3 stacked optical filters don't seem to affect IQ

slackercruster · 07-31-2012, 07:57 AM

672, not often you hear people apologize on the forums. No problem, it always does not come out as we may have wanted to say.

**Douglas_of_Sweden** · 07-31-2012, 08:07 AM

To make a useful test you need to make identically set up shots with and without the filters.

But I do use UV filters or clear filters on most of my lenses as protection. A good multicoated UV filter doesn't remove more light than if the lens would have had another glass element.

A polarizer is another thing. A UV filter is made to remove only UV light and as little as possible of the visible light. A polarizer can remove up to 50% of the light, and that should have some quality effects. I used polarizers a lot on slide film, but very rarely on digital. Most effects I wanted from the polarizer on slides (more blue sky, higher contrasts) I can tweak in post processing to my liking anyway. The remaining use is to remove reflections in windows etc, which you can't really do in post processing.

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07-31-2012, 07:57 AM	#16
slackercruster Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NE, USA Posts: 1,302 Original Poster	672, not often you hear people apologize on the forums. No problem, it always does not come out as we may have wanted to say.

07-31-2012, 08:07 AM	#17
Douglas_of_Sweden Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Stockholm Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,374	To make a useful test you need to make identically set up shots with and without the filters. But I do use UV filters or clear filters on most of my lenses as protection. A good multicoated UV filter doesn't remove more light than if the lens would have had another glass element. A polarizer is another thing. A UV filter is made to remove only UV light and as little as possible of the visible light. A polarizer can remove up to 50% of the light, and that should have some quality effects. I used polarizers a lot on slide film, but very rarely on digital. Most effects I wanted from the polarizer on slides (more blue sky, higher contrasts) I can tweak in post processing to my liking anyway. The remaining use is to remove reflections in windows etc, which you can't really do in post processing.