[JimJohnson]

Your dSLR comes from the factory with both UV and IR filtration right at the sensor. So the ONLY purpose for a UV filter is lens front element protection. And any extra optical surfaces will degrade the image - so the rule of thumb is unless the filter adds something to the image that the camera cannot do on its own, you use it only for those images.

If we are talking about protecting the lens front element, from my experience, unless you are pointing the lens directly into salt spray or high velocity dust, a hood will protect the element as much and likely more than a filter. If I carry my camera with the cap off, a filter surface with no hood will attract more dust than no filter and a hood.

[nater]

If I carry my camera with the cap off, a filter surface with no hood will attract more dust than no filter and a hood.

I think you mean a filter surface with moisture on it will provide more surface area for dust to adhere to than a front lens element in some lenses. Dry dust should no more adhere to a filter than it should to any other dry surface, which is to say, not very much if at all. And higher quality filters can be easier to clean than lens front elements (this depends on the lens coatings). Suffice to say there is no single rule to this, other than to say that UV filters are only necessary if you're shooting film. I'll also link to a previous posts I made related to this topic:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-camera-field-accessories/232977-77...ml#post2466201

[abmj]

... If I carry my camera with the cap off, a filter surface with no hood will attract more dust than no filter and a hood.

Nobody ever suggested it is an either-or situation. In those situations where I feel a filter is necessary, the hood is on as well. The hood is ALWAYS on when the camera is out of the bag outdoors.

I saw an interview with photography legend Jay Maisel in which he was pretty adamant about leaving off filters, hoods or anything else that might make the camera look "pro" and more intimidating to people. He felt the chances of "nicking a lens" are pretty slim and it is just a lens - you can replace it easily. Well, that is probably very true for Jay, doing his style of street shooting-sniping on the sidewalks of New York. He doesn't want people to notice him taking pictures. Jay also makes enough with his photos that he can afford to replace a "nicked" lens now and then. For me, I don't care if people notice or are intimidated by me as I am not typically shooting them and the price of a new lens is pretty significant for me. To each his own.

[richardstringer]

I normally don't use any filters, I have a Hoya circular polarising filter and a Tiffen 0.6 graduated nd filter but virtually never use them. I never use the hood either, although I should I suppose as yeah it can stop flares from the sun I suppose, at least I think it's flares is it? Or is it ghosting, the little circular bits of light in a photo that are because of the sun.

[JimJohnson]

Originally posted by JimJohnson Quote
If I carry my camera with the cap off, a filter surface with no hood will attract more dust than no filter and a hood.

I think you mean a filter surface with moisture on it will provide more surface area for dust to adhere to than a front lens element in some lenses. Dry dust should no more adhere to a filter than it should to any other dry surface, which is to say, not very much if at all.

Actually, I meant exactly what I said. My theory (as I don't know the precise reason) is the air flows over the front of the hood and creates a partial vacuum inside the hood. Plus, maybe, the slower moving air inside the hood creates less static. So the glass surface, be it filter or lens front element tends to not become as dusty.

This is not based on any controlled study; just on carrying my camera around outdoor events for years without a lens cap so I am ready to shoot, using both methods of protection, filter and no hood*, or these days, hood but no filter. *even us old dogs can learn new tricks from time to time, or in this case unlearn old bad habits.

[hoanpham]

In my experience, all filters degrade image quality.

I have mc leica uv, nikon uv, zeiss uv as most expensive, but also many others sigma dg uv, hoya, they all degrade quality - if just minor.
Shooting condition also imply with or without filter for the best result.

As i pointed to the sun and exploid the flare in a portrait, even zeiss T* coating, nikon nano coating, or pentax SMC has problem.
Remove the filter also improve the contrast.

Filter stays on the lens, until really need to take it off.

[Sandy Hancock]

I cover all day music festivals like the Big Day Out, WOMADelaide and Soundwave in the height of the Australian summer/early autumn. We're talking temperatures sometimes above 40ºC and dry dusty ground kicked up by up to 30,000 punters.
My starting kit is two K-5's with DA*16-50 and DA*50-135, lens cap off all day, both with hoods but no filter, ever. If I switch to other lenses for specific reasons (mainly low light) they get the same treatment. After two years of this sort of work the lenses are none the worse for wear.

[Kerrowdown]

Yep, I run naked but hooded all day and yet to be arrested.

[ChristianRock]

I have filters on lenses and when I want to take pictures, off they come I basically try to protect the front element from dust and possibly humidity variation.
From my experience UV filters make me lose not only image quality, but a half stop to a full stop of light. That is true of my Hoya, Bower and Tiffen UV filters. Imagine you pay a bunch of money on a 2.8 lens and are actually using it as a 3.5 because of the filter... So I just don't use them except when I'm not using the lens.

[JimJohnson]

I have filters on lenses and when I want to take pictures, off they come I basically try to protect the front element from dust and possibly humidity variation.

Please tell me why a lens cap won't do as well? It is certainly much faster to mount/unmount from the lens.

[ChristianRock]

Please tell me why a lens cap won't do as well? It is certainly much faster to mount/unmount from the lens.

Yeah lens caps do work for protection, but they might still let in some dust and humidity.
Since I got the filters with the lenses, I might as well use them.

[Dan]

I have done a lot of testing, and I agree that UV filters degrade image quality, although the effect is small for the best filters. I have found that B+W, Heliopan, Hoya HMC, Nikon and Pentax SMC filters are all pretty good, but even the best filters have some effect. I now only use a protective filter when I am sea kayaking. I would rather that the salt spray hit the filter than the front element of the lens. I use a relatively inexpensive Hoya HMC on my standard kayaking lens, and I must say that the Hoya coating has held up well. For nearly all other uses I go "bare".

I now have a very large collection of nice filters that I really should sell at some point, including many Pentax SMC filters. For some reason I haven't been able to bring myself to sell them.

Dan

[JimJohnson]

Yeah lens caps do work for protection, but they might still let in some dust and humidity.
Since I got the filters with the lenses, I might as well use them.

Truly I am not trying to abuse you, but use those filters at what cost to your pictures? And actually, you are only protecting the most durable and most easily cleaned surface on the entire lens.

All lenses have to breath in order for the optical elements to move for focusing - and zoom lenses breath the most. With the air movement, your lens will also be inhaling and exhaling both humidity and to some extent really fine dust. And let's be honest - how often are you really removing your UV filters before taking a picture, and putting them back on again? I sure as heck wouldn't be bothered unscrewing and carefully storing a filter every time I wanted to use my camera - if I were that paranoid, I would also have to take the time to clean the front element and at least the inner surface of the UV filter before I remounted it.

When I realized the folly of what I was doing, I purchased a filter wallet and put the best UV filter I had of each size in that pouch before disposing of the duplicates. Guess what? A year later, I have yet to go someplace where I really felt a UV filter was going to help protect my lens. A couple weeks ago I was shooting sailing races, and the family cottage is on a beach with lots of blowing sand and water spray. The only filters I have used have been CPL filters on rare occasion. The filter wallet is now out of my camera bag and on the shelf. Does it hurt to have over $100 worth of glass just sitting there? Sure. But why would I spite myself and put them back on lenses when years from now what really counts are my images?

To each his or her own I guess.

[JimJohnson]

For some reason my web browser is not showing a post from Christian Rock, but I did get an email copy of the post:
Quote from Christian Rock- "The lenses I carry in my bag are either 52mm or 49mm filter diameter. The others have pull-out hoods. I currently have 8 lenses total in my bag - 6 primes and two zooms. If I put a hood on each one of them, I'll have to buy a bigger bag. Right now I only have to carry 2 hoods."

All but one my lenses has its own hood. The DA series lenses have bayonet mount hoods that store in reverse on the lens. I have added an inexpensive Matin hood to screw-mount only lens - - - Matin hoods ship worldwide out of Korea (look on eBay). This is a two piece design that adds a DA-like bayonet to the filter ring so the Matin hood can be mounted both forward for use and reversed for storage. If you don't already have one, you will want a center-pinch lens cap. The bayonet ring allows filters to be mounted either in front-of or behind this adapter ring. Bayonet hoods in the reverse storage position take up almost no extra room in a photo bag. Yet another strike against using UV filters.

[ChristianRock]

Truly I am not trying to abuse you, but use those filters at what cost to your pictures?

Obviously you're not reading my posts.

I've already said I take them off to take pictures.