Which filter is more useful?

[Outdoor23]

I'm going to buy some filters for my lens. I think I'm leaning more toward buying some hoya polarizer filters. I know UV and Polarizer are two different function filters, but which one is more useful???

[Jon]

UV filters are mostly used to protect the front of your lens, and there are two opposing camps on this. I'm of the school that slaps a (very good quality) UV or Sky on every lens I can. Others wouldn't put a filter on any lens except at gunpoint and rely on lens hoods to do the job. Unfortunately, I find lens hoods are too vulnerable to fingers, etc. poking in.

Polarizers will, properly used, make a marked difference in your pictures by intensifying colours and by cutting reflections.

So, the polarizer will have more marked impact on your pictures; the UV or Skylight may spare your lenses a certain amount of wear and tear from cleaning and from blowing grit.

[Outdoor23]

Thanks for the info Jon. Thats why I cant decide...I dont really want to but both UV and Polarizer...but can't decide which one I want to go with!

[lordjim]

UV, Polarizer and ND.

You can replicate the effect of a warming or a cooling filter with Photoshop easily. A polarizing effect is a lot more difficult to obtain at post processing.

There are methods to obtain the effect of a ND filter by combining images with different exposures in Photoshop.

UV filters are used mainly to protect the lens. Make sure to buy a good quality UV as it will remain on your lens most of the time.

Note that UV filters are mainly useful for protecting expensive lenses as they are themselves relatively expensive. If you choose a polarizer, make sure to choose a Circular Polarizer so that you can control the polarizing effect.

[Jon]

Depends on the lens. For the 18-55 kit lens or the 50 f/1.8, the cost of the filter's enough that a protective filter is a significant part of the cost of a new lens. OTOH, a fast wide or tele would be a major ticket item and the sky/UV would be hardly noticeable against that cost. Polarizers are significantly more than UV filters, but don't live on the lens. You can always get the polarizer now, then if you think conditions warrant pick up a protective filter later.