my Hoya Super HMC Pro 1 UV Filter 52mm

[p1tse]

what does this actually do?

main thing i was told is protect the lens.

if so could do with another clear one for my other lens

[StewartR]

What UV filters actually do is filter out UV rays. (There's a clue in the name.)

Photographic film is quite sensitive to UV, and it can cause a sort of hazy look to landscapes. A beneficial side-effect of using a UV filter is that it offers some physical protection to the front element of the lens. The idea being that if the lens suffers an impact, the filter is cheaper to replace than the front element.

Digital sensors aren't sensitive to UV, so the only rationale for using a UV filter is the protective effect. In fact you can now buy "protective filters" which aren't filters at all but just clear bits of glass to protect the lens.

Some people advise against using filters because they degrade the image quality. Certainly cheap filters should be avoided. But the one you have is pretty decent.

[p1tse]

thanks

can you recommend somewhere which stock "protective filters"? without effecting degrading the image?

[whitey]

i use UV filters on mine t protect them mainly, but i would get a decent make one, i use the Hoya pro 1 also and it has good results on hot sunny days