| Author |
Message |
    
John
Tinkerer
Username: Johnlees45
Post Number: 1
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 22, 2006 - 02:31 pm: | 
|
Can someone please tell me if a UV filter would improve results with an old Praktica BC1 or does the standard lens have this filtering as a coating? Many thanks. |
Jan Dvorak
Tinkerer
Username: Jan
Post Number: 6
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 22, 2006 - 04:21 pm: |
|
John,
Here is a quote from Schneider (B&W) web site:
"The UV Filter blocks the invisible UV component of light from the sky, which can cause blur and to which many color films react with a blue cast. These filters should be called UV-Blocking Filters, because there are filters for technical applications that pass UV radiation and block all the other wavelengths. Nevertheless, the short term “UV Filter” has become established among photographers. UV Filters are ideal for photography in high altitudes (in the mountains), by the sea and in regions with very clean air. The pictures gain brilliance and disturbing blue casts are avoided. Because the glass is colorless, color rendition is not altered, aside from the elimination of the unwanted blue cast, and no increase in exposure is required. That makes a UV Filter very suitable as protection of the front element of the taking lens against dust, flying sand, sea water spray and the like, and it can be kept on the lens at all times. It is recommended for analog color and black-and-white as well as digital photography."
It just about sums it up..... Whether your camera is a Praktica or a Leica, UV filters are a good investment if for nothing else, than lens protection. Many modern lenses have UV blocking properties and do not need the UV filter for that purpose, but I keep one on every one of my Leica lenses anyway.
All the best,
Jan |
richard a oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 4
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 22, 2006 - 09:36 pm: |
|
If you can tell a photograph taken through a UV filter from one taken without the filter, you're a better man than I am. |
John
Tinkerer
Username: Johnlees45
Post Number: 2
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 23, 2006 - 01:43 pm: |
|
Many thanks Jan and Richard. John. |
David F. Ritchie
Tinkerer
Username: David_ritchie
Post Number: 1
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 24, 2006 - 02:44 pm: |
|
John, let me pass along a personal experience with UV filters. I used to visit Mexico City quite often,(elevation ~7000 feet) and used my Olympus 35RC to capture many site using Ektrachrome 200 slide film. On one of my visits I used a newly acquired Olympus UV filter. Upon returning home and viewing the slides, I quickly noted a distinct difference. I found that the slides lacked punch and deepness of color. I did not use the UV filter after that and things returned to "normal" I did a lot of traveling to high altitude cities in Latin America and always removed the UV filter in those places. Just my experience for what it is worth. |
Jan Dvorak
Tinkerer
Username: Jan
Post Number: 7
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 24, 2006 - 07:05 pm: |
|
David,
Did you use a lens shade? What you are describing just does not make sense; a UV filter will not degrade colour quality in slides.
If it indeed did in your case, than lack of a suitable lens shade is most definitely the reason. The lens on the 35RC is set deeply into its mount, with the mount practically acting as a shade. When you mount a filter on the 35RC, it will sit a fair distance from the lens and will be much more prone to reflections.
All the best,
Jan |
richard a oleson
Tinkerer
Username: Rick_oleson
Post Number: 6
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 24, 2006 - 10:06 pm: |
|
I don't recall the lens in the 35RC being recessed much in the mount....
(sorry, topic is drifting a bit.....) |
David F. Ritchie
Tinkerer
Username: David_ritchie
Post Number: 2
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - 05:50 am: |
|
Thanks for your question, Jan. No, I did not use a sun shade in either case although I did have one. The lens in the 35RCis not set too deeply, but that indeed could be the answer. I do not recall any such problem when useing a UV filter on my Nikon SLR which I started carrying later on. |
Henry
Moderator
Username: Henry
Post Number: 3
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - 08:50 am: |
|
I lean towards Jan's explaination. Many UV filters are uncoated, Tiffen for example. Filters are also flat and many are not even optical glass.
It has been my experience that UV filters (or any filter with the possible except of a polarizer) lessen contrast. However, they certainly protect the front element. Personally, I don't use any filters anymore...again with the rare usage of polarizers. But I always have a hood on any lens I use. Hoods protect the front element and block extraneous light.
So, answering the original poster, get a hood. It'll do far more to improve a photograph than anything else for the same money.
Henry |
John
Tinkerer
Username: Johnlees45
Post Number: 3
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - 12:58 pm: |
|
Many thanks for all that interesting advice, everybody. John (Original poster) |
HL Matolka
Tinkerer
Username: Harlee
Post Number: 4
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 27, 2006 - 09:08 pm: |
|
Personally, I like a 1A filter on my lenses as they give a little warmer tone to the pix as well as protecting your lens. Plus, you can screw on a lens hood, which I also use on all of my lenses. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Try one with a 1A w/lens hood and check our your results. Shoot half of a 12 ex. roll with one, and then the next 6 with the other and compare. Harlee |
Eugen Mezei
Tinkerer
Username: Eugen_mezei
Post Number: 3
Registered: 08-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 06, 2006 - 06:33 am: |
|
John, the Prakticars are modern lens and will absorb UV very well.
Beside this, modern film has an UV absorbing coating himself.
Eugen |
