hoods and filters

get the popcorn ready - this'll be a good one.....



this is an often asked, and hotly debated, question

some people say use hoods and not filters as they will only reduce image quality - why add cheap glass infront of expensive glass?

others say let a cheap filter break instead of your expensive lens and only use hoods to reduce lens flare and not for protection
 
Uneducated_Rick said:
get the popcorn ready - this'll be a good one.....
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I've the :beer: :lol:

How many pages do you reckon this will get too before it gets out of hand & the fistie cuffs come out :shrug: :lol:
 
Hoods are used to keep extraneous light from entering the lens resulting in flare. A secondary function of hoods is protection from being dropped or knocked.

UV filters are used to eliminate UV from entering the lens. These apparently have little effect on digital sensors, more so with film (as I don't know the precise technical reasons for this I will not postulate further). A secondary function is protection if there are any object(s) coming into close contact with the front element - this could be grit, water, kids fingers etc.

Hoods are universally accepted as being beneficial without detriment to image quality.

UV filters are never accepted as being beneficial to image quality - to what degree is another argument.

Hoods only typically fit the lens they are designed for, yes there are some overlaps 10-22 & 17-40 are two that spring to mind.*

UV filters fit any lens with the same filter thread size.*


*EDIT - Canon consumer lenses aren't supplied with hoods therefore the last two points are arguably more relevant to them with regards to the secondary functions.
 
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I use both hoods and uv filters, but then i'm paranoid about things getting damaged.
 
Me. I always put a UV filter on a lens. To protect the lens. But vary rarely use a hood. With the exeption of my Nikon 14-24 wide angle Lens as it has a built in hood and there in no facility to put a UV filter on any way..
 
I always use a hood, it will improve the image, and offer protection to the front element ... mainly from my grubby fingers :D

I rarely use filters.
 
I never use filters (UV anyway) and always use a hood.
I used a top of the range UV on my canon 100mm macro once and there was a significant loss of contrast and sharpness. Since then Ive never used them.

If you drop the lens, you'll more than a UV filter to protect the front element!
 
no UV filters here, hoods are going to stop much more from hitting the front element. unless you have something pointy come in through the hood, but then anything coming in with enough force to cause damage will just shatter a thin filter.
 
I don't genially use any filters, just the hood. The only time I put a clear protection filter on is to protect from sea spray or flying mud at sporting events.
 
I use hood and uv filter on every lens and for every shot. But that's just my opinion.
 
I don't genially use any filters, just the hood. The only time I put a clear protection filter on is to protect from sea spray or flying mud
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Ditto this statement, luckily most of my lenses are 77mm thread and got one UV filter for use when required
 
I use to buy UV filters for my lenses (along with using the hood), but now (that I'm changing my gear) I don't think I'll bother with the UV filters and just stick to hoods because I haven't had any incident where the UV filter was hit so I'll take the chance, unless I'm going near sand/water/snow or I do club photography.
 
i use Hoya Pro-1 filters on the front pretty much all of the time, just out of habit. if the lens is going to be used out doors if its a bit rainy or i'm taking photos of my nephew (any time i'm likely need to wipe the lens ie water/sticky fingers) i'm less likely to do any damage to the front element.

i have had the lens hood save my dad's 17-40mm as the neck strap of my camera caught a chair whilst in a cafe... the lens hood shattered, gave an old lady a shock but camera & lens perfectly fine.
 
When I got a bit of dirt on my hoya uv filter my wife kindly tried to scratch it off! Panic avoided!

Waiting to get a hood before I can comment more.

UV filter = idiot proof! (don't tell my wife I said that please!)
 
I invariably use hoods and normally have UV filters on all my lenses however recently I have been swaying towards taking them off after seeing some results and hearing about improved quality :shrug: Obviously keep them for dirty situations.
 
I only use hoods. Because of the loss of quality in filter pictures.
 
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