20d filters

my 20d came with a proline skylight filter,just for protecting the $500 lense, 75-300 is.

i have tested it and there is a degradation of image with this filter, slight but definate.

of course the canon folk say "use our filter"

what filter have you been using for this purpose and have you tested the images?

thanx for your opinion.

First, I'm not familiar with the brand of filter you mention.

Second, I've spent plenty of time looking for degradation of image while using a protective filter. What type of degradation do you see?

The only problems I've ever had with lower quality filters are glare and ghosting related issues. I've never seen one that made the lens measureably soft or ruin the color qualities (unless flare/glare/ghosting was the actual cause of it).

So, I guess you're asking what kind of filters are good to buy? My favorite is B+W but they're costly. You don't need to buy Canon. Canon is over priced as well. Tiffen is fine. Hoya is fine. I usually go nuts on any filter and get the multicoated ones of they have it for the type of filter.

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Originally Posted by terryger

my 20d came with a proline skylight filter,just for protecting the $500 lense, 75-300 is.

i have tested it and there is a degradation of image with this filter, slight but definate.

of course the canon folk say "use our filter"

what filter have you been using for this purpose and have you tested the images?

thanx for your opinion.

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I'd suggest skipping the "protective" filters unless you are in adverse conditions. The supplied lens cap works well and a hood actually improves the image!

If you want a full-time filter, stick with the top of the top. Must be multicoated, glass is better than layered plastic. I'd stick with B+W, Hoya, Heliopan. IMHO, Tffen is OK but a notch below these.

I've found that my rubber lens hood has taken the brunt of any abuse my camera has been subjected too, but I doubt you will be throwing the 20D around like I do my K-1000. I actually wish that I could put on one my new lens, but it came with an attached hood (31mm Limited) so I'm sticking with the Pentax SMC UV filter. I think the colors and contrast are actually a touch better with the UV filter on and upon pixelpeeping I do not see any harm to the image quality.

Pros will tell you don't use a filter unless you need its function. The notion of a "protection" filter in erroneous in most circumstances. Put a lens shade on the lens. If you must put a full-time filter, then settle for nothing short of the best--you can be sure youR noname filter is several notches below that. The lens you are putting it on is not very sharp to begin with. Adding a cheap filter only makes it worse.

I once subscribed to the protection filter theory. Had a skylight filter on my 50mm F1.4 for nearly 25 years before it occurred to me that the filter still looked brand new--so exactly what did it protect me from? From having 25 years of better photos, if I had NOT had the filter on the lens.

If you're very concerned about best possible image quality and the effect lens filters have on it, your filters should be as close in quality as the glass of your lens.

This does not come cheap... :(

Many pros use a slide-in resin filter system. The filters are all the same size (usually 4"x4" or 4"x6"), and the holder has multiple adapter rings to fit all your lenses. An optional bellows lens shade can attach to the front of the filter holder.

These optical grade filters can range anywhere from $30 to $100+ each, the holder/shade another $100+, the adaptor rings $30+ each.

Yeah, a lot of dough, but it is a one-time investment, and for many photographers pays off in the long run...

wburychka - Heres one Pro that will tell you first hand- that a plain UV filter has saved SEVERAL lenses for me.

I shoot 600 to 800 images each week at horse shows. The arena/barn and competition activities are unforgiving as to where dirt/ stones etc go flying and how far !

Not putting a filter on my $1000 - $2000 L lenses would be just plain stupid. Sure a lens hood is smart also, but a good quality UV filter is easier to clean and a heck of a lot cheaper than new lens elements.

Just a suggestion but you might acquire some solid first hand knowledge/experience about a subject before putting words on screen

Same here. I invested in Hoya multiicoated UV(0) filters for each lens on my 20D.
My EFS10-22 came without a hood (unlike my 24-70 and 79-200) and it's the only one where the UV filter is damaged.
As far as I can see, the £50 filter didn't degrade the photos, but saved the £580 lens.

But can I find multicoated filters here in Oxford?
No one sells them !