[Shakey]

Just ordered the Pentax 150-450 zoom and a B+W XS-Pro UV Haze MRC-Nano 010M Filter from B&H. Arrives Thursday.
Merry Christmas to me

[BigMackCam]

Just ordered the Pentax 150-450 zoom and a B+W XS-Pro UV Haze MRC-Nano 010M Filter from B&H. Arrives Thursday.
Merry Christmas to me

Congratulations! Fun times ahead

The B+W filters are very well respected and great quality. Good choice.

[newmikey]

Just ordered the Pentax 150-450 zoom and a B+W XS-Pro UV Haze MRC-Nano 010M Filter from B&H. Arrives Thursday.
Merry Christmas to me

Great choices for both lens as well as filter. Just don't forget to take it off every now and then. B+W filters are solid performers but in some lighting circumstances even they can prove a burden rather than a positive impact on IQ.

[beachgardener]

Marumi have some good filters too.

[ChrisPlatt]

In my experience the German brands are the best quality, e.g. B+W, Schneider, Rodenstock.
Some of the made in Japan Hoya/Kenko filters are not bad.

Chris

[Schraubstock]

Especially in deserts, at sea (salt water splash). The elements in some cases can be brutal,

Sorry, can't help myself having a dig.
Anyone who is a spectacles user, don't forget to install filters to protect the lenses of your specs. After all they cost a pretty penny too.

I don't know how I can formulate this without stepping on anybodies necktie but it seems to me some people make claims simply because in theory it makes sense but in actual fact they often have no personal experience. It is impossible to argue against those claims because in theory they make so much sense. Theory and practice however, as we all no know, often enough are two different things.

1) The beach in heavy weather theory.
Salt spray ! O.K., salt s corrosive. but only if if you let it remain on the camera equipment long enough and not clean it off. So why single out the lens front element and never mention the camera body. What sort of protection do you put on that ? If you say you use a plastic bag for that, do you always carry one with you ? I have never seen it. With modern Pentax lenses at least they now have protective coatings. The OP has concern over his 150-450. Put a UV filter on that and then ask yourself what sense this makes. If the filter collects salt particles it needs to be cleaned off to get clear shots and it will smear. If the same salt hits the "protective" Pentax coating it needs to be cleaned off just the same but it will be a damn site easier and cleaner.( Wash off if you have a drink bottle with you. I speak from experience. But no Coke please ).
I call this myth debunked.

2) Beach sand blowing theory.
In over 50 years of shooting and sometimes in the most dire condition, desert and beach, never ever have any of my lenses sustained "sandblast" damage !" (The front lens element is too hard and bar some very old lens coatings they are pretty "tuff" too). And in the earlier film days neither have my UV filters sustained sand damage. (and to elaborate on my first paragraph, neither have my spectacles. I have lost a few but not through sandblast damage.)
I call this myth debunked.

To proof a point I supply some picture. The first two were shot in 2012 at "Inch Beach, County Kerry Ireland" The wind that day was atrocious with sand on the strand blowing so hard it was flying horizontally along the strand. Sand was driving into my face and it was painful. Sand was packed up like snow drifts against the door of the kiosk far off the beach so that is was impossible to open. I spent some two hours shooting with the 60-250. No filter, NO DAMAGE !

The other picture was taken in a Oman desert, it was not quite as wild as Inch Beach but nevertheless there was plenty of sand flying around. It was the fine stuff which goes into everything. NO filter, DAMAGE !

Anybody would have a hard time to convince me to use filters for protection. It is and will remain a clever revenue generating scaremongering sales activity.

So please save your hard earned money and give UV filters a miss. They offer no benefit.

Now let the hate mail begin.

Cheers

[BigMackCam]

Anyone who is a spectacles user, don't forget to install filters to protect the lenses of your specs. After all they cost a pretty penny too.
...
1) The beach in heavy weather theory.
...
I call this myth debunked.

2) Beach sand blowing theory.
...
I call this myth debunked.
...
Anybody would have a hard time to convince me to use filters for protection. It is and will remain a clever revenue generating scaremongering sales activity.

So please save your hard earned money and give UV filters a miss. They offer no benefit.

Now let the hate mail begin.

You won't get any hate mail from me

Your points are well made and reasonable, and if you'd said "Based on my 50+ years of experience, protective filters wouldn't have offered me any benefit. YMMV", I'd respect that as an entirely valid and valuable statement. Where we disagree is your statement as if it were fact that protective filters offer no benefit (and, perhaps, your debunking of others' opinions and experience as myths).

Based on my own experience (not theory or myths) of just nine years or so, I have at least two or three filters with mild but noticeable scratches on them. The worst of them, for sure, was caused when I cleaned the filter whilst on the beach. I can only assume it was a piece of sand or grit between the cloth and filter that caused it. In the end, it doesn't really matter - that scratch is there, and so are the others.

Now, you could say I should be more careful, in which case I wouldn't need to worry about scratches - and that would be fair enough. But, my way of working is different to yours. I like to be able to wipe clean the front (protective) element without being too careful, and with few concerns for the resulting condition of the glass. Given that, filters definitely offer some benefit for me, and I'll continue using them when I feel it's worthwhile.

I'll never recommend that someone uses or doesn't use protective filters. All I can offer is a subjective opinion based on my own use-case and experience. I think that's what you were doing, too

[CarlG]

Filters mean adding more glass surfaces, increasing the risk of flare; when more glass is added, it very slightly reduces t-values and contrast; UV filters in particular were relevant to film but much less to digital sensors (film is very sensitive to UV while most digital sensors are not); the filter may reduce the effects of some forms of physical impacts. Pick your poison.

[Theov39]

I use NIKON or Hoya HMC UV filters on all my lenses. With both you can be confident in the quality and flatness of the glass.

And yes, a filter did protect the front element once when I dropped my camera. Filter shattered but the front element survived unscathed.

[JimJohnson]

The glass and coating on most front lens elements is generally speaking harder than that used for filters. Regardless, I NEVER just wipe a lens. I blow, then soft brush a lens and only then will I go for a lens wipe if necessary. With WR lenses you can also gently rinse the front element with clean (preferably distilled water).

Film stock is UV sensitive but digital sensors have a built-in UV filter. If you feel you have to have something between your subject and the front lens element, do your best to use a multi-coated optically clear filter. Other than on my film bodies, about the only filters I use anymore are polarizers or neutral density. Anything else I can easily simulate in post processing.

[Na Horuk]

Sorry, can't help myself having a dig.

Eh, you only quoted a part of my long writeup. I think my language was precise enough. I was careful to explain many things, but I also wanted to mention that there might be legitimate uses for filters. I hope my post illuminated the various possible uses of filters, as well as some of the myths. I expect and reader will be reasonable and will only get some extra things to think about when they think about UV or protective filters.
I agree with the gist of your post, but your language might have been a bit strong. There simply are some cases where some people would want to add a filter. I hope your post gives them more information and confidence, but I certainly won't fault someone who goes on a whale watching boat tour and decides to take some extra precautions with their gear - even if the limits of the gear won't actually get tested

[Prakticant]

Don't be joking, pls.
Salt is not a sand, as salt dilutes in water. You can unscrew your filter and wash it in a basin (or bucket with some fresh lukewarm water), while I do not expect you doing the same with your lens.


-----

If the filter collects salt particles it needs to be cleaned off to get clear shots and it will smear. If the same salt hits the "protective" Pentax coating it needs to be cleaned off just the same but it will be a damn site easier and cleaner