Utility of UV Filters in a DSLR Camera
This debate about using a UV Filter in a DSLR camera is quite interesting, some professional photographers don’t like them at all while some often take pictures applying a UV filter to their DSLR camera. In this blog post I would try to give you some information about the role of UV filters in a DSLR camera and in what situation it can be useful, the decision to use it with your DSLR camera or not depends entirely on you.
You can experiment by taking pictures of different scenarios with and without a UV filter and judge what suits you best. The fact of the matter is world’s best pictures are not shot by the best cameras but the best photographers.
Any sort filter degrades Image IQ
Any filter between your DSLR camera’s sensor and the subject would degrade Image’s quality. Better and more expensive lenses degrade the quality of an image less while cheaper lenses can cause more damage to the final quality of the image. The final degradation’s extent depends depends on the conditions you are shooting in and the photographer’s quality standards.
UV light has no impact on DSLR cameras
Most DSLR sensor are prone to UV light therefore any UV filter would behave just like a neutral filter. For a good DSLR camera UV filter and protective filter are one and the same thing.
Camera’s front element is strong in a DSLR camera
Almost all the lenses designed for DSLR cameras have a solid glass on the outside which won’t break under normal stress, these lenses are also scratch resistant up to some extent. If you somehow manage to come across a force strong enough to break the front glass of the camera, then in any case a UV filter won’t be very helpful.
Flares, Reflections and Refractions in DSLR
If you are using any sort of filter for your DSLR camera be it a UV filter, polarizer or a protective filter then you have added a new optical layer before camera’s lens where light can be reflected and refracted and this sometimes reduces the quality of the image. If you are clicking a picture in night in front of your light source, then these filters can cause flares which would ultimately reduce the quality of your shot. This holds true for any filter, not just a UV filter.
UV filters are delicate
As I said before, UV filters are not needed much in a DSLR cameras but these filters are quite delicate, they break easily because they are made up of very thin glass. These small pieces of glass, once broken, may come into the contact of the front element of your lens and damage it. It is better to carry a UV filter (if you want to use it) in your camera bag rather than applying it to your DSLR camera and then carrying it.
Focal Length and Aperture matters in a DSLR camera
In some lenses light passes through only some part of the filter, the formula to find out filter surface used can be calculated using this formula:-
Focal_Length / Max Aperture = filter_surface used
For a 17mm F4 lens 17/4 = 4.25mm (the actual area from which light passes), if you are using a 67mm filter for this lens then light would pass only though a little area of the filter whereas in a 77mm filter used for 200mm F2.8 lens we have 200/2.8 = 71.4 light passes through most of the filter. In these cases, high quality filters or no filters must be used because it affects the final quality of the image.
Slim vs. Non-Slim Filters
Slim filters have smaller profiles and are useful in wide or ultra-wide angle lenses. Their main disadvantage is that their support frame is smaller which means that they are more likely to bend and have microscopical variations on its surface. For telephoto lenses, non-slim filters must be used.
Dust, Water Spray and Condensation
In dusty conditions, filters can be of great use, if you want to take great shots in this weather, it is important to clean your lens after taking each shot, in these cases if you have a filter then it would be easier to clean the filter rather than cleaning the lens each time and risk it being scratched.
Do you use UV filters for your DSLR cameras or not? Leave a comment down below with your reply. Thanks.
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