Front of lens protection filters. Buy cheap or expensive?

[Greg]

What is your opinion of front of lens protection filters?

In the analogue days it was easy to buy, a UV filter was sufficient and cost a few ££. Digital seems very different, very technical, can be very expensive.

Or is it all a con and we can still use cheap filters with no loss of image quality?

What do you use?

 

[MikeZ]

I must admit, it's a bit of a quagmire with strong arguments both for and against - yes, protect the front element; no, it adds an additional refraction surface. Nevertheless, I'm not comfortable without a filter of some sort. I suppose I fall into the "yes, protect the front element".

 

[RedCobra]

I use B&W MRC Nano filters. Had a friend who had a lower priced Tiffen complaining about lack of sharpness on his 100-400L. Told him to take the filter off and Voila...excellent sharpness. Put my B&W on it and there was no change in sharpness from the no filter test shots.

 

[Greg]

Anyone had any experience with Urth filters, the mulity coated ones

 

[KEN_A]

I've always tended to use a clear protect filter on my lenses. Especially where there is a possibility of dust in windy conditions and sand near the coast. Always purchased well known ones such as Hoya Pro 1 Digital. Also as extra safety I always use a lens hood against knocks.

 

[Hutch]

Lens hood is the best protection for the front filter and having one has saved me many times. Not to mention a hood will help increase contrast and avoid flare. Unless of course when shooting in adverse weather or enviornmental conditions a protective filter should be used. Only time I ever damaged a front element in the past 30 years was when I actually had a filter on the lens.

 

[JayAy]

Anyone had any experience with Urth filters, the mulity coated ones

The only Urth product I've used is an FD to RF adaptor (so no glass) which I use with my Canon bellows. Construction is very good and so I would hope glass quality would be good too. May be worth a punt on a protection type filter to see what you think.

 

[Greg]

Been reading an article about protection filters, not finished it yet. It encourages multi coating on both sides

 

[MikeZ]

Multi coated filters, on both sides, makes sense since each refracting surface represents an area for possible distortion. I would also look for the best possible glass for the same reasons. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure if it's the best optical solution, but I feel that a UV/Skylight filter is cheaper to replace that a front element. Salt spray and minerals (water dripping from cave ceilings and stone overpasses/bridges) can etch glass.

 

[Greg]

The article goes into cost of front glass replacement of around £250 up. Multi double side filters start about £30.

The days of cheap filters have gone for anyone with a modern £500 + lens.

Or don't use a filter and take the risk

 

[MaraLee]

I do have UV filters for my bigger lenses. I use B&H after watching many comparisons of brands. I don't keep them on the lenses, however, I only use them when I know I might need the extra protection. Extra glass will cause at least a little degradation of the image, how much depends on the quality of the filter. Naked is best.

 

[Greg]

Thanks to everyone for your comments and your votes. Even though the vote sample is small there is a strong leaning towards known brands of good quality filters. I'm not ignoring the lobby for no filter, they too have a strong argument.

I'm going down the fit a filter route, with not so well know brand but has very high quality products. Later I will write a review about my filter buying experience.

 

[slclick]

B+W, nothing less.

 

[SO8]

I used to use Hoya Pro 1 Digital and more recently an Urth 95mm Plus+ UV for the front of my 28-70 f2.

All of my L lenses have filters and I have noticed no degradation in image quality ever.

A filter saved an expensive lens of mine many years ago and since then, when I invested in L glass, all of them had filters on.

My wife who shoots professionally does not use filters but always uses a lens hood to help protect the front element and doesn't like filters. She says why would you want to add something that *could affect image quality ... but accepts she has not seen any difference in images taken by her or I, say, at weddings ... in terms of IQ at least - as her pictures are unsurprisingly in a different league to little old me

 

[DBeach]

I will leave a filter on most of the time. Over time you learn the situations where it will most likely cause trouble. One example for me would be head on railroad locomotives with longer lenses where the lights get ghosted. I just take it off temporarily. I figure I'm more likely to know when a filter will cause a problem than I am to know when I might need the extra protection.

 

[annieseed]

Filters are a new area for me. A friend recommended the Kase magnetic filter system. Buy the size filter for your biggest lens and then using step up/down rings and a magnet you can use the same filter on any lens . Does anyone have any experience of Kase filters?

 

[RedCobra]

Filters are a new area for me. A friend recommended the Kase magnetic filter system. Buy the size filter for your biggest lens and then using step up/down rings and a magnet you can use the same filter on any lens . Does anyone have any experience of Kase filters?

Great system, but the Kase filter system is not for protection, but for polarizers and ND filters. Themagnetic circular ones pop off too easily in the camera bag if you leave them on.

https://kasefiltersusa.com/shop/ols/products/kase-k150p-150mm-filter-holder-kit-with-magnetic-circular-polarizer

 

[Jasvill21]

Depending on the quality of glass you use, if you have an £1150 RF lens why reduce the quality by putting cheap glass on it.

saying that not all cheap protectors are cheap, the Hoya pro line filters are pretty clear, and I use them when going into a more weather hostile location, however, most of the time ill just put on the lens hood to protect the camera, but if I'm at a windy beach, or photographing motorist or some kind of race and I'm in the middle of the action, I will use also the Hoya pro clear or the ultra pro clear, these filters new are between £45-£100 here in the UK but well worth it if you consider how much it would be to replace the front element of your lens.

 

[Greg]

I invested in Urth UV fileters for 2 RF lenses filters and a polarising filter for my RF24 - 240

I cannot see any difference with the UVs on or off. I've taken a few shots with the poloriser and can see the clouds when framing a shot better than without, not looked at the pics on my monitor yet

 

[SO8]

I invested in Urth UV fileters for 2 RF lenses filters and a polarising filter for my RF24 - 240

I cannot see any difference with the UVs on or off. I've taken a few shots with the poloriser and can see the clouds when framing a shot better than without, not looked at the pics on my monitor yet

I’ve bought Urth for a few of my lenses. The first was for my 28-70 and i did pics with and without … couldn’t see any difference on my 27 inch 5k iMac screen .

 

[Greg]

I also like their tree planting scheme.

Their tin filter case with the screw on lid is the best packing I've seen and it is recyclable

 

[Nick L]

I used to buy filters for all my lenses but believe the why put a bit of flat glass on an expensive lens, I also had a camera falling over on a stormy day and the 5D3 and my 24-70L mk1 ended up in a puddle of salt water on a rocky headland the the filter could not be undone, as it was an insurance job I resisted cutting the filter off and the lens was deemed un-repairable (due to age) and replaced, but since then I do not use filters for protection except for sporting events with flying stones etc. I have Kase magnetic filters and use them.