This might be one argument for a UV Filter......

At some point we will drop the UV filter topic at Mission Photographable, but this seemed apropos:

Hole in F 2.8

So, I stand partially corrected. If you are shooting shots of Tiger Woods, post Elin Nordegren career, get a UV Filter to protect your lens....just sayin'

UV lens filters--don't buy them!

If you buy a new DSLR at the camera store, the snarky salesman is assuredly going to try and sell you a UV filter for your lens. He will adamantly state that this filter will protect your camera's sensor from the evil yellow orb known as the sun and it will also protect your lens from unidentified objects being thrown at you (most likely to happen only if you are paparazzi).

DO NOT BUY IT You might want to think twice!! Here is why:

All Digital SLR cameras have a UV filter built onto the sensor already, it is part of every sensor design for any new camera you will buy and most used ones you would find on Ebay. Also, almost every lens comes with a lens hood these days. A lens hood is ALL you need to protect your lens from damage will do a fabulous job protecting your lens because most objects that are going to hit your lens will be from the side of your lens or camera; a lens hood is designed to prevent this. In my experience and the experience of many other photographers, objects rarely come straight at the lens (rain, sleet and sand being a good exception to this).  The other good thing about a lens hood is that will protect your shots from lens flares which you may not see in your picture clearly but can reduce the contrast and quality of your photo.

Now, there are times when a UV filter might be a wise thing to have. A case in point would be if you are shooting in the rain or in other situations where your lens may get wet. A filter will help keep water form seeping into the element from the front. Sand is another attacker of lenses, so a situation on the beach might be a good reason for a filter as well to protect your lens from that element.

A final point: If you pay $200 or $500 or more for a new lens you have paid for really good glass that is designed to give you the best picture optically. Are you really going to screw a $40 filter in front of all that expensive glass?? Really? Like all things in photography, there are compromises, UV filter are no exception to this rule.

What kind of camera should I buy?

Boy, I get asked that a lot. People will ask me if they should buy a DSLR or a point-and-shoot, some will ask me what brand is the best. Others still will ask me what model of a certain brand is the best. For all these questions, there is not a solid answer either. If you were to ask me "What is better: ketchup or mustard on a hot dog?" I can give a you solid answer, biased on my own tastes and dislikes.

But when it comes to cameras I cannot because there are far too many factors to consider before making a decision.  I personally use Nikon cameras and lenses, but that is not to say that Canon is bad. In fact, Canon makes very good cameras and excellent lenses, some are better than what Nikon offers. It all boils down to a few factors really:

• What kind of photography are you going to do?
• What level are you invested (is it a simple hobby or do you hope to go pro?)
• What is your budget?
• Do you have photographer friends? What gear do they have?

So, if you were to actually ask me this in person, those are the questions I would ask you. And even after I got all your answers, I would not give you a solid answer but would recommend a few different options.

For instance, if you are planning on doing a lot of event photography or sports photography, I would recommend a DSLR and not a P&S. But if you were only going to YOUR child's events and sports...I might suggest you go within your budget, even if that means a simple Sony CyberShot

Also, look at any photographer friends you may have. My first digital camera was was a Lumix-DMC7 point-and-shoot that I loved until I learned more about photography and realized that the camera was not going to let  me accomplish my creative goals. I was all set to buy a Canon 40D but a photog friend of mine had a Nikon gear. Realizing that we could borrow each other's gear if I went with Nikon was deciding factor for me because I was then able to achieve zoom ranges without the additional cost.

The bottom line is: know what you want to do, how often you will want to do it and look to others who are doing it that you may know. With all these factors in place, you will likely come to a decision that you are happy with.

Coming Soon! This time I Promise!

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