General Photography Filter

[bikgc]

I just got my 24-70mm 2.8L and I do not own a filter for it. I feel that I need one asap being that I baby my equipment. I shoot a little bit of everything from portraits to landscapes and events. The main thing is I want to protect the glass, I don't want any special effects or anything. I was looking at the Hoya Super HMC Haze UV(0). Would that be something that is good quality to just keep on the lens for protection and get some protection from the UV as well. I just don't want it to change the colors on my portraits. Thanks a bunch

[themadman]

The Hoya Super HMC UV(0) will work fine as a protective filter.

[SkipD]

All you really need to do is use the hood that was supplied with the lens each and every time the lens is out of the camera case. That and reasonable care (including not taking the camera out into a sand storm) is all you need to keep the equipment in great condition for decades.

A UV filter does absolutely nothing to improve an image from our digital cameras. Film was sensitive to UV, but our digital cameras are not.

[bikgc]

Would the Hoya Super HMC Haze (0) help take away reflections? I will be doing automobile photography and would like to kill reflections in the windows. What would be good for that?

[xcel730]

UV filters do not cut reflections. It really serves no purpose other than protect your lens.

The filter you're looking for is a circular polarizer. However, it mainly eliminate non-metallic reflections such as from glass or water. For automobile, it may reduce reflections at the correct angle.

[bikgc]

Perfect I'll go get a Hoya tomorrow. Thanks

[SkipD]

Perfect I'll go get a Hoya tomorrow. ThanksI hope you're referring to a polarizing filter. A polarizing filter will help make some images better by darkening blue skies, richening the green of trees, etc., allowing you to control or even eliminate reflections on non-metallic surfaces, and so forth. Just make sure you get a "circular" polarizing filter and not a "linear" one.

Make sure you get the absolute best quality multicoated polarizing filter you can afford, as that will minimize the potential image quality reduction that can be caused by a lesser quality filter.

[Woolburr]

I hope you're referring to a polarizing filter. A polarizing filter will help make some images better by darkening blue skies, richening the green of trees, etc., allowing you to control or even eliminate reflections on non-metallic surfaces, and so forth. Just make sure you get a "circular" polarizing filter and not a "linear" one.

Make sure you get the absolute best quality multicoated polarizing filter you can afford, as that will minimize the potential image quality reduction that can be caused by a lesser quality filter.

Amen! Sticking a crap filter on the front of a thousand dollar lens makes about as much sense as rubberbanding a piece of Saranwrap over the lens hood.

[bikgc]

I bought a Hoya HMC Skylight 1b. It has a light pinkish tint to it, but with digital cameras I thought it would not effect it because of the auto white balance. It also says to reduce bluishness. I'm fine if it doesn't make a difference if the auto white balance fixes the pink tint, because it's mostly for protection, but I don't want it to take away anything major from sky's or blues. Should I be worried or am I good to go?

[mike_d]

I bought a Hoya HMC Skylight 1b. It has a light pinkish tint to it, but with digital cameras I thought it would not effect it because of the auto white balance. It also says to reduce bluishness. I'm fine if it doesn't make a difference if the auto white balance fixes the pink tint, because it's mostly for protection, but I don't want it to take away anything major from sky's or blues. Should I be worried or am I good to go?

Adding a pinkish tint, then relying on the AWB to fix it isn't the best plan. AWB isn't terribly accurate anyway. You're better off with a perfectly clear UV filter over a tinted filter if you're using it for physical protection.

[Mike R]

All you really need to do is use the hood that was supplied with the lens each and every time the lens is out of the camera case. That and reasonable care (including not taking the camera out into a sand storm) is all you need to keep the equipment in great condition for decades.

A UV filter does absolutely nothing to improve an image from our digital cameras. Film was sensitive to UV, but our digital cameras are not.

+1 I shoot sports, indoors or outdoors all I rely on for protection is a lens hood. I had dropped a lens, straight down onto the ground. The hood stuck in the ground.The lens and hood are fine. If it were only a filter on the lens, The filter would have been damaged and maybe also the lens.

[bikgc]

The only thing I was worried about was dust always being on the front glass and me having to consistenly having to clean it. Whereas I'm not to worried about cleaning the filter or it getting dust on it. You make sense though I just don't want to scratch it. I guess I can use it once in a while for extra protection.

[lettershop]

+1 on the circular polarizer. Protection is something people can legitimately disagree about. I find that the hood does a great job protecting the lens. When you need a polarizer then you need a polarizer

[Mike R]

The only thing I was worried about was dust always being on the front glass and me having to consistenly having to clean it. Whereas I'm not to worried about cleaning the filter or it getting dust on it. You make sense though I just don't want to scratch it. I guess I can use it once in a while for extra protection.

There's no doubt that the lens or filter will get dust on it even with a hood. All I do is point the lens towards the ground and blow the dust off.

[Woolburr]

The only thing I was worried about was dust always being on the front glass and me having to consistenly having to clean it. Whereas I'm not to worried about cleaning the filter or it getting dust on it. You make sense though I just don't want to scratch it. I guess I can use it once in a while for extra protection.

If you have enough dust on your front element that it is having an effect on your photos you have bigger problems than a filter can solve.

[philwillmedia]

The only thing I was worried about was dust always being on the front glass and me having to consistenly having to clean it. Whereas I'm not to worried about cleaning the filter or it getting dust on it. You make sense though I just don't want to scratch it. I guess I can use it once in a while for extra protection.

A little bit of dust on your lens will make no difference to your image.
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