Is this filter good?

[vvizard]

What I'm actually asking is, is this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=213212&is=REG

Any better/worse than other UV's? What does exactly the UV-1 or UV-0 mean? I don't have a clue. I buy them for lens-protection, and last time I was at my photo-store to buy me a "lens-protector" for my 50mm, the photographer asked if I was shooting BW or color. I said color, and he picked me a Hoya Skylight 1B. What exactly differs the Skylight from a UV? And what does the numbers (0, 1), and (in my case) the "B" mean?

Oh, and once again, is the forementioned UV-filter "good"?

[defordphoto]

There will always be differences of opinions and I'm sure this thread will be no different.

But, that's the brand I'm using on my lenses. No complaints.

[DaveG]

vvizard wrote:
What I'm actually asking is, is this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=213212&is=REG

Any better/worse than other UV's? What does exactly the UV-1 or UV-0 mean? I don't have a clue. I buy them for lens-protection, and last time I was at my photo-store to buy me a "lens-protector" for my 50mm, the photographer asked if I was shooting BW or color. I said color, and he picked me a Hoya Skylight 1B. What exactly differs the Skylight from a UV? And what does the numbers (0, 1), and (in my case) the "B" mean?

Oh, and once again, is the forementioned UV-filter "good"?

In theory a UV filter removes some ultraviolet haze from B&W scenic shots. You know the kind with the horizon way over there in the distance. The Skylight filter is (or should be) a tiny bit yellow to warm up blue shadows when you are using transparency film.

Well, hooey on all that. They are both for protection and don't do anything optically. I'd go only as far as saying that you might be better off not mixing UV's with skylights but even that you should take with a grain of salt.

[openspace]

Personally I like the ultra thin Hoya S-HMC or HMC multi-coated UV and Skylight filters.

The difference between UV-0 and UV-1 has to do with how much UV light the filter absorbs. To be honest, you'll never notice a difference between the two.

A skylight filter has a slight pink tinge to it, which adds a bit of warmth to your color images and cancels out a bit of the blue cast you get, especially on overcast days. Of course, when you're shooting digital, you can always digitally remove the blue color cast.

[robertwgross]

How much UV light a filter absorbs is not a big issue at sea level. In fact, most digital camera sensors are supposed to have UV filtering right at the sensor anyway.

As you move toward higher elevations, the UV factor becomes more important. High up, there isn't so much haze in the sky to filter out UV, so the UV hitting the camera or your skin gets much more serious.

When you get to extreme elevations, like over 20,000 feet, then this UV gets very serious. Basically, there is so much *extra* light there that doesn't normally hit the sensor that metering calibration can be thrown off.

However, let's see a show of hands here. How many of you photographers do photography above 20,000 feet?

I thought not. At sea level, it is a non-issue.

---Bob Gross---

[JoeTampa]

I shoot at > 30,000 ft sometimes. Nice sunsets out the plane window every so often.

[robertwgross]

Joe, do you have trouble getting a good clean window to shoot through?

---Bob Gross---