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02-05-2020, 04:28 PM - 1 Like   #61
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I came upon this test of the "protectiveness" of UV filters

In summary: UV filters are very fragile compared with front lens elements. In fact, lens elements are so tough that before an impact can damage the glass, severe damage is done to the lens anyway. The idea of a filter as a first line of defense from impact damage is specious.

02-06-2020, 12:06 AM - 3 Likes   #62
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Most of us on this tread are not arguing the UV filters are for physical protection. Keeping lens hoods on will provide some protection but the best thing is:
Don't hit the front element of your lens or your camera body with sharp or even blunt things.
Don't drop your camera, especially lens first onto hard pointy things.

Use filters when there is blowing dust/sand/metal shavings etc.
Use filters when your brother or "friends" are out to mess with you and ruin your day.
Use filters when around volcanic processes (Yellowstone, Hawaii, parts of Iceland and New Zealand).

Just keep away from this guy who will drop heavy weighted threaded rod on you lens - just to prove a faux point.
02-06-2020, 07:14 AM   #63
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QuoteOriginally posted by PDL Quote
Most of us on this tread are not arguing the UV filters are for physical protection.
Apologies for not conforming to your group think mentality. I found it interesting how tough lens glass is compared with filters and felt others might also, though I don't have to defend myself to a self proclaimed elitist.

Last edited by rogerstg; 02-06-2020 at 07:22 AM.
02-06-2020, 07:41 AM - 2 Likes   #64
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QuoteOriginally posted by rogerstg Quote
Apologies for not conforming to your group think mentality. I found it interesting how tough lens glass is compared with filters and felt others might also, though I don't have to defend myself to a self proclaimed elitist.
Cool it there.


PDL was merely summarizing the consensus here: Many of us are photographers of various degrees of experience and we all happened to have converged upon similar conclusions regarding filter use. This isn't a result of groupthink: It's a result of individuals experimenting and reporting conclusions. While glass elements in our lenses are indeed quite tough and resilient, there are certain substances that can call for aggressive solvents* to clean off, there are inquisitive children who leave fingerprints on glass, salt sea spray and particulate matter that can scratch glass if someone carelessly tries remove it, these things are best avoided and can be easily prevented from being a catastrophic disaster [particularly to image quality] with appropriate foresighted application of preventative measures.



* It is possible to remove lens coatings if undiluted solvents are used to clean lenses - it is recommended to dilute concentrated solvents the user is unfamiliar with to at least half strength to prevent cleaning mishaps.

02-06-2020, 07:47 AM   #65
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PS to a much earlier post - I've had a couple of filters "sacrifice" themselves in accidental camera drops and the like. but the lenses and camera bodies survived undamaged, and I'm happy with that outcome as I'm not sure if the lenses would have survived on their own.

Thus, you can see on "which side of the fence" I am inclined to sit!
02-07-2020, 12:32 PM   #66
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QuoteOriginally posted by Digitalis Quote
Cool it there.

PDL was merely . . .
You've failed to comprehend my post. Sorry to excite your sensibilities.
02-07-2020, 04:38 PM   #67
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QuoteOriginally posted by Digitalis Quote
protective filters is purely situational, for the majority of situations I find a lens hood is a far more reliable way of protecting lenses
absolutely, I don't use filters at all these days unless the situation arises, back when I did solely film I used filters much more. High quality Marumi or B+W, various filters usually with black and white, sometimes a polarizer with colour.

02-07-2020, 09:51 PM   #68
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QuoteOriginally posted by rogerstg Quote
I came upon this test of the "protectiveness" of UV filters
UV Filters - Do You Need Them Or Not? - YouTube

In summary: UV filters are very fragile compared with front lens elements. In fact, lens elements are so tough that before an impact can damage the glass, severe damage is done to the lens anyway. The idea of a filter as a first line of defense from impact damage is specious.
I watched that clip and found some of it interesting and other parts just a bit silly. I don't know what he was expecting to see happen when dropping a weighted rod onto a filter but... yeh... ok. That's not entirely what I mean by 'protection'.

I'm talking about the UV filter taking the lighter wear and tear of usage, scruff marks, even on the rim of the filter as opposed to the lens rim taking the scratch or dink. I'm talking about small scratches, or when you clean the lens and miss a small grain of sand and accidentally wipe and scratch the filter, id rather than than a scratch on the front element. I think a UV filter also somewhat helps keep dust out? I also think resale value is pretty good if you can say the lens had a UV filter on from day one, I'd like to think some of my customers on this forum here have enjoyed that peace of mind when going through with the sale. I never expect the lens to be in any good shape at all from any of his 'protection' rod demonstrations. All I know is some of my filters are scratched lightly, maybe a rim of the filter dinked a bit. I'd rather a filter look cosmetically damaged than the lens itself. Now maybe its arguable that the front element and lens rim would be more durable than UV filter, but I'm not keen to try personally and I'm knowledgable about the times that I'd get into trouble with a UV filter on, and also more skilled in PP work to deal with any unwanted artefact caused by a UV filter should all that even happen.
02-08-2020, 12:11 PM - 1 Like   #69
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Here's a great link which sides with all of you, dedicated filter users. It make many solid points which you all made here as well.

My response is one of the statistical economics of insurance and I copy it here for ease of reading. I think it is abundantly clear where I stand.

This video does nothing to resolve the issue but it clarifies the difference between the two schools: this school would rather stick by an evolutionary instinct to avoid damage to a lens unless the negative impact of a filter on a shot becomes apparent. I rather prefer to not let myself be driven by some age-old instinct and do the exact opposite: use the lens bare to get the most of its optical quality unless i'm in a situation where front-element protection is apparent and required (dust storms, salt water spray etc.).

Both schools of thought have an outcome; the first which is defended here accepts a few ruined or degraded shots while having a 100% no-damage guarantee. The other school accepts a minor chance of damage while having a 100% image quality guarantee. Both are valid approaches but have entirely different starting and ending points.

I am into photography not to protect the resale value of my equipment but to get as much as I can out of the combination of body and lens. I want to get the maximum out of my equipment while respecting that "negativity bias" (after all, evolutionary impulses are part of me too) so I will spend no more than I'm willing to lose. If I were to buy a $2500 lens, I would never dare take it out of its packaging to use it.

Most of my lenses are around the $500 mark (with the sole exception of one Pentax "star" lens which cost me $900) and quite a number of them cost way less. I have bought and sold many a lens over the past 15 years of digital shooting - both new as well as used and when used always face-to-face. The buyers always knew what they were getting or I knew what I was getting. In 15 years I have rejected a purchase because of a heavily scratched front element one single time and I have never had catastrophic damage to any of my lenses.

Statistically speaking, taking into account the number of lenses I've used over the years and the various thread sizes, I could have spent upwards of $2000 in "quality protective" filters which on average would have paid for 4 brand-spanking new lenses over the years. Looking back over 15 years I have gained (or not spent, if you will) $2000 without any adverse effects. This is all about the statistics of insurance - people who buy filters are the same people who over-insure, exactly because of that evolutionary bias. I have learned to resist that bias and to only insure against costs I'm not able to bear. That does not only apply to camera gear, but to travel- and health insurance and anything else. I leave nothing that has the ability to bring me to my knees financially uninsured and I don't insure anything that I can reasonably easily refinance.
02-08-2020, 02:27 PM   #70
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QuoteOriginally posted by newmikey Quote
Here's a great link which sides with all of you, dedicated filter users. It make many solid points which you all made here as well.
UV Lens Filters: Necessary or Nuisance? - YouTube

My response is one of the statistical economics of insurance and I copy it here for ease of reading. I think it is abundantly clear where I stand.

This video does nothing to resolve the issue but it clarifies the difference between the two schools: this school would rather stick by an evolutionary instinct to avoid damage to a lens unless the negative impact of a filter on a shot becomes apparent. I rather prefer to not let myself be driven by some age-old instinct and do the exact opposite: use the lens bare to get the most of its optical quality unless i'm in a situation where front-element protection is apparent and required (dust storms, salt water spray etc.).

Both schools of thought have an outcome; the first which is defended here accepts a few ruined or degraded shots while having a 100% no-damage guarantee. The other school accepts a minor chance of damage while having a 100% image quality guarantee. Both are valid approaches but have entirely different starting and ending points.

I am into photography not to protect the resale value of my equipment but to get as much as I can out of the combination of body and lens. I want to get the maximum out of my equipment while respecting that "negativity bias" (after all, evolutionary impulses are part of me too) so I will spend no more than I'm willing to lose. If I were to buy a $2500 lens, I would never dare take it out of its packaging to use it.

Most of my lenses are around the $500 mark (with the sole exception of one Pentax "star" lens which cost me $900) and quite a number of them cost way less. I have bought and sold many a lens over the past 15 years of digital shooting - both new as well as used and when used always face-to-face. The buyers always knew what they were getting or I knew what I was getting. In 15 years I have rejected a purchase because of a heavily scratched front element one single time and I have never had catastrophic damage to any of my lenses.

Statistically speaking, taking into account the number of lenses I've used over the years and the various thread sizes, I could have spent upwards of $2000 in "quality protective" filters which on average would have paid for 4 brand-spanking new lenses over the years. Looking back over 15 years I have gained (or not spent, if you will) $2000 without any adverse effects. This is all about the statistics of insurance - people who buy filters are the same people who over-insure, exactly because of that evolutionary bias. I have learned to resist that bias and to only insure against costs I'm not able to bear. That does not only apply to camera gear, but to travel- and health insurance and anything else. I leave nothing that has the ability to bring me to my knees financially uninsured and I don't insure anything that I can reasonably easily refinance.
That was a good video.
02-08-2020, 03:08 PM - 1 Like   #71
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QuoteOriginally posted by newmikey Quote
My response is one of the statistical economics of insurance and I copy it here for ease of reading. I think it is abundantly clear where I stand.

This video does nothing to resolve the issue but it clarifies the difference between the two schools: this school would rather stick by an evolutionary instinct to avoid damage to a lens unless the negative impact of a filter on a shot becomes apparent. I rather prefer to not let myself be driven by some age-old instinct and do the exact opposite: use the lens bare to get the most of its optical quality unless i'm in a situation where front-element protection is apparent and required (dust storms, salt water spray etc.).

Both schools of thought have an outcome; the first which is defended here accepts a few ruined or degraded shots while having a 100% no-damage guarantee. The other school accepts a minor chance of damage while having a 100% image quality guarantee. Both are valid approaches but have entirely different starting and ending points.

I am into photography not to protect the resale value of my equipment but to get as much as I can out of the combination of body and lens. I want to get the maximum out of my equipment while respecting that "negativity bias" (after all, evolutionary impulses are part of me too) so I will spend no more than I'm willing to lose. If I were to buy a $2500 lens, I would never dare take it out of its packaging to use it.

Most of my lenses are around the $500 mark (with the sole exception of one Pentax "star" lens which cost me $900) and quite a number of them cost way less. I have bought and sold many a lens over the past 15 years of digital shooting - both new as well as used and when used always face-to-face. The buyers always knew what they were getting or I knew what I was getting. In 15 years I have rejected a purchase because of a heavily scratched front element one single time and I have never had catastrophic damage to any of my lenses.

Statistically speaking, taking into account the number of lenses I've used over the years and the various thread sizes, I could have spent upwards of $2000 in "quality protective" filters which on average would have paid for 4 brand-spanking new lenses over the years. Looking back over 15 years I have gained (or not spent, if you will) $2000 without any adverse effects. This is all about the statistics of insurance - people who buy filters are the same people who over-insure, exactly because of that evolutionary bias. I have learned to resist that bias and to only insure against costs I'm not able to bear. That does not only apply to camera gear, but to travel- and health insurance and anything else. I leave nothing that has the ability to bring me to my knees financially uninsured and I don't insure anything that I can reasonably easily refinance.
Your stance is abundantly clear, Mike, and perfectly reasonable. It works for you, and that's what matters.

With respect, though, whilst your assumptions / conclusions over those with different approaches may apply to some, they certainly don't apply to all. I can say for sure they don't apply to me.

I'm not the kind to over-insure, and this isn't some learned enlightenment. I've always been this way, more-or-less. My home building and contents (including my photo gear) are covered, as is my car (for both liability and damage), and I make provision (not insurance) for other aspects of my life. I had photography equipment insurance for a couple of years when I was travelling quite often with a lot of gear, but I've long since cancelled that. I don't travel so much now, I carry only what I need, and I'm happy to self-insure. I don't take out extended warranties; I don't insure individual products. I take out travel insurance to cover healthcare when abroad. But many folks would, I think, consider me under-insured overall... I'm comfortable with my arrangements, though, and that's what matters.

I've always taken good care of my possessions (photography-related or otherwise). Not obsessively so; I use them for their intended purposes and expect to get full value from them... but I keep them clean, carry out routine maintenance where possible, and I'm not wreckless with them (this applies to everything from my home and car to my kitchen knives and dress shoes ). This isn't to protect resale value, but because I see no reason not to. It's a balance, though. Even with reasonable care, in normal use they'll occasionally pick up the odd mark, scratch or ding along the way - and that's fine; these items are meant to be used. Still, most of my possessions are in very good condition or better, even many years later. That I've been able to achieve good resale values when selling stuff is a nice consequence, but that's all it is (I haven't sold a lens in the last four years, nor a camera in the last seven ).

Specifically regarding lenses, my investment isn't inconsiderable - and it's even more significant to me now since I don't have the disposable income I once had. So, yes, I like to protect my investment within reason. More than that, though, almost every AF lens I own is a good-to-excellent copy optically, and that wasn't all good luck... I've been through several copies of various lenses to wind up with examples I'm happy with. Having done so, I'm even more inclined to look after them. By using protective filters when I feel the need to do so - mainly in wet / windy / sandy / gritty conditions - I can work the way I want to, including cleaning the front glass in the field with abandon... as and when - and how - I deem necessary. Whether I actually need to (which is both arguable and subjective) and whether statistically my chances of benefiting from that are tiny, really doesn't matter... The simple fact is, using a protective filter in those limited situations liberates me from worrying about the lens. I just need to remain aware of the IQ risks and mitigate or accept them, which I'm happy to do.

And that's the thing... The issue isn't whether we should or shouldn't use protective filters. Rather, it's that we should be fully aware of the potential benefits and shortcomings of our choices, so we can mitigate or accept the shortcomings accordingly

Last edited by BigMackCam; 02-08-2020 at 05:46 PM.
02-08-2020, 03:32 PM - 1 Like   #72
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It's rather amusing that the start of this post was actually not anything to do with whether we should or should not use UV filters, I just asked if there is a difference between 'Protective filter vs UV', lol but we end up here all the same
02-08-2020, 03:41 PM - 1 Like   #73
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QuoteOriginally posted by BruceBanner Quote
It's rather amusing that the start of this post was actually not anything to do with whether we should or should not use UV filters, I just asked if there is a difference between 'Protective filter vs UV', lol but we end up here all the same
Every UV / protective filter thread ends up this way... There's nothing more certain, save for death and taxes
02-09-2020, 02:06 AM   #74
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QuoteOriginally posted by BruceBanner Quote
It's rather amusing that the start of this post was actually not anything to do with whether we should or should not use UV filters, I just asked if there is a difference between 'Protective filter vs UV', lol but we end up here all the same
Come on, don't play innocent. You knew exactly what you were provoking with "I don't think I ever knew about 'Protector Filters' till just now." and "I typically use CPL on top of the UV filter, and then sometimes a ND filter on top of that." especially because you led in with "I shoot professionally, events and such".

I find it amusing that people time and again come up with the exact same questions, the answer of which is near the top of any Google search as well as on this forum's search function, yet they are so "serious about photography" they have to repost the question here.
02-09-2020, 11:35 PM   #75
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QuoteOriginally posted by newmikey Quote
Come on, don't play innocent. You knew exactly what you were provoking with "I don't think I ever knew about 'Protector Filters' till just now." and "I typically use CPL on top of the UV filter, and then sometimes a ND filter on top of that." especially because you led in with "I shoot professionally, events and such".

I find it amusing that people time and again come up with the exact same questions, the answer of which is near the top of any Google search as well as on this forum's search function, yet they are so "serious about photography" they have to repost the question here.
Ahahaha ! I swear... i honestly didn't know if there was a difference between protector and uv, I only heard about them as I was searching for a UV filter this last week and saw them as an option in the online shop... And I just asked a question about IR filters recently as well as I am ignorant to that side of photography also (I guess it's possible to do paid work and be still very ignorant ). I had already done my preliminary research on UV filters some time ago and decided to use them as they may assist with the Blue Mountains haze with some of the shots I take in the Blue Mountains, NSW region that I reside in and also as a level of protection (events and what not). I really just wanted feedback as to whether there was a good deal of difference. I had heard of Clear filters but never protection ones, perhaps I thought the glass was tougher?
People have gone on about not to stack filters but I have found it quicker and painless to sometimes do that and late last year bought into the Manfrotto Xume system which has somewhat thwarted my ability to screw a hood onto the lens for protection. I can still use them but as you can see from this video I created they would detach in a bag quite easily from the lens and thus I worried for unnecessary hood scratching;


I provided examples earlier in this thread of shots where I have stacked UV+CPL+ND and I think IQ wise they turned out absolutely fine. Bottom line is getting to know photography I guess and if shooting into the sun then maybe stacking could involve some PP nightmare, but to a waterfall maybes not so much
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