Importance of UV/protection filter [duplicate]

Question

I've taken the leap to full-frame mirrorless and I'm wondering about protecting my new glass.

I have used cheaper UV filters on things like kit lenses in the past, but I'm getting a higher end lens and wouldn't want to stifle the optical quality with something lesser in front.

I know brands like Hoya have UV filters right up to a cost of £100+, but I'm not what the actual benefits are over, say another UV filter of a lower price point whether it be Hoya or anyone else.

I'm not going to be walking into waterfalls or have people kick sand at me, so I'm just wondering what the options are.

Answer 1

There's no need for UV protection, so you could also use a clear protective filter instead. But you don't always get what you pay for...

In testing a $70 Nikon filter was essentially as good as a $225 Leica filter (0.1% difference). And a $10 Chiarro filter was as good as a $40 Tiffen. Based on those tests I replaced my Heliopan protective filter with the Nikon NC.

However, I personally do not use a protective filter unless something is likely to hit the front element... i.e. blowing saltwater, sand, etc. I have not had a lens scratched/scuffed due to not using one in over 20 yrs since I switched to digital (I did use UV filters with film). And I am hard on my gear; I have gear insurance because I use it... Last March I had a Z9 lens mount, viewfinder, and front/rear cases replaced due to impact damage. The lens was fine other than a scar to the hood, and the lens hood hit first.

Still, other than the testing linked to above, most evidence of the benefits/negatives to using a protective filter is anecdotal. However, there is more evidence of a bad filter definitively adversely affecting images in certain situations... but not much correlation as to what to avoid in particular (other than very cheap).

So, if you choose to use one, about the only thing you can do is try it and see... or buy one of the ones that tested highly.

Answer 2

A shock with a blunt object on the filter (table corner...) will create glass shards that can scratch the front lens, while the front lens would have survived the same shock unscathed, and would have been protected just as well by its hood.

So in my experience, filters are a liability and protection filters are only useful if you expect projections that can harm the lens or that are difficult to remove without harming the lens (salt water, grease, paint), in which case the filter becomes a throw-away item and you don't want to invest too much in this (but for the salt water case I usually have a CPL filter anyway).