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04-17-2011, 04:29 PM   #1
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Quick newbie question

I'll be picking up my K-5 with 18-135 on Tuesday from London Drugs.Should I grab a UV or polarizer filter as well?Do I need it with the WR lens?

04-17-2011, 04:49 PM   #2
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Polarizer filter definately for outdoor landscape shots. In my honest opinion. As for uv filter I found that if you get a high quality one it will be better but avoid cheap brands as you will be putting more glass on the lens which degrades iq. For wr lenses it really depends on your personal preference on if you play in the rain or heavy weather conditions then it couldn't hurt to have wr lenses but for casual people I say you could avoid it.
04-17-2011, 04:57 PM   #3
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Circular Polarizer yes, UV No. Just keep the hood on the lens and that'll offer 99% of the protection you could ever want.

04-17-2011, 06:00 PM   #4
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Thanks guys.I love this forum! So much info,so much to learn.

04-17-2011, 06:15 PM   #5
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Hee. Well, if you do intend to work in the rain, a UV can be of use, so that you can have an instantly-non-spattered lens if you need. WR doesn't make a wet front lens element any clearer. They're right, you don't 'need' one, and there's advantages to not using em. (I usually don't: I keep some old ones around for really crappy conditions, mostly, and sometimes I'll put one on a lens I intend to trade up that may be a little vulnerable. People do like to see the pristine front element and all. A good rigid lens hood is better protection, really, though. )
04-18-2011, 09:58 PM   #6
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A UV filter *might* be of some use if you're shooting at elevations above 3000m / 10000 ft. Otherwise, it only protects the finances of whomever sold it to you. A clear optical-glass filter *would* be useful if you're shooting in harsh environments, with saltwater spray, blowing sand, squirting mud / blood / beer, etc. Otherwise, a lens hood offers good protection without image-quality (IQ) degradation. A circular polarizer (CPL) is good to reduce glare, increase saturation, to work with reflections, etc. A set of CPL+PL or CPL+CPL together make a variable neutral-density (ND) filter, useful for diminishing light if you want to take l-o-n-g exposures of falling water, traffic- and people-less streets, etc. And some other filters can be put to creative use, but don't worry about those now.
04-19-2011, 05:01 AM   #7
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Personally I feel very nervous without a UV filter on every lens. They cost very little compared with the cost of your lens and give peace of mind if you're in rough conditions or - heaven forbid - you drop a lens. (If you're indoors, for instance, you probably won't have a hood on and even dropping it on a table top can do serious damage). And you can always take the filter off just prior to shooting. It's cheap insurance (but yes, do get a good one).
As for a polarizer, they have their uses but even though I live in Australia, with its harsh light and bright reflections, I don't use mine all that much.

04-19-2011, 03:23 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wombat Quote
Personally I feel very nervous without a UV filter on every lens. They cost very little compared with the cost of your lens and give peace of mind if you're in rough conditions or - heaven forbid - you drop a lens. (If you're indoors, for instance, you probably won't have a hood on and even dropping it on a table top can do serious damage).
I make a point of not dropping lenses. I grasp them ever-so-tightly in my big fists and haven't lost one yet. Also, I make a point of using hoods indoors too. Many of my old manual lenses are un- or lightly-coated; hoods keep contrast good with any ambient light. When a lens isn't about to be used, I keep it capped. Squeegee caps come off faster than screw-filters. My IQ is low enough anyway that I don't need to diminish it further with a useless UV filter.
04-20-2011, 12:14 PM   #9
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I'd get both to be honest... Make sure you get a decent UV so as not to degrade IQ (and unless you a total pixel-peeper you won't notice...) but having one on will protect your investment (read: front element of your lens) somewhat... Personally I'd rather accidently scratch a £70 UV filter than a £300+ lens... Just me...

This is always a topic of heated debate tho... I think if it's a cheap 2nd-hand 50mm then don't bother... but if it (lens) comes close to a 3rd of the cost of you're camera then its probably worth protecting...
04-21-2011, 01:59 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by RioRico Quote
My IQ is low enough anyway that I don't need to diminish it further with a useless UV filter.
One thing I like about you, Rio, is that I'm never left wondering about your opinion! On this occasion, I disagree with you. I've read widely over the six decades I've been taking photographs and I haven't come across many who have called a UV filter useless. The likes of Heather Angel, Michael Freeman, John Hedgecoe et al describe many uses for this under-appreciated and under-utilized filter. Their expertise is good enough for me. I'll keep mine on.
04-21-2011, 04:30 AM   #11
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this is some sort of religious war…

Nobody says, that UV-/Skylight filters are bad.

I know a few pro-photographers, who tell you, to throw "protective" filters in the bin.
Trouble is, that most of the amateur photographers won't pay for the high end filters, but go for the cheap ones from China. And that results in bad IQ, because you bypass the good coating of your expensive lens with dirt cheap window glass from the crap filter.
04-21-2011, 06:03 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
I wouldn't bother, but I dislike any filter that doesn't have a specific optical purpose.
Protective filters are pretty much a waste of money. Lenses aren't quite as delicate as people make them out to be.
I agree 100%...

QuoteOriginally posted by rockyram Quote
I'll be picking up my K-5 with 18-135 on Tuesday from London Drugs.Should I grab a UV or polarizer filter as well?Do I need it with the WR lens?
I think, as some have pointed out, a hood will offer both protection for the lens and stray light that may cause loss of contrast.

I've only tried a Polarizing Filter a couple of times and did not like the results. It does have a tendency to give some images an unnatural/HDR effect and slows you down a bit with all the turning etc. etc. etc...
04-21-2011, 06:28 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by kheldour Quote
this is some sort of religious war…

Nobody says, that UV-/Skylight filters are bad.

I know a few pro-photographers, who tell you, to throw "protective" filters in the bin.
Trouble is, that most of the amateur photographers won't pay for the high end filters, but go for the cheap ones from China. And that results in bad IQ, because you bypass the good coating of your expensive lens with dirt cheap window glass from the crap filter.
Well spoken, though I'm certainly not trying to make a war out of this. In fact the strong opinions expressed against using a UV filter have since sent me all over the Net looking at articles on the subject. I now understand that point of view much better, especially after reading of a couple of incidents of a UV filter shattering. Living by the sea in a windy, rural area I will still use UV filters to protect my lenses. If I were living elsewhere, however, I'm now not so sure. This has been a valuable discussion for me. Hope it hasn't confused you, rockyram!
04-21-2011, 07:17 PM   #14
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Well I finally got the K5,took longer than I thought to get in.Salesman really tried to push a filter.Either a Tiffen for $35 or a Sigma for $120.I did'nt buy either,I'll do more reading.Charging the battery now!
04-21-2011, 07:30 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by rockyram Quote
Charging the battery now!
You're going to have fun! :-)
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