On Mon, 16 Sep 2002 14:35:43 +0200, Michael Quack
>In article
>Malcolm Stewart says...
>> I'm afraid I'm a great believer in protective filters
>> - having seen what happened to my first decent filter
>> after being in use for some time.
>And I am a firm believer of sharp, unblurred pictures
>with highest possible contrast. Which rules out the use of
>filters unless necessary. I have seen way too many
>pictures with ghostings from filters, and I have seen
>way too much flare in images from lenses without lens hoods.
And I'm a firm believer that under most circumstances,
a good-quality filter will have none of the effects
listed (and I have done the tests to find out...).
I agree that a shade benefits most lenses (and is
essential for some, almost useless on some others).
If you see flare/ghosting, try removing the filter - my
bet is that you will see *NO* difference, unless the sun
is near the center of the image, with some lenses.
>> It's much cheaper replacing a filter than most lenses.
>Judging from the fact that in more than 20 years of professional
>photography, which always included newsgathering on the street
>and many many punk gigs I never had a single scratch on any
>lens, the investment in several first class filters makes
>up for more than one decent lenses, not just a single front
>lens.
Not a bad point, but you were lucky - I had a lens
grabbed - and it ruined the filter... Also, fine scratches,
if there are enough (resulting from "cleanings"), *will*
result in increased flare when shooting toward the light
source (as will dirt and smudges, if the lens is not
clean...).
>> As to flare, I only purchase fully coated filters
>Which doesn't kill the extra surfaces causing reflections.
One extra surface, a relatively moderate increase
compared with the large number of surfaces within most
lenses - and decent single-coating suppresses most
of the reflection from that single surface...
>> Lens hoods only seem to work under some conditions -
>They work for all conditions where stray light not forming
>the image hits your lens.
Not with all lenses - but their effect generally
is more beneficial than the addition of a filter
is detrimental to the image... (I use both).
>> if the sun is in shot no lens hood is going to help.
>Even in this case it will block extra reflections maybe
>from a puddle of water below you.
As can a hand...
>The sun in the picture is nothing but extremely high
>subject contrast. But stray light reduces brillance,
>sharpness and image contrast.
Depends on lens characteristics - I have several
lenses that are quite insensitive to out-of-image
light... The camera body internal design also
affects the appearance of flare - good baffling
and anti-reflection coating inside the body also help.
>Just like the prime directive in a studio: Important is
>not where you put light, important is where you block light.
Yes, this can be true...;-)
But there are few "absolute" rules, and when it comes
to the ill effects of using filters, some get carried
away with theory over experience, I think...;-)