Steve'sDigicams

Carskick · Oct 17, 2006, 6:04 PM

My local camera store, which has been around forever, sells 58mm Promaster filters that I have been looking at for my new S6000fd. The only one I bought so far was the on for UV protection, which they said reduces haze in some outdoor situations and protects my lens without altering lighting, exposure, saturation, etc. Is this true? Are they a good brand for filters? The UV filter was about $12.60, and I barely notice any loss of light, if at all. I don't see any flares, but some people say UV filters can cause artifacts. Should I be concerned about this?

I am also considering a cross screen 4x filter for $23.95 and a Circular Polarizer filter for $38.85 of the ones he showed me. Should I get Promaster filters here locally, or get something else? Thanks!

Bob Nichol · Oct 17, 2006, 6:48 PM

Promaster http://www.promaster.com seems to be an American only brand. I have no experience with this brand. The prices seem competitive with B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com.

A UV filter is good for lens protection on digital cameras and shouldn't have any effect on exposure or colour.

Any filter can cause flare under the right conditions so it becomes something to look out for and to remove it if you feel it is causing image degradation. Some photographers only use filters under adverse conditions, rain, mist or spray.

Compare the build and optical quality of the product with major filter brands such as Hoya, Heliopan and B+W. You get what you pay for!

Carskick · Oct 17, 2006, 7:17 PM

Well, after some research, I am unsure as to how sold I am on the UV filter. Mine is NOT multi coated, which made me concerend about glare, so I ran a test, and sure enough, the results speak for themselves

The top image is with the UV filter, the bottom is without. Right now, I am ignoring slight coloring changes, as the could be the Camera's auto WB, the most important thing is the flares. Is this caused by a poor quality filter, or due to the nature of the UV filter?

Carskick · Oct 17, 2006, 7:47 PM

Well, I don't know. Maybe I should try to switch it for a more expensive version with anti-glare coating if they have them. I like the idea of lens protection from dust and the unknown, but I do not want to sacrifice image quality to get it. Any ideas?

Bob Nichol · Oct 17, 2006, 8:32 PM

The coatings are to reduce flare (reflections) between the filter and the lens elements. An uncoated filter will be more prone to flare and a multi-coated much less. All modern camera lenses are multi-coated.

Carskick · Oct 17, 2006, 8:47 PM

I think having a UV filter handy is a good thing for when I need protection, such as at the beach, and in long zoom shots, but I will go back and look into a more elegant multi-coating solution to prevent flares. Thanks.

ANd if anyone else has comments on filter quality, please let me know. Also, what of Quantaray filters?

Carskick · Oct 19, 2006, 3:18 PM

Well, I went back to the shop and talked to them. They told me some lights will cause that when they are in the photos, and all UV filters will do it, though the multi coated ones slightly less. I tried the multi coated one, and it was a little better, but not much, so I am sticking with my UV filter. I plan on leaving it on in situations where I am taking a lot of pictures and leaving the lens cap off a lot, esspecially in situations where dust, water, etc are possible. And of course when UV is prevelant, which isn't often.

Also, I talked to my Grandmother about it, and she checked her filter collection, and realized her older Nikon SLR she used up until about 4 years ago had a 58mm zoom lens, which she had a circular polarizer for, which happened to be the same brand, as she purchased it from the place I was at years ago. So I got a free Circular Polarizer, which, after only little testing, seems to be pretty good.

I also asked about the other manufacturers while I was at the shop, and one of the guys who was supposed to be very knowledgeable told me that most of promaster's filters are actually rebranded Hoya midrange stuff. The polarizer says made in Japan, and if he is correct, then I guess it is Hoya's blue series. I will try to do more research to back his claim.

Oct 17, 2006, 7:17 PM	#3
Carskick Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 276	Well, after some research, I am unsure as to how sold I am on the UV filter. Mine is NOT multi coated, which made me concerend about glare, so I ran a test, and sure enough, the results speak for themselves The top image is with the UV filter, the bottom is without. Right now, I am ignoring slight coloring changes, as the could be the Camera's auto WB, the most important thing is the flares. Is this caused by a poor quality filter, or due to the nature of the UV filter? Attached Images

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Oct 17, 2006, 6:04 PM	#1
Carskick Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 276	My local camera store, which has been around forever, sells 58mm Promaster filters that I have been looking at for my new S6000fd. The only one I bought so far was the on for UV protection, which they said reduces haze in some outdoor situations and protects my lens without altering lighting, exposure, saturation, etc. Is this true? Are they a good brand for filters? The UV filter was about $12.60, and I barely notice any loss of light, if at all. I don't see any flares, but some people say UV filters can cause artifacts. Should I be concerned about this? I am also considering a cross screen 4x filter for $23.95 and a Circular Polarizer filter for $38.85 of the ones he showed me. Should I get Promaster filters here locally, or get something else? Thanks!

Oct 17, 2006, 6:48 PM	#2
Bob Nichol Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Eastern Ontario Canada Posts: 823	Promaster http://www.promaster.com seems to be an American only brand. I have no experience with this brand. The prices seem competitive with B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com. A UV filter is good for lens protection on digital cameras and shouldn't have any effect on exposure or colour. Any filter can cause flare under the right conditions so it becomes something to look out for and to remove it if you feel it is causing image degradation. Some photographers only use filters under adverse conditions, rain, mist or spray. Compare the build and optical quality of the product with major filter brands such as Hoya, Heliopan and B+W. You get what you pay for!

Oct 17, 2006, 7:47 PM	#4
Carskick Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 276	Well, I don't know. Maybe I should try to switch it for a more expensive version with anti-glare coating if they have them. I like the idea of lens protection from dust and the unknown, but I do not want to sacrifice image quality to get it. Any ideas?

Oct 17, 2006, 8:32 PM	#5
Bob Nichol Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Eastern Ontario Canada Posts: 823	The coatings are to reduce flare (reflections) between the filter and the lens elements. An uncoated filter will be more prone to flare and a multi-coated much less. All modern camera lenses are multi-coated.

Oct 17, 2006, 8:47 PM	#6
Carskick Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 276	I think having a UV filter handy is a good thing for when I need protection, such as at the beach, and in long zoom shots, but I will go back and look into a more elegant multi-coating solution to prevent flares. Thanks. ANd if anyone else has comments on filter quality, please let me know. Also, what of Quantaray filters?

Oct 19, 2006, 3:18 PM	#7
Carskick Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 276	Well, I went back to the shop and talked to them. They told me some lights will cause that when they are in the photos, and all UV filters will do it, though the multi coated ones slightly less. I tried the multi coated one, and it was a little better, but not much, so I am sticking with my UV filter. I plan on leaving it on in situations where I am taking a lot of pictures and leaving the lens cap off a lot, esspecially in situations where dust, water, etc are possible. And of course when UV is prevelant, which isn't often. Also, I talked to my Grandmother about it, and she checked her filter collection, and realized her older Nikon SLR she used up until about 4 years ago had a 58mm zoom lens, which she had a circular polarizer for, which happened to be the same brand, as she purchased it from the place I was at years ago. So I got a free Circular Polarizer, which, after only little testing, seems to be pretty good. I also asked about the other manufacturers while I was at the shop, and one of the guys who was supposed to be very knowledgeable told me that most of promaster's filters are actually rebranded Hoya midrange stuff. The polarizer says made in Japan, and if he is correct, then I guess it is Hoya's blue series. I will try to do more research to back his claim.