• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Which filter to use? (1 Viewer)

C

Cuckoo-shrike

Well-known member
Which is the most sensible filter to use on my new Sigma 80-400 OS lens?
Skylight, UV, circular polarising, whatever? I don't want to lose any stops!
Thanks as always.
 
What are you after with the filter, Andy?

If it's just protection for the lens, I wouldn't bother - just use the lens hood at all times.
 
Well Keith, protecting the lens - your comment noted - and photo quality, having read this on the Warehouse Express site:

"Digital Cameras Need Multicoated Filters - Digital camera CCD or CMOS sensors are highly susceptible to reflections - this stray light can ruin your photographs! Don't risk your valuable photos by using bare-glass filters."

But if you don't bother, that's good enough for me!
 
The whole sensor reflection thing is overplayed, just look at how manufacturers are capitalising off of the 'digital optimization' Sigma's go their DG versions of lenses marked a considerable amount higher on the price scale than the non-dg versions. Considering that that quote is on a website designed to make money I'd say that it's telling a half truth. Yes, sensor reflections are out there but they are not as big a concern as the quote makes them out to be. I mean, look at the millions of excellent digital photographs on the web, I'll bet not even 10% of them were taken with special 'digital optimised' glass in front of the sensor (especially since the digital optimisation fad is fairly new). If it were that much of a problem, DSLRs would have quite a problem selling due to reflections runing most of the photographs taken with them.
 
Last edited:
Aquila said:
Which is the most sensible filter to use on my new Sigma 80-400 OS lens?
Skylight, UV, circular polarising, whatever? I don't want to lose any stops!
Thanks as always.
Click to expand...

I use a UV filter primarily to protect the lens. Sigma have their own multicoated filters, and that is what I use on my two Sigma lenses. On my Canon lenses I use B & W multicoated filters. Skylight filters may produce a slight colour cast. They are primarily designed for colour film to block not only UV but also the far blue.
 
Aquila said:
Well Keith, protecting the lens - your comment noted - and photo quality, having read this on the Warehouse Express site:

"Digital Cameras Need Multicoated Filters - Digital camera CCD or CMOS sensors are highly susceptible to reflections - this stray light can ruin your photographs! Don't risk your valuable photos by using bare-glass filters."
Click to expand...

What they're saying is "If you use a filter, make sure it's multicoated", and it's good advice.

As for what filters to use - a circular polarising filter can help make skies look better and cut down on reflections from water. But you will lose some light. For birding that's the only type of filter I'd consider, and then only when it's really needed.

There are a lot of people who say that a UV filter on the front of your lens is a good idea to protect the front of the lens. And I agree with them, to a point. I'll use a UV filter to protect the lens against spray - especially salt water. But that's it. I protect my front element by always using the lens hood and always putting the lens-cap on when the hood's off.
 
If it's just protection for the lens, I wouldn't bother - just use the lens hood at all times.
Click to expand...


Yikes - I have always used a filter on every lens & scope I owned and always will, especially since the time I wrote off a £50 82mm skylight which was fitted to my Leica APO77 and saved the scope itself (a case of barbed wire strand in a hedge I was climbing over).

A good quality multicoated skylight filter has no discernable effect on picture quality and will save the front element from a wide variety of nasties.

Personal choice at the end of the day but I know what route I will always take.
 
Corvus said:
A good quality multicoated skylight filter has no discernable effect on picture quality
Click to expand...

Ooh, not always true..!

;)

This might be a Nikon thing, but both myself and Cashie (I think) posted on here about image problems - a kind of striping - which were traced back to the use of UV filters.

I was advised at the time to use the lens hood to protect the lens, and I've never looked back.

I'm not saying don't use a filter, no indeed, but the lens hood really does a bang-up job of looking after the front of the lens...
 
Last edited:
Keith,


This might be a Nikon thing . . .
Click to expand...


Thank goodness I have a decent Canon camera 8-P (LOL! !)

Seriously though the disadvantage of scope lens hoods is that they are pull / push units not the rigid screw / clip on ones that come with camera lenses and so provide much less protection. In the scenario I detailed previously the lens hood was pushed back and the filter scratched in one movement .

This is the first I have heard about image problems with filters on digital cameras - even my Canon 600mm f5.6 has a filter on it (God forbid that I should have to replace it) and I have failed to notice any defects. Had a quick scan through EPhotozine (a fantastic internet photography site) and could not find any references to this phenomenon on their forums either.

Oh well, you live and learn as they say - i guess it's just another vagary of digital technology.
 
Corvus Corax said:
This is the first I have heard about image problems with filters on digital cameras - even my Canon 600mm f5.6 has a filter on it
Click to expand...
Try a search on the Canon 20D forum on DPReview. It seems there's somebody arguing about the filter/no-filter options every day.

Personally, I found a filter on my 70-300 DO exacerbated the problems with flare if the Sun was anywhere near my subject. Using the hood always reduces flare and protects the lens.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 18 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

mauriciolacruz
Kowa Genesis 44 Prominar XD... What filters to put?
Replies
10
Views
1K
Pepitogrillo
P
A
Hello
Replies
19
Views
745
MelospizaMelodiaFan
MelospizaMelodiaFan
P
Filter thread dent / repair tool
Replies
6
Views
648
Peregrine Took
P
M
Sigma 150-600 Lens Alternatives
Replies
4
Views
1K
mike nesbitt
M
T
UK Ornithology Course
Replies
9
Views
525
dantheman
dantheman

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top