UV, Haze & Skylight Filters

FOR LENS PROTECTION

When we buy a lens it is with a purpose in mind, with great expectations and with some effort. Surely we want to protect it from dust, dirt, moisture, fingerprints, scratches and even from a fall. From my own personal perspective, the best way to give our lens that protection  -in addition to care- is to place a good multicoated filter and a hood on it and leave them both there at all times, except when using an also multi-coated polarizer.

Some Nikonians don't share this point of view; even react violently to the proposition, however with a valid reason: the introduction of more glass surfaces attracts flare and ghosting. However, you can always it take off when necessary. Plus, the ever present Murphy's law applies as shown in the image below. Keep your hood always on, even if reversed for storage.

FOR SHARPER IMAGES ON FILM

The UV, Haze and Skylight filters filter out UV (ultra-violet) light that caused a bluish haze on some of our color film pictures and loss of definition on distance objects.

However, a not so spread fact is that most modern color films -both slide and negative- and digital camera sensors are almost or not at all sensitive to UV light today, becasue they do have their own built-in filter, as pointed out by Nikonian Len Shepherd and later confirmed through exhaustive and exhausting research.

Thus, if only for protection, a clear filter like the Nikon NC clear would be better if less expensive where you live. Probably the main reason for UV filters continuing to be very popular is that they are recommended by store sellers or by those who either grew up with film or have been blesed with the joys of parenthood.

On the other hand, since B&W film continues to be not only sensitive to the visible light, but also to the UV light rays, we want to reduce it as much as possible or eliminate it.