Bob Mueller wrote in message <349D2D1E.38B8@kfa-juelich.de>...
>Fred Whitlock wrote:
>> Janis Foley wrote in article
>> <349CF70A.7320C746@cx30186-a.dt1.sdca.home.com>...


>> > > Could somebody please explain to me the difference between a UV and a
>> > > Skylight filter. I am thinking of buying one of them to protect my
>> > > lens.
>> > > Also are filters something that "you get what you pay for?" Do I need
>> > > to spend a fortune?

>> The purpose of UV and skylight filters is to protect your lens from dirt
>> and damage. The skylight filter has a slight pinkish cast and, therefore,
>> produces a very very slight warming effect while the UV does not. If you
>> wonder about using them to filter light rather than just to protect your
>> lens, don't. Good shooting.

>???????????? I was under the impression the UV and skylight filters
>were introduced to remove the UV and deep blue light scattered by the
>atmosphere (including junk in it). They do filter and this application
>remains just as valid as ever. It is simply that somebody realized
>these filters hardly affect the visible light we want to include when
>photographing yet protect the lens against injury by sacrificing
>themselves when something goes wrong. Being considerably cheaper than
>better objectives we use the filters as insurance. THe funny way of
>saying it comes from my impression that the most expensive brands of
>filter may cost as much as the less costly brands of objective! The
>logic then becomes questionable.)
> For most work these filters have little effect and mostly come into
>their own in scenic shoots. (There may be some value when taking even
>close shoots in a UV-rich environment, though I have never heard this
>suggested.)

I was under the impression that most multi-element camera lenses
themselves filter out most of the UV that may affect the film image,
making the UV-filtering effects of additional filters redundant...
I have yet to see ANY difference in the film image when not using
a good-quality UV filter (like an inexpensive Hoya...) versus using
the filter - but the lens protection value is high. I do not use
skylight filters, since I do not wish to bias all my color work
with a pink tint... (though the skylight [and stronger] warming
filters can be useful for warming shaded or high-altitude
photos).
--
David Ruether
http://www.fcinet.com/ruether
ruether@fcinet.com