UV filter?

[Lakia]

Hi all,

I am looking for some opinions on whether or not I should get some UV filters for my lenses. There are some articles on this site that say you should always have a filter on to protect your lens, while there are others that say never put a UV filter on your lens you'll ruin all your photos! So I am undecided on who's advice to take. I've had my DSLR for 6 months and have three lenses. Despite my best efforts all three are dirty, especially the 18-55 which I use frequently and don't have a hood for. So now I need to buy a lens cleaning kit, but I am wondering as to whether I should get UV filters to protect my lenses in the future. Obviously I need to get myself a lens hood for the 18-55, but the lens hood alone is not enough to protect the lens as my other two lenses are still dirty. I hear that UV filters can affect the image quality though. I don't want to affect my images, but I'm not going to pay more for a UV filter then I paid for the lens. So, what to do? Stick with just using a lens hood and clean the lens or get myself some UV filters?

[scootermcq]

Ah, the great UV filter debate.....

I use them on mine, because I will give up the slight IQ to ensure I keep the lenses safe. Think about a pair of glasses that you clean daily.... even with coating etc, they have a haze of scratches on them after a year or so. I figure come that time the loss in IQ will be greater than a UV filter.

Bottom line is you will give up some quality.... anytime you put glass in front that is not as good as the lens you loose IQ. Better filters, less loss of IQ, but still loss. Why are simple lenses like primes usually a cleaner image? Less glass usually than zooms and every piece of glass will have imperfections.

Now I have shot the same image with & without filters, and I can not really see enough of a difference in quality for me to give up the piece of mind with that glass keeping the lens from requiring frequent cleanings. When I give one of them a hazing of scratches I will just throw it out and put another on the front of my mint lens.

[Art]

IMO I would recommend not onmy UV but PL Circ filter, it is other world of results
it worth the effort
Art