kshapero
South Florida Man
Please don't try to talk me out of using a filter. I already had the "it only shattered my filter and not my lens" experience. So I am over the hill paranoid about using UV filters. But it never occurred to me that there might be a preferred UV filter for B/W shooters. Of course maybe there isn't. One person told me that for B/W film use the cheapest clear filter if protection is all you need. Another opinion was against that. Any thoughts, RFF'er's? 
maddoc
... likes film again.
Skylight to improve contrast slightly ....
Samouraï
Well-known
I use multicoated B+W filters (except for my vintage leica uv that i use on my summicron DR). Saving money by buying a cheap filter is not worth the internal reflections you might get.
f16sunshine
Moderator
I'm with Gabor on the Skylight/UV filters for protection. P filters (Clear filters) can have more tendency to reflect internally. Or so I have heard.
My Filters are B+W, Helioplan, or from SLR days Contax. I have trio Hoya IR 720 filters. It looks to me Hoya has High quality options as well.
My Filters are B+W, Helioplan, or from SLR days Contax. I have trio Hoya IR 720 filters. It looks to me Hoya has High quality options as well.
pvdhaar
Peter
Lens hood?
And, on a more serious note, whether you can get away with a cheapy depends on the lens. Some lenses are very forgiving, some are not. My personal experience in general is that the deeper the front element is recessed in the lens, the better the lens can handle single coated filters.
For B/W, the suggestion to use a skylight filter seems sound. It helps mitigating the blue response and helps a bit against the sky washing out.
All that, and a lens hood of course, a hood combined with a single coated filter will outclass a bare lens with the most expensive filter any day..
raytoei@gmail.com
Veteran
err.... yellow filter improves B&W images. would you consider a yellow filter ?
seifadiaz
Established
Agree, yellow filter for B&W.
pakeha
Well-known
what he said
Highway 61
Revisited
Yellow filters have a x1.5 or a x2 EV factor so this might not be what everybody wants to... :angel:
Brian Legge
Veteran
I came across this line a while ago:
http://www.lenstip.com/113.1-article-UV_filters_test.html
I've been using Hoya HMC UV filters ever since for the more fragile or more expensive lenses (when I'm not using a yellow filter). I haven't had any issues with them and they are very affordable. I am really picky about loss of contrast from dust on the front element and clean more often than I probably should. I feel better cleaning a $30 filter than the the front element of a clean Summar. I also use a hood most of the time.
I still use B&W for most contrast filters as I started with them and have had good luck using them. The only headache is cleaning the filter when need. The B&W ones seem harder to clean than anything else I've used.
http://www.lenstip.com/113.1-article-UV_filters_test.html
I've been using Hoya HMC UV filters ever since for the more fragile or more expensive lenses (when I'm not using a yellow filter
). I haven't had any issues with them and they are very affordable. I am really picky about loss of contrast from dust on the front element and clean more often than I probably should. I feel better cleaning a $30 filter than the the front element of a clean Summar. I also use a hood most of the time. I still use B&W for most contrast filters as I started with them and have had good luck using them. The only headache is cleaning the filter when need. The B&W ones seem harder to clean than anything else I've used.
kshapero
South Florida Man
Yes I am also freaky and must use a hood as well.Lens hood?
And, on a more serious note, whether you can get away with a cheapy depends on the lens. Some lenses are very forgiving, some are not. My personal experience in general is that the deeper the front element is recessed in the lens, the better the lens can handle single coated filters.
For B/W, the suggestion to use a skylight filter seems sound. It helps mitigating the blue response and helps a bit against the sky washing out.
All that, and a lens hood of course, a hood combined with a single coated filter will outclass a bare lens with the most expensive filter any day..
kshapero
South Florida Man
Yes that has kept me away from yellow filters. Plus I could PP that (Gasp).
dpt2014
Established
B+W MRC 010 here.
anjoca76
Well-known
I use yellow and orange B+W filters for b&w, and sometimes a skylight filter. I've tried other filter brands, but in the end I always come back to B+W. They are excellent, and are much easier to clean than multicoated Hoyas, which always smear for me.
Don't defend yourself about using filters. I always use them too, for protection if nothing else! Which is why I try to buy the best I can reasonably afford.
Don't defend yourself about using filters. I always use them too, for protection if nothing else! Which is why I try to buy the best I can reasonably afford.
Nokton48
Veteran
I used Canon RF UV filters on all my Canon RF lenses, Leica UV filters on my Leitz lenses, Minolta UV filters on my Minolta MC/MD lenses, and Hasselblad filters on my Hasselblad lenses. I also have UV filters on my large format lenses. I have never had any problems with reflections from using any these non-coated filters, that I can see. I also have yellow, yellow/green, orange, and red filters for different applications. I prefer to do the filtering in the camera.