Uv Filter

[roundinthird]

Should A Uv Filter Be Left On The Lens Always To Protect The Lens, Will It Have Any Effect On Indoor Shots?

Tommy

[Canuck935]

Make sure it is a quality multi-coated filter. The following pictures are examples of what can happen with cheap filters. I didn't take these photos but I saved them from a test someone had done and posted on another forum somwhere.

The first shot is with UV filter the second is without. Notice the linear pattern in the defocused background in the shot with the UV filter.

[mwfanelli]

Should A Uv Filter Be Left On The Lens Always To Protect The Lens, Will It Have Any Effect On Indoor Shots?

Tommy

No, a filter should only be used when there is a reason. UV does nothing except "protect" the lens. This protection is mostly fantasy: for every story about a filter saving a lens there are thousands of untold stories of no damage at all. I've used "naked" lenses for over 30 years and have never had a problem even with some very rough usage. A UV filter is good for those times when there is blowing sand, mud, or other nasty places.

If you do insist on a full time filter, buy the very best multicoated you can find. That is expense but worth it. Stick with top-level brands such as B+W, Heliopan, and Hoya. Also, if you use any other filter, such as a polarizer, take the UV filter off. Don't use two or more filters together unless you are looking for special effects.