{"id":148608,"date":"2021-02-03T10:50:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T16:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=148608"},"modified":"2021-02-03T10:46:26","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T16:46:26","slug":"pros-cons-clear-uv-filters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/pros-cons-clear-uv-filters\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Clear UV Filters a Pro or a Con for Expensive Lenses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To UV or not to UV. Let’s explore the pros and cons of UV filters, and when and how it can be your best friend.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you thought the Sony vs. Canon debate was loud, you might find that quiet compared to the discussion surrounding UV filters. There are photographers who believe placing a UV\/Clear filter onto an expensive lens as a safety precaution is a necessity, and those who argue UV filters are a waste of time and an impediment of image quality\u2014however minimal that may be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why Use a UV Filter?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When shooting with 35mm film, the celluloid is susceptible to UV light. As a result, when photographing in bright sunlit conditions\u2014say the beach or an open nature reserve\u2014you’ll find the photographs receiving a slight blue cast to the colors, or perhaps other hues slightly washed out. To counter this, one could use a UV filter to minimize the UV light, resulting in a photograph with more accurate colors. UV filters were also slightly useful at the start of the digital camera introduction era when sensors weren’t capable of fully rendering UV light null and void.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fuji<\/a>
This photo of mine shot on Fuji Pro 400H would have greatly benefited from a UV filter.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, in 2021, it merely isn’t an issue with modern digital sensors and RAW processing. Current sensors will be aggressively filtering UV light better than any filter attached to the lens’s front. As such, when placing a UV filter onto a lens attached to a modern DSLR or mirrorless camera, it becomes nothing more than an extra piece of glass on your lens. And, unlike an ND filter or polarizing filter, UV glass isn’t optically adjusting your photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, why use one? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Argument for . . .<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Knowing that a UV filter doesn’t do much in the way of modern technology, it may seem a moot point even to use one. However, photographers like to use the filter, not to protect against UV rays, but to protect their lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"UV<\/a>
Protect your lens with a UV filter. Image via Jirayut Noramas<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not so much in the way of heavy-handling and accidental drops, but as a means of protecting the front element of a lens from scratches, dirt, liquid, and dust. After buying such an expensive lens, the last thing you want to find is, when out in the forest, you’ve accidentally scratched the front element and have to send it in for a costly repair. However, a clear UV filter, which is only going to be a fraction of the lens’s cost, can easily be replaced if damaged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, as Phil Steele points out in the video below, every time you clean your lens, you’re creating micro-abrasions. While modern lens coatings are incredibly resistant, in the long term you may see a degrading of the lens quality if you’re consistently cleaning your lens. However, this would have to be over a significant period of time, with continual cleaning upon each use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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