Beginner Canon Lens/Filter Question

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statonb

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Hello all,
My first post. My wife and I bought a Canon D500 DSLR a couple of weeks ago. After being keen digital compact camera users for years, we finally decided to make the leap to SLR. We are very much beginners, and have a lot to learn.
A (hopefully) quick question:
We have a Canon 18-55mm lens (the D500 kit lens), and a Canon 55-250mm zoom lens (both are EF-S lenses). Does anyone know how many circular screw-in filters you can fit to these lenses at once? I'm guessing just the one. I ask because I've been advised to buy a UV filter to protect the lens, and I also want to buy a polariser for use in certain situations. Do I need to keep swapping filters all the time?
Many thanks in advance!
 
Some UV filters, I only tried the ones I bought from Jessop, are double threaded so you can screw your polariser on top.
 
Fit the UV an leave it on all the time, fit the polariser to the UV as an when you want / need.
Just remember the thread is very fine and doesnt need to be tight, otherwise you'll have a mission to separate them.
 
fezzr said:
Fit the UV an leave it on all the time, fit the polariser to the UV as an when you want / need.
Just remember the thread is very fine and doesnt need to be tight, otherwise you'll have a mission to separate them.
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thats a debate in itself - but I don't think this is needed, or even wise.

it may be worth investing in some square slot in filters as another option

Hugh
 
boyfalldown said:
thats a debate in itself - but I don't think this is needed, or even wise.

it may be worth investing in some square slot in filters as another option

Hugh
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Sorry Hugh - would you mind clarifying please?
Are you saying that fitting a UV filter and leaving it in all the time is not needed or wise? Maybe you meant that screwing the polariser into the UV filter isn't a good idea? Sorry if I'm being stupid. Thanks again.
 
statonb said:
Sorry Hugh - would you mind clarifying please?
Are you saying that fitting a UV filter and leaving it in all the time is not needed or wise? Maybe you meant that screwing the polariser into the UV filter isn't a good idea? Sorry if I'm being stupid. Thanks again.
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Sorry for not being clear. I think that leaving a UV filter on all the time is not needed. They tend to be advocated by people who want to protect the lens front element, but a lens hood does as good a job of this without the image quality suffering as it will with a UV filter. Why stick extra glass infront of your carefully designed lens if its not doing anything.

I don't think stacking filters screw in filters is a great idea - but thats just choice. If you need to stack filters I think you're far better with a square flter holder

Hugh
 
boyfalldown said:
Sorry for not being clear. I think that leaving a UV filter on all the time is not needed. They tend to be advocated by people who want to protect the lens front element, but a lens hood does as good a job of this without the image quality suffering as it will with a UV filter. Why stick extra glass infront of your carefully designed lens if its not doing anything.

I don't think stacking filters screw in filters is a great idea - but thats just choice. If you need to stack filters I think you're far better with a square flter holder

Hugh
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For higher quality results and more options the stacking ones are generally better (don't buy cokin filters... well do if that is your budget), but it all depends on what you are looking to do, if you just want it for holiday snaps, then stacking filters is fine as the slot filters are a bit more of a mission to get out of your bag, mount the slot element, buy a ring adaptor for the slot... and so on, don't get me wrong I use them, but they are not for the snapping away with if you want a quick shot! I would say if you buy any filter just get a polarising (CPL) one, will make sure your skys come out a bit more blue, buy it for the bigger lens thread and then get a "stepping-up" ring for the smaller one (not a canon user... so for all I know they may be the same diameter those). Would agree with Hugh on the UV filters... personally find them a bit pointless, just take care of your lens and put the cap on when your done and if you put something on it, make it at least do something ;)
 
The debate continues. I used to use UV filters to "protect" the lens but on the 50 1.8, this can induce flare. I now use lens hoods instead which aside from protecting the lens, can help reduce flare. Bonus!

I have stacked three filters onto one of my lenses before. All three were Hoya, two ND and one CPL (circular polariser). No problems with the threads
 
Personally I don't use UV filters to protect my lenses, unless I'm in a rainstorm or something. I rely on the lens hood to protect the front element.

That means that if I need a polariser, I only have to screw on one filter.

If you're going to use filters a lot, you should look into the Cokin or Lee filter systems.

Also be aware that a polarising filter reduces the amount of light that reaches the autofocus system (typically two stops), which means that autofocus becomes less reliable.
 
boyfalldown said:
Why stick extra glass infront of your carefully designed lens if its not doing anything.
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Well, one possible reason for doing it is that Canon themselves recommend it. Some of their lenses are desgned so that they are weatherproof when a filter is fitted, but not otherwise.

The lenses the OP has don't fall into this category (they're not weatherproof with or wthout filters), and one might not care about weatherproofing anyway, but my point is that if fitting filters was such an obviously bad idea then Canon wouldn't recommend it.
 
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