Good value UV filters?

travellingcello

travellingcello

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I'm looking to get a couple of 77mm UV filters as I'm worried about scratching the glass by accident.

However the many types of filters are confusing me - I know that as a rule of thumb I should get the most expensive I can afford for minimum loss in IQ, but at the same time can't and don't want to spend £50 on a Hoya HD.

What UV filters are recommended for good value for money? I don't want to buy rubbish bits of plastic or glass which will cause a thousand reflections.

Are the Hoya Pro1 UV's good value? I see on Amazon they are £31 - or can I be happy with something less expensive? oh and whats the difference between Hoya's HMC UV(C) and the Hoya Pro1's then? Is there that much difference in performance?
 
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For me I have used quite a few of Jessops own filters and never had a problem, they are not that cheap mind you.

I have a Hoya 77mm Pro1 on one of my lenses and it has been fine but I am sure some may have a different opinion and my knowledge is limited on filters.
 
None.

Dont buy any.

Waste of time and money.

IMO of course...
 
This has been debated over and over again on TP, do a search, there's loads of threads. I myself have now decided I will now only ever use a UV filter when I think the need arises, where I think my lens could be in imminent danger. So far that issue hasn't arisen but for example, maybe you are photographing speedway, rally cars etc where you may get stone chips or mud flying about, or to a lesser extent, on a windy beach with sand and sea spray. For general day to day use, I agree with odd jim, a waste of money. To answer your question regarding Pro 1/HMC I think its all about special coatings, glass thickness and durability, basically you get what you pay for.
 
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Oh well, maybe I won't go and buy UV's then- the couple I own were given to me as part of sales and I can use those for the dangerous situations if I ever find myself in one of those!
 
travellingcello said:
Oh well, maybe I won't go and buy UV's then- the couple I own were given to me as part of sales and I can use those for the dangerous situations if I ever find myself in one of those!
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More salesmen flogging UV filters, there's a surprise!
 
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I'm in the "don't use" UV filters camp too, but I strongly recommend using a lens hood all the time.
 
I am of the converted group. I used to have a UV on every lens and used them a a meter of Standard process. Now I only use them if I feel the front element may be at risk. Such as salt water spray while at the beach. Close race track shooting where debris may be trown at me/camera or similar environments where the front element is at risk. Otherwise I leave them in their cases these days. I'm wouldn't substitude a hood for a Clear Filter in these situation, the hood has a function but it is not to protect the front element of and would not do much for the situations mentioned above IMHO. Just my thoughts on the topic
 
The only time I would use a UV is where there is airborne crud such as mud or sea spray.
 
DucDuc said:
I am of the converted group. I used to have a UV on every lens and used them a a meter of Standard process. Now I only use them if I feel the front element may be at risk. Such as salt water spray while at the beach. Close race track shooting where debris may be trown at me/camera or similar environments where the front element is at risk. Otherwise I leave them in their cases these days. I'm wouldn't substitude a hood for a Clear Filter in these situation, the hood has a function but it is not to protect the front element of and would not do much for the situations mentioned above IMHO. Just my thoughts on the topic
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Not quite what I was suggesting. I always use a hood, whether the conditions are good or not, and it does offer a certain amount of protection against impacts from an angle; but no, it won't protect the front element against spray or mud hitting it directly. I sometimes use a filter for that, but I will still have the hood fitted, and I must admit that I've never had a problem when I've forgotten to take one with me. Maybe I've just been lucky, or perhaps I don't often shoot in these conditions - I'd be just as worried about my camera if there's a lot of spray flying around.
 
I always keep a UV filter on the end of all of my lenses.

Until I am going to take a photo that is. If it is an unsafe situation, then I will leave the filter on, spray, sand etc, otherwise it comes off with the lens cap.

Theory on leaving the filter on the lens for the rest of the time (as opposed to some of the posts above where it is only put on when going into a situation), is that should the lens cap be knocked off in the bag, or someone else pick up the camera with sticky fingers etc. who may not be so careful, the filter is already on.

There is a difference between cheap and expensive even with a simple piece of UV filter. If you need a 77mm filter, you must have gotten a reasonably expensive lens I guess, so it would be worthwhile getting a reasonably expensive filter to go with it.
 
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A better option is spending a few £ more and getting something like a Marumi 'lens protector' filter, or a Hoya Pro1D 'Protect' filter. Sure, they're more expensive than a UV filter by a little bit, but they are specifically designed to be clear protection rather than 'UV coated'. The UV coating, even if it does nothing, is interfering with your light transmission.

The Marumi ones are about £3 more expensive than a 'cheap' UV filter (eg, £10 for a 52mm, to £20 for 77mm), still cheap enough, and far less likely to ruin your IQ than such a cheap UV filter would.

I too am a 'convert', I spent years always using UVs, but never expensive ones, usually around the £12-15 mark. But the IQ does suffer, and there really isn't any good reason to use them.

The other day I did use a 62mm UV filter though - I took the glass out and attached the ring to a piece of welding glass :D
 
Do have a couple of filters in case like others have said the environment warrants their use

Otherwise the hood provides a fair bit of protection and in my opinion any filter does degrade the image albeit to what degree is debateable
 
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