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[OM] Re: focus and ? about lens filters

Subject: [OM] Re: focus and ? about lens filters
From: Garth Wood <garth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:47:42 -0700
Amin Sabet wrote:

[snip]

> While I'm asking noob questions, here's one more - With my Canon DSLR
> lenses, I never use filters.  However, with these "jewel-like" Zuikos,
> I feel compelled to protect them.  Also, with film I'm not sure
> whether I need to have a UV filter even if the lens is multicoated.
> Can anyone recommend a good type of filter to leave on all the time?


To add to the chorus, "no."

And no, you don't need a UV filter all the time.  They're good for 
specific occasions, but unless you're shooting high mountain landscapes 
with airy, distant vistas constantly, they're mostly unnecessary.  (And 
are no more "required" by film than by digital, really -- some people 
*like* the look of a mountain vista with a lot of UV in it.  I do -- 
looks "ethereal" to me...)

The thing to remember about many (but not all) filters is that not only 
do they degrade an image, they're *designed* to do so in very particular 
ways.  Think of a fog filter or a "softnet" filter, for example.  All 
special effects filters degrade images.

Then there are those that are specifically designed to deal with colour 
casts.  With digital, most of this can be corrected in post-processing. 
  Even with film, it's oftentimes scanned digitally, which means you can 
go after it in Photoshop or somesuch later.  Sometimes it's still best 
to use a filter during image capture, but the beauty of the digital 
darkroom is the amount of correction you can intelligently apply -- 
non-destructively! -- afterwards.

The one filter I think everyone would say is indispensable on occasion 
is a high-quality polarizer (linear or circular, depending on your 
camera's exposure system needs).  The money I saved on not acquiring a 
whole slew of filters I put into buying a Kaesemann circular polarizer 
from B+W.  I also own a didymium enhancing filter for fall foliage 
scenes, but that's another story.  ;-)


Garth

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