fbpx
Field Instructional

Weekend Boredom: Which Image Uses a UV Filter?

Chris Gampat
No Comments
04/06/2013
2 Mins read

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer UV Filter on or Off test lead image (1 of 1)ISO 197

Many people complain that UV filters degrade their image quality. But does it really? We did a very quick test with one of the sharpest lenses currently on the market to see.

Can you tell the difference?

Gear Used

For this test, the Canon 5D Mk II was paired with the Sigma 85mm f1.4 EX with the brand new Phottix Mitros on top. The combo was placed on the Vanguard Auctus Plus 383C with the GH-100 head. The filter is one of the brand new Rokinon digital UV filters. The images were then imported into Lightroom 4.

Testing Procedures

We set up the scene. Then the camera was set to delay shooting and the same exposure settings for each image. Focus was fixed on  the same spot and the Phottix Mitros was aimed towards the ceiling to add specular highlights to each image in order to bring out extra sharpness from the Sigma 85mm f1.4 EX.

The images were then pulled into Lightroom and resized for the web.

The Images

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer UV Filter on or Off test (2 of 2)ISO 1001-160 sec at f - 4.0
Image A
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer UV Filter on or Off test (1 of 2)ISO 1001-160 sec at f - 4.0
Image B

What Do You Think?

Which one was taken with a filter, and which one wasn’t? Let us know in the comments below!

Editor’s Update: For those of you (and some of you on Facebook) who stated that it can’t be really told at 72 PPI, congratulations. Why? Because the overall point of this test was to show you all that it won’t matter unless you know before hand. And since most images going on the web are sized down to this point, who cares if a filter is used or not? Are all your images going on the web? Then who cares if you apply a filter to protect your front element. As for the types of images that a UV filter can degrade, the general notion (which I’ve received from customer inquiries) is about another piece of glass not from the manufacturer degrading the image quality. In all honesty, bad filters can surely degrade the image quality. Better filters have better optics and can therefore also provide better image quality.

But in the end, Image A had the UV filter while image B did not have the filter. 

Please Support The Phoblographer

We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.

Also, please follow us on Facebook, Flickr and Twitter.

canon phottix Rokinon test uv filter
Shares
Written by

Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
');
You might also like