I was wrong-I do need UV filters..advice please

Hi,
In the last few months I have bought a 70-200F4 L IS, and the 100mm 2.8 Macro lense.

I decided at the time not to buy UV filters as I read on some forums that alot of people prefer not to use them, as they might slightly degrade the IQ of the photograph.

But I have little bits of dust etc on both lenses, and as they are expensive and I want to keep them for a few years, I have decided to buy good UV or whatever type of neutral filters so that the front of the lense do not get more dusty than they already are.

So my question is, what are a good make of filter for these lenses?

Any advise is very much appreciated.
Ben

Hoya pro's are good

It really is ok to clean the lens. I have some FD series lenses that have been in service since the early 70's....the glass still looks like new...and no filters other than those required for special effects.

A rocket blower will remove all but the most stubborn dust from the glass...a lens brush will remove virtually everything else...follow up with an occasional swab with a pre-moistened lens tissue and you are good to go for ages.

Although I do not use them all the time, I would only recommend B+W or Heliopan. And make sure that they are multi-coated.

Dust gets everywhere. If you have a few specks on the outside of your lens I wouldn't worry about it. They are so far out of the focal plane that its not going to effect images. Eventually dust will get inside lenses and cameras so I wouldn't worry about it. Invest in a rocket blower and get some lens cleaning supplies (good ones).

B+W (brass rings) and Heliopan are highly regarded. A lot of people on the foums buy from Hvstar who tend to have the best prices around although they are in Hong Kong.

GL

Woolburr wrote in post #3927120
It really is ok to clean the lens. I have some FD series lenses that have been in service since the early 70's....the glass still looks like new...and no filters other than those required for special effects.

A rocket blower will remove all but the most stubborn dust from the glass...a lens brush will remove virtually everything else...follow up with an occasional swab with a pre-moistened lens tissue and you are good to go for ages.

Ditto.

All of my 1960's lenses are still in virtually pristine condition (except for the worn external finish), and none has ever worn a filter for anything but special effect.

All of my lenses are used with a properly designed (for the individual lens) rigid lens hood. The lens hoods provide protection against stray light causing flare and they provide a lot of mechanical protection for the lens.

Dust is easy to remove from a lens. As mentioned above, a blower is all that is necessary 90(+)% of the time, and properly used lens tissue and cleaning fluid takes care of the rest.

Ok, thanks alot for the information everyone.
It seems as if you have saved me some money
Have a good weekend!

Dust will either be on your lens or be on the filter. I wouldn't get a filter for that reason. To protect the glass from something worse then yes. Which is why I have filters on mine. i even used a filter on my rented 100-400L. Just took it off the 10-20 for the time being since I wasn't going to use it that much.

It's just good extra protection I believe. Especially since I was shooting concerts and well it's crowded and you don't know what you'll be bumping into.

Have a read of this http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/B+​W-UV-Filter.aspx

I use B+W MRC multicoated filters on all my lenses. Other reliable brands are Heliopan's SH-PMC and Hoya's S-HMC or better.There's a Filter FAQ which has an even-handed treatment of the pros and cons as well.

Ben Daniels wrote in post #3927025
Hi,
In the last few months I have bought a 70-200F4 L IS, and the 100mm 2.8 Macro lense.

I decided at the time not to buy UV filters as I read on some forums that alot of people prefer not to use them, as they might slightly degrade the IQ of the photograph.

But I have little bits of dust etc on both lenses, and as they are expensive and I want to keep them for a few years, I have decided to buy good UV or whatever type of neutral filters so that the front of the lense do not get more dusty than they already are.

So my question is, what are a good make of filter for these lenses?

Any advise is very much appreciated.
Ben

Do you mean you have dust inside the lens, or on the lens? There is a big difference.

canonpink wrote in post #3929490
Do you mean you have dust inside the lens, or on the lens? There is a big difference.

Actually, in terms of IQ, there's not. Even a few specs dust inside the lens isn't going to affect IQ.

Mark

Woolburr wrote in post #3927120
It really is ok to clean the lens. I have some FD series lenses that have been in service since the early 70's....the glass still looks like new...and no filters other than those required for special effects.

A rocket blower will remove all but the most stubborn dust from the glass...a lens brush will remove virtually everything else...follow up with an occasional swab with a pre-moistened lens tissue and you are good to go for ages.

^^^^^ What he said. I have a 55 1.2 Aspherical from the 1970s and the glass (front element) is like new. Dust is a constant problem,

Rocket blower and lens brush for me. No flters unless it's a polarizing...

Ben Daniels wrote in post #3927025
Hi,
In the last few months I have bought a 70-200F4 L IS, and the 100mm 2.8 Macro lense.

I decided at the time not to buy UV filters as I read on some forums that alot of people prefer not to use them, as they might slightly degrade the IQ of the photograph.

But I have little bits of dust etc on both lenses, and as they are expensive and I want to keep them for a few years, I have decided to buy good UV or whatever type of neutral filters so that the front of the lense do not get more dusty than they already are.

So my question is, what are a good make of filter for these lenses?

Any advise is very much appreciated.
Ben

You might want to take a look at some tests I did with the HOYA UV filter... The only time I'll put it on is when conditions are really bad... I'm going to do tests with the "Protective" (just glass) version of this filter this weekend to see how it does.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=362150