Should I get a filter?

[exe163]

I recently acquired a M4 and Zeiss 35/2 as my first rangefinder set. Should I get a filter? From what I know filter doesn't do anything to the image for DSLR but they do for film. I am thinking about getting a used to save few bucks.

Thanks

 

[Ronald M]

Filters are used for for many purposes. Why do you think you need one?

 

[exe163]

Ah, I forget to add UV filters. I want one for the same reason as most people: to protect the front elements of the lens.

 

[thegman]

Personally I wouldn't use a UV filter to protect the lens, I'd just use the lens cap or be careful. If you're shooting B&W film though, you could look at yellow or red filters, or if shooting colour you could look at warm up filters. Neutral density filters are good too if you want long exposures but have a lot of light, or want to shoot with your lens wide open in a lot of light.

 

[kitaanat]

I use color filter for B&W photography.
(Red Orange Yellow or Green have different effect in B&W film)

For the protection filter except at sea or beach in some of my camera
but usually I don't use any filter for color photography.

I've got a reflection problem in my recent photography of my friend's wedding
which my friend gave me a digital camera to shoot for him.



Cheers,
kitaanat

 

[MCTuomey]

i use filters as functional caps on all my ZM lenses because the damn caps are so fiddly. i can't stand them.

 

[exe163]

i use filters as functional caps on all my ZM lenses because the damn caps are so fiddly. i can't stand them.

Why didn't you include it in the package so I don't have to worry about it? 😛

 

[John Lawrence]

I always use a UV filter on all my lenses.

John

 

[MCTuomey]

Why didn't you include it in the package so I don't have to worry about it? 😛

Because I want you to dislike the lens, of course. Then you'll return it and I won't have seller's remorse any longer 😉

 

[exe163]

I am looking at some UV filters on amazon right now. B+W UV filter price is all over the place.

http://www.amazon.com/43mm-Ultra-Vi...?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1282109899&sr=8-14

http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Ultra...?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1282109899&sr=8-11



I know that I probably won't need the more expensive UV/IR for digital sensors, but just seeing two filters with the same model number but drastically different price made me more confused than ever. Which should I get?

 

[35mmdelux]

a lens is as good as it weakest link. You have a great Zeiss lens now and with a cheapo filter you'll have a cheapo lens.

 

[Ranchu]

Do you have a hood? A filter mainly protects the monetary value of your lens. Lenses can take a lot (years) of casual damage before their imaging characteristics are affected, usually that doesn't happen. You will need a hood if you use a filter, though.

 

[sanmich]

Exe163

you won't get one clear answer here.
It has been discussed many times, and some use filters while other don't.
I do and it saved me a good lens to turn into a paperweight a few months ago.
I do use only B+W MRC for critical lenses.

 

[Ranchu]

Wanted to say, I don't casually damage my lenses, but I do have one that has been, a 28/2 ais Nikkor. It works fine. It seems to me they're most at risk when you clean them, I try to avoid doing that as much as possible, and the best way is not to get them dirty. Just blow normal dust off with a rocket blower.

 

[lacavol]

I generally only use a Uv filter with Color above 6000 feet or 2km. Otherwise iI unscrew it to take a picture. I use a number of Wratten filters, K1 through F, in B&W. I use a CC10m with Ektar, just looks good to me with the lab I use. I usually leave a filter on in my bag or if I'm scrambling in the mountains, but it gets changed for taking pictures or comes off if I'm in no danger of knocking a lens cap off.

 

[John Elder]

I use a B+W mrc filter on every lens I own. I use the filter primarily for protection. No matter how careful you are, sooner or later something will happen that can damage the front element. A high quality filter will not degrade the image. Also if cleaning is needed, I would rather be cleaning the filter than the actual lens. Just last Saturday I was in NYC in Washington Square, the fountain was on and the wind shifted spraying the filter on my 35mm summicron. I was glad I had the filter on as I was cleaning the filter and not the front element.

 

[excellent]

I have a question about filters. Would a coated UV filter help reduce flare on an uncoated lens(leitz summar)? I don't want to compromise any unique qualities the lens has though. Though I suppose the flare is one of the summar's qualities. Anyone have tips ?

 

[Ranchu]

Adding a filter always increases the possibility of flare, mainly ghosting. I ran across this page showing a Summar before and after being professionally cleaned. Looks worthwhile to me. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.oldlens.com/summar50f20.html

 

[excellent]

Thanks Ranchu. I want to know how the flare could be reduced without losing the low contrast soft look of the summar

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

I use lots of filters for particular reasons, maybe near 20 different ones, but there are three of them I consider very important, and these are the ones I have for each of my lenses and carry with me always:

1. The filter that helps me protect my lens is the same I use for shooting color: a warming filter... Almost transparent but with a slight yellowish/amber tint. It's called 81A. 81 is a bit less toned, and 81B has some more tone. They absorb near one third of a stop, so I keep them on my lenses for B&W and color unless I use another filter... I think sometimes UV filters are warm. I use warming filters from Nikon, B+W, Hoya and Leitz. All work well. My favorite is the 81B by B+W. Some of us prefer color shooting with the warming filter on even under direct sun... But at least it's very important for color shooting when your subject isn't receiving direct sunlight, this is, on overcast days or in a zone in the shadows during a sunny day: without warming filter, those scenes are horribly blue... For B&W, when there's no blue open sky to use the yellow filter, I shoot with my warming filter on and keep my lenses protected.

2. The yellow filter. It's used for all B&W shots when the sky is blue: it gets rid of the blue and makes the tonal range look closer to the way we see. The blue sky, with the yellow filter, shows a natural gray, instead of the too washed or almost white look it has without filter. Yellow filters can be medium, light or dark. The most usual is the medium one, absorbing one stop of light. I have also light and dark: they're all good. I prefer the yellow filter: darkening too much the sky with orange or red filters got me bored after a few scenes. You can exaggerate sometimes, but no good as the usual thing... Those filters can sometimes darken green (grass, trees) too much, and in an unnatural way.

3. The ND (neutral density) filters. These gray filters are very important. All they do is absorb light. An ND8 absorbs 3 stops. It's also called ND 0.9 (0.3 for each stop). An ND64 absorbs 6 stops (also called ND 1.8). If you're shooting with common ISO400 film under direct sun, you might need an ND filter to be able to shoot with the lens wide open for selective close focus and background defocusing... I have an ND8 for each of my lenses. B+W is a nice brand for ND filters...

It's better to get a good brand used filter than a low priced new one.

Filters are a very important part of serious photography.

Cheers,

Juan