UV filter - remove at night?
UV filter - remove at night?
Author
Discussion

Ari

Original Poster:

19,814 posts

244 months

Saturday 4th August 2012
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This cropped up in another thread so I thought I'd canvas opinions. Basically, should you remove the uv filter from the lens when using at night?

ViperDave

5,775 posts

282 months

Saturday 4th August 2012
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If your using it to keep UV out then may as well remove it, but as nearly everyone uses them for protecting the lens not keeping the UV out then apply your same criteria of use as daylight hours.

Personally i only use one if I'm somewhere i will get crap on the lens and so would apply the same criteria day or night

malc350

1,035 posts

275 months

Saturday 4th August 2012
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ViperDave said:
If your using it to keep UV out then may as well remove it, but as nearly everyone uses them for protecting the lens not keeping the UV out then apply your same criteria of use as daylight hours.

Personally i only use one if I'm somewhere i will get crap on the lens and so would apply the same criteria day or night
Agree entirely, plus it's never occurred to me to remove it anyway! However I do generally pay for the best (B+W) so wouldn't want to remove it.

GlenMH

5,458 posts

272 months

Saturday 4th August 2012
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You may have no option but to remove it: I was having problems with "shadowing" of lights on my images taken at night.

After I took the filter off, it all disappeared. I assume it was caused by reflections from the front of the lens bouncing off the inside of the filter and then hitting the sensor.

Simpo Two

92,708 posts

294 months

Saturday 4th August 2012
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Not much UV at night nuts

Ari

Original Poster:

19,814 posts

244 months

Saturday 4th August 2012
quotequote all
Yes, I am aware there's not much uv at night, but thank you.

The reason for leaving it on, as has been said, is to protect the lens. Also it's a bit of a faff removing it, storing it safely, and remembering to reattach it, at least compared to leaving it permanently attached.

Hence my desire to canvas views on whether this was likely to cause any issues.

GetCarter

31,237 posts

308 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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ViperDave said:
Personally i only use one if I'm somewhere i will get crap on the lens
+1

Personal opinion - Lens hood protects without the downsides of a filter.


Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 5th August 08:43

ian in lancs

3,853 posts

227 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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GetCarter said:
+1

Personal opinion - Lens hood protects without the downsides of a filter.


Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 5th August 08:43
I'm getting round to this opinion too! If I'm carrying around a 14-24 f2.8 without a filter why can't I do it with all my other lenses!

Speed addicted

6,329 posts

256 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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GetCarter said:
ViperDave said:
Personally i only use one if I'm somewhere i will get crap on the lens
+1

Personal opinion - Lens hood protects without the downsides of a filter.


Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 5th August 08:43
+2 I've stopped using them too. If you're going to bash it hard enough to smash the filter you'lll probably damage the front element too (possibly with bits of filter). I've also ruined night shots because of internal reflections between the filter and the lens.
I just try to be reasonably careful with the camera.

K12beano

20,854 posts

304 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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Simpo Two said:
Not much UV at night nuts
Soon fix that for your studio...

Simpo Two

92,708 posts

294 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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I think 'UV filters' needs to go on that famous graph...

GetCarter

31,237 posts

308 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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Simpo Two said:
I think 'UV filters' needs to go on that famous graph...
yes

NiceCupOfTea

25,586 posts

280 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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Recently dropped my 70-200 and smashed the filter. Lens undamaged. Maybe it would still have been OK without the filter, maybe not. Hood wasn't on it at the time as I had finished using it.

Personally I'll keep using filters but then there is no downside as far as I am concerned as I am not a very good photographer!

mrmr96

13,736 posts

233 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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NiceCupOfTea said:
there is no downside as far as I am concerned as I am not a very good photographer!
But it means you need a longer exposure to get the same light into the camera, so all your shots will be a bit more blurry unless it's a still life taken with a tripod!

It's most noticeable when you're trying to take a photo of something moving in low light - since a fast shutter is the only
way to reduce blur.

GetCarter

31,237 posts

308 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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mrmr96 said:
But it means you need a longer exposure to get the same light into the camera, so all your shots will be a bit more blurry unless it's a still life taken with a tripod!

It's most noticeable when you're trying to take a photo of something moving in low light - since a fast shutter is the only
way to reduce blur.
...and most importantly, flare. (Why I stopped using them - as many if not most of my photos are 'nearly' into the sun). Plus, you pay £1200 for a lens then chuck £60s worth of extra glass in front of it.

NiceCupOfTea

25,586 posts

280 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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Does it really reduce the light going into the lens that much? I wouldn't have imagined there was enough cut out to take it up another f stop...?

Ari

Original Poster:

19,814 posts

244 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
quotequote all
Surely in daylight there's merit in filtering out uv? If not, what's the point?

nellyleelephant

2,711 posts

263 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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Ari said:
Surely in daylight there's merit in filtering out uv? If not, what's the point?
Your sensor has a UV filter. UV filters are a relic from film days as film was sensitive to UV light.


Edited by nellyleelephant on Sunday 5th August 16:51


Edited by nellyleelephant on Sunday 5th August 16:52

GetCarter

31,237 posts

308 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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Also most lenses have a UV coating... so there is no real point. They sell them 'cos they always have, and make lots of money from them.

Ari

Original Poster:

19,814 posts

244 months

Sunday 5th August 2012
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Well I've learned something today, thank you!