm filters will be noticeably poorer than a 'mid-range' 58mm filter. My example wasn't mid range though, definitely low end in my case.

It's also possible that the DA*300mm goes into sulk-mode as soon as anything but a top-notch filter goes in front of it. Lenses have feelings you know.

Thank you! Big difference with the ones on the right. I take it your in the no filter camp. I have 90 bucks between the two filters I have on the way for the 300 * so most definitely not the "cheap" ones.

I am thinking these like the Pentax Skylight I tried will yield good results.

[tvdtvdtvd]

You are clearly in the no filter camp, but I can in good conscience not use one just in case. Hopefully blowing another 150 bucks will fix this problem. 😀

You may genuinely need a filter on your lens for protection, or not. Try completing the following sentence, honestly:

"I (do/do not) frequently drop things."

This is not meant as a judgmental statement, merely an observation. Personally, I do not frequently drop things. For example,
I have only once, ever, dropped my cellphone. One time in 15+ years of cellphone ownership. I've witnessed friends
who drop their phone frequently, even multiple times in one day. I have never dropped a camera and have only dropped
a lens once in the last 30 odd years, (twice if you count the lens that came out of my bag when I had to brake sharply
to avoid an accident). As such, I don't feel any great need to put filters on my lenses. Nor do I put protective films on the
LCD of camera or phone.

There may indeed come a day when I have an unfortunate event that could have been prevented by a protective filter
or plastic sheet of film. In the meantime, I think the benefits of a clear crisp LCD screen and one less piece of glass
in front of my lenses is well worth the potential risk.

[BrianR]

Thank you! Big difference with the ones on the right. I take it your in the no filter camp. I have 90 bucks between the two filters I have on the way for the 300 * so most definitely not the "cheap" ones.

I am thinking these like the Pentax Skylight I tried will yield good results.

For my general use, I am in the "no protection filter" camp. The hood is pretty deep on this lens, good enough protection for me for most cases. Please do report back on the filters you have coming, it will be handy to know which filters give limited image degradation. Some people are happier with a protection filter and it will be good to have examples to point to instead of just my example of what not to do.

[gm4life]

You may genuinely need a filter on your lens for protection, or not. Try completing the following sentence, honestly:

"I (do/do not) frequently drop things."

This is not meant as a judgmental statement, merely an observation. Personally, I do not frequently drop things. For example,
I have only once, ever, dropped my cellphone. One time in 15+ years of cellphone ownership. I've witnessed friends
who drop their phone frequently, even multiple times in one day. I have never dropped a camera and have only dropped
a lens once in the last 30 odd years, (twice if you count the lens that came out of my bag when I had to brake sharply
to avoid an accident). As such, I don't feel any great need to put filters on my lenses. Nor do I put protective films on the
LCD of camera or phone.

There may indeed come a day when I have an unfortunate event that could have been prevented by a protective filter
or plastic sheet of film. In the meantime, I think the benefits of a clear crisp LCD screen and one less piece of glass
in front of my lenses is well worth the potential risk.

I drop my phone every few weeks, I have an Otterbox Defender for my iPhone 7 Plus BTW. Camera equipment not so much... Still won't be without my safety blanket. I do get where you are coming from though.

I also decided to do the more expensive Hoya HD Clear filters for the rest of my lenses too. Much better than the Alpha MC UV series I currently have. No more inexpensive UV filters for me. You get what you pay for I suppose.

[Obin Robinson]

I feel sad for those who have never needed a filter to protect the lens elements of their camera. They must have never ventured to where the truly thrilling photographs are taken.

obin

[tvdtvdtvd]

I feel sad for those who have never needed a filter to protect the lens elements of their camera. They must have never ventured to where the truly thrilling photographs are taken.

That's another matter entirely. One can always choose additional protection should a given situation merit. Protecting
a camera in a hazardous situation shouldn't be seen as justification for always using the same protection at all times.
Surely you don't wear a helmet, knee pads and kevlar gloves every time you leave the house?

[noelpolar]

Surely you don't wear a helmet, knee pads and kevlar gloves every time you leave the house?

Agree.... however... I know people who should.... somehow they managed to dodge natures natural selection process. Societies progress has a lot to answer for!

I almost never drop my phone... it resides safely in a draw 99% of the time.... also ensures I'm not pestered to much.

[redcat]

I always protect my lens with filter (top of the line ones : B&W, Hoya HD) and didn't notice any degradation in image quality, it gives me peace of mind

[gm4life]

I always protect my lens with filter (top of the line ones : B&W, Hoya HD) and didn't notice any degradation in image quality, it gives me peace of mind

Well 150 for the my star lenses, 300 DA * 77mm ones I did a Hoya 1B Skylight, Hoya HD Clear and the same but for my 55 DA * 58mm in that size.

So those four plus the other 5 Hoya HD's for the two Limiteds and my other three DA lenses. Those nailed me another 150, so 300 bucks to get all Hoya HD's plus two additional Skylight 1B's for the star lenses. Not cheap but like you said it pays to get the good ones. I have learned my lesson on cheap or half price filters they aren't worth it!

Glad to know the Hoya HD's don't degrade image quality that bodes well for my poor 300 *, it was like buying a new 6.2L Stingray Corvette with 455 horsepower and not putting in premium gas. It might run on regular but it will perform better with premium. To use a car analogy.

[Driline]

I feel sad for those who have never needed a filter to protect the lens elements of their camera. They must have never ventured to where the truly thrilling photographs are taken.

obin

Silvis, Illinois?