Harsh reflection and glare from UV filter... at DVinfo.net

Jerry Neal · June 17th, 2008, 08:55 AM

Hello,

I have a Tiffen UV filter on my XH-A1. I was told this was necessary to protect the lense. However, I get a really bad reflection/glare from it when shooting into bright light or sunlight. I'm now thinking about completely removing it, as this has now ruined a few of my shots. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jerry

Tripp Woelfel · June 17th, 2008, 09:40 AM

Get a coated one. It should cut down, but not necessarily eliminate the reflections. Shooting into the sun or bright lights brings its own bag of perils. One needs to be careful when setting up shots like that.

Don't remove your filter until you get another one that works for you as it's your first line of defense against things that might strike your lens. As many have said before me, a filter is cheaper and easier to replace than a lens element.

Philip Williams · June 17th, 2008, 10:19 AM

Well, the protective filter is an endless debate.

Obviously you don't *have* to have one. Depending on the environment you're shooting in, you could certainly remove it to get your shot. There are a lot of people that never use them as they simply don't want another element between the lens and their subject.

Having said all that... I never take mine off, ever ;)

Don Palomaki · June 20th, 2008, 07:58 PM

All depends on what you are shooting. if the shooting environment puts your lens front element (which is a protective plain/plane piece of optical glass for the VAP, not a focusing element) at significant risk, use the protective filter. Be aware that the filter surfaces are pretty far from the optical center of the lens, and dust on it can be nearly in focus at small f-stops and wide angle settings. And the lens hood provides some protection as well. You pays your money and takes your choices. I for one rarely shoot with a filter on, in part due to shooting in what I consider low risk environments.

You have to evaluate for your operations the the risk cost against the value of no filter artifacts in the image, and decide accordingly. No one else can do that for you.

Arnold Tersteeg · June 21st, 2008, 03:15 AM

I had the same problems with a uv filter.

Now i use the B&W 72mm UV-Haze filternr. 70243 and no problems any more.

Greetz A

Tom Roper · June 21st, 2008, 11:06 AM

I have the B&W 72mm UV-Haze filter as well. While it is an excellent filter, it is definitely not a fix for harsh reflection and glare. It's just the nature of the beast. Every cam I've had, the Sony Z1, the Canon XH-A1 and now the Sony EX1 all have B&W filters, and they all have reflections and glare under the right conditions.

The Z1 and XH-A1 are more pronounced at times because they are capable of focusing 1/4 inch away from the lens, enough to focus on the glare image itself, which they will sometimes do in autofocus when pointed in the direction of the sun. The EX1 can't see up close without flipping a switch on the lens to put it into macro mode, so it's slightly more immune but flare can still be a problem.

But the good news about these filters, besides providing a measure of protection is that they don't adversely affect the image at other times.

David Thanh · June 22nd, 2008, 01:49 PM

I used to use a Kenko UV Filter and I got glare all the time. Sometimes it made for cool shots (the times when I could see the whole lens reflection in frame) but it usually was when I didn't want that sort of effect... I bought a Hoya and it has cut down on the reflection greatly. I took advice from many others when they told me 'why buy a $4000 camera and only a $30 filter?'/

Micky Hulse · June 25th, 2008, 12:16 PM

I also bought a standard 60$ UV for the A1's at my work... I soon noticed the lens reflecting on it... Very annoying in some situations.

We ended up ditching the UV filters... What a waste of money.

I have a Sony HDR-FX7 and have never had this problem.

I do love the A1 though! I will be buying a Canon on my next camera purchase. :)

Glenn French · June 28th, 2008, 06:55 AM

I switched to the 'Hoya 72 mm Ultraviolet (UV) Pro 1 Digital Multi-Coated Glass Filter' and the reflections are about 1/4 what they were with the cheap one.

June 17th, 2008, 08:55 AM	#1
Jerry Neal Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 121	Harsh reflection and glare from UV filter... Hello, I have a Tiffen UV filter on my XH-A1. I was told this was necessary to protect the lense. However, I get a really bad reflection/glare from it when shooting into bright light or sunlight. I'm now thinking about completely removing it, as this has now ruined a few of my shots. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jerry

June 17th, 2008, 10:19 AM	#3
Philip Williams Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Snellville, Georgia Posts: 614	Well, the protective filter is an endless debate. Obviously you don't have to have one. Depending on the environment you're shooting in, you could certainly remove it to get your shot. There are a lot of people that never use them as they simply don't want another element between the lens and their subject. Having said all that... I never take mine off, ever ;) __________________ www.philipwilliams.com

June 20th, 2008, 07:58 PM	#4
Don Palomaki Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Northern VA Posts: 4,487	All depends on what you are shooting. if the shooting environment puts your lens front element (which is a protective plain/plane piece of optical glass for the VAP, not a focusing element) at significant risk, use the protective filter. Be aware that the filter surfaces are pretty far from the optical center of the lens, and dust on it can be nearly in focus at small f-stops and wide angle settings. And the lens hood provides some protection as well. You pays your money and takes your choices. I for one rarely shoot with a filter on, in part due to shooting in what I consider low risk environments. You have to evaluate for your operations the the risk cost against the value of no filter artifacts in the image, and decide accordingly. No one else can do that for you. __________________ dpalomaki@dspalomaki.com

June 21st, 2008, 03:15 AM	#5
Arnold Tersteeg New Boot Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Landgraaf Nederland Posts: 23	I had the same problems with a uv filter. Now i use the B&W 72mm UV-Haze filternr. 70243 and no problems any more. Greetz A __________________ Canon XH-a1 user & Edius NX Canopus Last edited by Arnold Tersteeg; June 21st, 2008 at 06:07 AM.

June 17th, 2008, 09:40 AM	#2
Tripp Woelfel Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: North Conway, NH Posts: 1,745	Get a coated one. It should cut down, but not necessarily eliminate the reflections. Shooting into the sun or bright lights brings its own bag of perils. One needs to be careful when setting up shots like that. Don't remove your filter until you get another one that works for you as it's your first line of defense against things that might strike your lens. As many have said before me, a filter is cheaper and easier to replace than a lens element.

June 21st, 2008, 11:06 AM	#6
Tom Roper Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 1,891	I have the B&W 72mm UV-Haze filter as well. While it is an excellent filter, it is definitely not a fix for harsh reflection and glare. It's just the nature of the beast. Every cam I've had, the Sony Z1, the Canon XH-A1 and now the Sony EX1 all have B&W filters, and they all have reflections and glare under the right conditions. The Z1 and XH-A1 are more pronounced at times because they are capable of focusing 1/4 inch away from the lens, enough to focus on the glare image itself, which they will sometimes do in autofocus when pointed in the direction of the sun. The EX1 can't see up close without flipping a switch on the lens to put it into macro mode, so it's slightly more immune but flare can still be a problem. But the good news about these filters, besides providing a measure of protection is that they don't adversely affect the image at other times.

June 22nd, 2008, 01:49 PM	#7
David Thanh Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 36	I used to use a Kenko UV Filter and I got glare all the time. Sometimes it made for cool shots (the times when I could see the whole lens reflection in frame) but it usually was when I didn't want that sort of effect... I bought a Hoya and it has cut down on the reflection greatly. I took advice from many others when they told me 'why buy a $4000 camera and only a $30 filter?'/

June 25th, 2008, 12:16 PM	#8
Micky Hulse Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA Posts: 213	I also bought a standard 60$ UV for the A1's at my work... I soon noticed the lens reflecting on it... Very annoying in some situations. We ended up ditching the UV filters... What a waste of money. I have a Sony HDR-FX7 and have never had this problem. I do love the A1 though! I will be buying a Canon on my next camera purchase. :)

June 28th, 2008, 06:55 AM	#9
Glenn French Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Arlington MA, USA Posts: 35	I switched to the 'Hoya 72 mm Ultraviolet (UV) Pro 1 Digital Multi-Coated Glass Filter' and the reflections are about 1/4 what they were with the cheap one.