UV vs. Clear Protector

I'd like to buy a couple of new protective filters, and I'm wondering if there is any real benefit to buying a UV instead of a clear protector for use with a digital camera. The filter FAQ here says no, but there are plenty of people who seem to disagree. Hoya HD UV filters are 20-30% more expensive than their clear protector equivalents, which isn't pocket change. I'd imagine it's probably not worth spending more to get a UV filter, but I'd certainly like to read any other opinions before ordering.

I know this subject has been covered many times, but almost every thread I can find immediately degenerates into a discussion of filters vs. no filters, rather than the actual question being asked. Please don't reply if you just want to throw in your oar about using a hood, the evils of filters, etc. I have my reasons for sometimes using protective filters, and I'm well aware of why and when I shouldn't be using them.

You sure there aren't some other variables there in the picture? I just checked B&H for B+W (what I use), and at 58 mm and 77 mm the F-Pro MRC UV and Clear were identically priced.

Get a clear protective filter. If you notice that your lenses aren't performing the way they are supposed to and your images have a blueish cast caused by UV, then get a UV filter for that lens. Typically there is a coating in the lens that is made to block UV. Also, digital sensors aren't as sensitive to it as color film is.

jacuff wrote in post #8762806
Get a clear protective filter. If you notice that your lenses aren't performing the way they are supposed to and your images have a blueish cast caused by UV, then get a UV filter for that lens.

And find out that it does absolutely nothing to fix the problem, zero; zip; nada, bugger-all.

There's a filter in front of your sensor that does a good job of removing almost all of the IR and UV before it hits the sensor.

A UV filter will cut haze as well as protect your lens.

tvphotog wrote in post #8763681
A UV filter will cut haze as well as protect your lens.

Not on a dSLR it won't.

This is a much-repeated 'fact' that may have been true in the days when photographs were produced using chemical processes. But the new, all-physics, cameras aren't sensitive to UV - so it makes no difference whatsoever if you block the UV getting into the lens or not.

If I had a UV filter I'd go up on the Downs the next time it's sunny and prove it. But I don't own one and I'm not gonna waste money on buying one.

hollis_f wrote in post #8763998
Not on a dSLR it won't.

This is a much-repeated 'fact' that may have been true in the days when photographs were produced using chemical processes. But the new, all-physics, cameras aren't sensitive to UV - so it makes no difference whatsoever if you block the UV getting into the lens or not.

If I had a UV filter I'd go up on the Downs the next time it's sunny and prove it. But I don't own one and I'm not gonna waste money on buying one.

If you look at a graph of how digital camera sensors react to various wavelengths (colors) of light, you'll see they are largely insensitive to UV light. Ergo, a UV filter is unnecessary. When you combine that with the fact that most of the elements in lenses made today are coated with coatings that absorb much of the UV light, UV probably doesn't play a huge factor in degrading picture quality.

But I use a UV filter on every lens just because it makes me feel better.

Jon wrote in post #8762735
You sure there aren't some other variables there in the picture? I just checked B&H for B+W (what I use), and at 58 mm and 77 mm the F-Pro MRC UV and Clear were identically priced.

I'm specifically talking about the new Hoya HD filters. I was looking at maxsaver (hvstar) prices, but there is almost 10% difference between them at B&H, too.

I wonder if anyone has ever tested these filters side by side with strong UV sources. I remember Bob Atkins' tests of different UV filters, where most of the low-end filters barely blocked UV at all, and the Hoya UV blocked quite a bit more of the UV spectrum than the B+W. I'm sure nobody ever notices because UV is not really a factor in regular shooting anymore.