My case against UV filters for protection.

When I shot weddings and portraits, I've had a number of photos ruined because of color ghosting caused by filters when there's a light source in the frame. I just picked up a Fuji x-pro1 with a 23mm 1.4 lens 2nd hand. The lens had a UV filter on it, so I said I'd give it another try. Took this shot at a buddy's house last night waiting on it to get dark for fireworks. Another image ruined by a UV filter.

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Have you tried the same shot without the UV filter so we have a point of comparison?

Is it the filter, or the lens itself?

No I didn't try the same shot without. Didn't notice it until viewed on a computer screen.

I've had these green ghosts appear on several different images when I've used a wider lens with a UV filter. Once I realized it was the filter causing it, I took them off, used lens hoods for protection, and shot 30+ weddings and portrait sessions and never had the little green ghosts in any of my images. Again, it only happens when there is a light source in the frame on a wider lens. Wish I could get a comparison with the above image without the UV filter.

Here is a terrible image of my daughter shot in a dark movie theater wide open with a UV filter taken in 2011. You can see a light source behind her to the right. I specifically remembered this one because I took numerous images and they all had the same green ghosting.

What kind of UV filters are you using?

I've always used B+W MRC filters & haven't noticed any problems with green ghosting. I know quite a few older photographers don't like the ideas of UV filters either. Technically any filter you put in front of the lens has to degrade the quality at least somewhat. If you have high quality filters though, the degradation will be minimal to the point where it shouldn't be noticeable at all.

I don't think you can really tell to what extent there is degredattion until you do a side by side test with and without filter.

ozzmodan wrote in post #17014483
What kind of UV filters are you using?

I've always used B+W MRC filters & haven't noticed any problems with green ghosting. I know quite a few older photographers don't like the ideas of UV filters either. Technically any filter you put in front of the lens has to degrade the quality at least somewhat. If you have high quality filters though, the degradation will be minimal to the point where it shouldn't be noticeable at all.

Tiffen, Hoya, and the one above of the sunset is a B+W Digital MRC F-Pro (got the box right in front of me )

I've only ever had that problem with cheap UV filters. I've been using the Hoya Pro 1 Ultraviolet on everything lately and haven't had any problems.

When I got my first DSLR (500D) in 2010, I used the high end Hoya UV filter on it. After taking this shot, I took it off and never really used a UV filter again (except at the beach).

You can see all the ghosting. It is especially apparent when looking at the letters at the top of the building and all the reflections in the sky area.

I think I might have to go out and take some test shots with and without to see how much of a difference it actually makes...

I think the kind of lighting you are shooting in will make a big difference. Back lighting should create some of the most difficulty.

Stamp wrote in post #17013051
When I shot weddings and portraits, I've had a number of photos ruined because of color ghosting caused by filters when there's a light source in the frame. I just picked up a Fuji x-pro1 with a 23mm 1.4 lens 2nd hand. The lens had a UV filter on it, so I said I'd give it another try. Took this shot at a buddy's house last night waiting on it to get dark for fireworks. Another image ruined by a UV filter.

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You realize you are shooting straight into the sun, right? You will see flaring regardless of using a filter or not. Of course when you switched to your lens hood the flare was gone... a lens hood is meant to block flare!

tagnal wrote in post #17017437
When I got my first DSLR (500D) in 2010, I used the high end Hoya UV filter on it. After taking this shot, I took it off and never really used a UV filter again (except at the beach).

You can see all the ghosting. It is especially apparent when looking at the letters at the top of the building and all the reflections in the sky area.

Are you shooting through a glass window in a hotel? It looks like you are... The reflections could easily be from shooting through a glass window and not from your UV filter. If you are shooting through glass, try using a Circular Polarizer which will eliminate the reflections (though, it will give you at least 1-2 stops of light loss)

squiLL wrote in post #17033531
You realize you are shooting straight into the sun, right? You will see flaring regardless of using a filter or not. Of course when you switched to your lens hood the flare was gone... a lens hood is meant to block flare!

Ohhhhhhhhh, is that that big orange thing that makes lots of light and makes me feel all warm on the outside?! Thanks for clearing that up, and BTW, the lens hood has nothing to do with removing the ghosting from an image like this, because I still shoot with light sources in the frame, and now that I know what that big bright orange thing is, the sun is in the frame as well... Lens hoods don't create a force field to block light sources in your frame.

At the risk of starting another filter/no filter debate, I see no reason for UV filters unless you're in blowing dust/sand, or sea spray, etc.