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?

 

[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 .