Should I use a UV Filter on Mamiya 645AFD?

markmullen

markmullen

Suspended / Banned
Messages
3,726
Name
Mark
Edit My Images
No
Due to work and Le Mans I've not had much chance to try the Mamiya 645AFD I bought a couple of months ago, I've put a couple of films through it but haven't had chance to get them processed.

I'm going to Dubrovnik in a few days for a week's holiday and thought taking it with me (possibly without taking my 1Ds) might make me learn how to get the best out of it.

One thing I was wondering, I know the only reason to use a UV filter on digital is for protection (I use them when shooting rallying close in as a line of protection against flying grit and rocks) but should I use one on the Mamiya? I'm using Velvia 50 if that makes any difference, mostly shooting landscapes.
 
I used to shoot with a UV filter on the lens pretty much all the time when shooting colour "up in the hills" - only time I took it off was to fit a Polariser. Now, to be honest, I haven't got a UV filter for my main EF glass (i've got one of those DHG Lens protect filters for weather-sealing duties/flying crud as you mentioned - but that's just coated plain glass, rather than any "correction" filtering) so I only seem to use a Skylight on the Bronica and my FD lenses.

Edit: Oh - and always a skylight on the FD 35-105mm f3.5, but that's because I'm scared witless about scratching the big old exposed front element of the lens :shrug:

FWIW, a skylight can help to take a little of the "cold" edge off on Velvia blues...
 
Last edited:
I use skylight type filters on all my lens, well mine has a slight warming effect, simply for protection.

I think the jury is still out on weather it adds or detracts anything from the final image. Me I have not noticed anything either film or digital.
 
I'm still not too sure myself whether it's worth it, so I've shot a roll with and without UV and skylight filters to see fi there's any discernable differences.

the trouble is that the whole subject of UV and film has been much polluted with all this UV or Not on digital debate, so it's impossible to find a reliable source giving a definite answer.

My own personal hypothesis is that on bright blue sky days a proper UV filter may be of some benefit. On overcast days it won't be required, although a skylight may help with colour balance since film tends to be very cool looking (and on digtal my White balance is almost permanently over 7000K so I want a warm up effect!).

When I finally get round to having my backlog developed I'll let you know! (I'm umming and ahhing over getting a proper negative scanner vs paying for high res scans)
 
I should add, when I said "up in the hills" - I sort of meant Shooting in the European / Southern Alps - Kili, the Himalaya's etc, where you're a Looooong way up, with not much atmosphere above you to filter out the excess UV.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top