[Yorkshirelass]

Hi There, Not sure I'm in the right discussion here, as this is my first post since the intro.

I have a couple of questions and would be grateful for any advice anyone can offer:

Camera is Nikon D3200 with kit lens.
What UV filter should I buy? There are several at vastly varying prices.
Do I need a petal lens hood???
Will the lens cap fit together with both/either of the above.

Sorry for being a nuisance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am very new to DSLR.

[Wall-E]

Hi There, Not sure I'm in the right discussion here, as this is my first post since the intro.

I have a couple of questions and would be grateful for any advice anyone can offer:

Camera is Nikon D3200 with kit lens.
What UV filter should I buy? There are several at vastly varying prices.
Do I need a petal lens hood???
Will the lens cap fit together with both/either of the above.

Sorry for being a nuisance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am very new to DSLR.

Good questions are never a nuisance.

Make sure whatever UV filter you buy, it's glass, not plastic.
My question is WHY? Unless you're shooting landscapes and want to clear the 'haze', it's practically worthless. And it's just something else to mess with the optics of your lens.

Lens hood? ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!

Lens cap fit? Yes.

[Wight snapper]

Hi There, Not sure I'm in the right discussion here, as this is my first post since the intro.

I have a couple of questions and would be grateful for any advice anyone can offer:

Camera is Nikon D3200 with kit lens.
What UV filter should I buy? There are several at vastly varying prices.
Do I need a petal lens hood???
Will the lens cap fit together with both/either of the above.

Sorry for being a nuisance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am very new to DSLR.

Hi there ! Go for the cheapest UV filter. Why ? Because its primary function is to protect your valuable lens from damage. It's second,largely theoretical, benefit in my view is to cut through atmospheric haze when high up in the hills. Make sure that the filter has its own internal thread so that you can piggy-back other things into it. An adaptor ring and set of 3 graduated neutral density filters ( great for sunsets) would then go in front. Make a nice Xmas present if anyone asks ! I can recommend SRB-Griturn.com for these here in the UK. Now to the lens hood. I take it that your kit lens is something like a 18mm-55mm ? The petal shape has cutaways at the side for when you are using the 18mm "wide-angle" end of it range and it would probably have to screw in to your UV filter. A cheap and effective alternative is a rubber one. You can push this flat when using your inbuilt flash at the Xmas party and hopefully it won't intrude and cast a shadow across the bottom of your image ! If you get fed up with high fuel bills and snowed up roads, move down here to the Isle of Wight . . . it's warmer !

[Wall-E]

Hi There, Not sure I'm in the right discussion here, as this is my first post since the intro.

I have a couple of questions and would be grateful for any advice anyone can offer:

Camera is Nikon D3200 with kit lens.
What UV filter should I buy? There are several at vastly varying prices.
Do I need a petal lens hood???
Will the lens cap fit together with both/either of the above.

Sorry for being a nuisance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am very new to DSLR.

Hi there ! Go for the cheapest UV filter.

Wight Snapper;

Bad advice!
Putting a cheap filter in front of your lens, is like smearing petroleum jelly over it.

Yorkshirelass:
Put some money into getting a 'good' filter, IF you're still adamant about getting one.

NOT Tiffen.
Hoya or B&W.
Expect to spend at least 25 GBP for something worth having.

[Wight snapper]

Hi There, Not sure I'm in the right discussion here, as this is my first post since the intro.

I have a couple of questions and would be grateful for any advice anyone can offer:

Camera is Nikon D3200 with kit lens.
What UV filter should I buy? There are several at vastly varying prices.
Do I need a petal lens hood???
Will the lens cap fit together with both/either of the above.

Sorry for being a nuisance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am very new to DSLR.

Hi there ! Go for the cheapest UV filter.

Wight Snapper;

Bad advice!
Putting a cheap filter in front of your lens, is like smearing petroleum jelly over it.

Yorkshirelass:
Put some money into getting a 'good' filter, IF you're still adamant about getting one.

NOT Tiffen.
Hoya or B&W.
Expect to spend at least 25 GBP for something worth having.

I qualified "cheap" by listing the firm to buy from to ensure quality.
Their products are fine. I have just purchased a "Big stopper" from them which is great. We are talking entry level here not Hassleblad !

[Wall-E]

Hi There, Not sure I'm in the right discussion here, as this is my first post since the intro.

I have a couple of questions and would be grateful for any advice anyone can offer:

Camera is Nikon D3200 with kit lens.
What UV filter should I buy? There are several at vastly varying prices.
Do I need a petal lens hood???
Will the lens cap fit together with both/either of the above.

Sorry for being a nuisance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am very new to DSLR.

Hi there ! Go for the cheapest UV filter.

Wight Snapper;

Bad advice!
Putting a cheap filter in front of your lens, is like smearing petroleum jelly over it.

Yorkshirelass:
Put some money into getting a 'good' filter, IF you're still adamant about getting one.

NOT Tiffen.
Hoya or B&W.
Expect to spend at least 25 GBP for something worth having.

I qualified "cheap" by listing the firm to buy from to ensure quality.
Their products are fine. I have just purchased a "Big stopper" from them which is great. We are talking entry level here not Hassleblad !

But I see SRG UV filters from ₤6-18.50
The low end is in the same price range as the garbage Tiffens!

Buy cheap, buy again. Buy better, buy once.
And the results will be worth the difference in price.
You can't make a quality filter for ₤6, much less sell it for that.

And I know we're not talking Hassy level stuff, that's why I gave a price of ₤20+, instead of ₤75+.


To Yorkshirelass:

You spent a fair amount of money on a camera.
Don't spoil it by being cheap on the UV (or any) filter.

[Barbara G.]

Reminder: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Suggestions are wonderful, just remember to be kind. Some members are new to photography and to the forums.

Thank you.

[Wall-E]

Reminder: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Suggestions are wonderful, just remember to be kind. Some members are new to photography and to the forums.

Thank you.

My apologies for being a little harsh.

It's just that newbies need not to be led astray with 'good enough is good enough'.

If we're not here to advance members knowledge, skills and abilities, then what's the point?
Posting pretty pictures?
Way too many other venues for that.

[EdMak]

Going back a bit!! Kodak made a vast range of Gelatin, yes Gelatin, filters, 3 inches square, cheap, slid into a thin metal holder, and put in front of lens, held on by two elastic bands. Used professionally for many years, mainly on a half plate camera. Results excellent, often made 20x16" Prints. Chance Optical Glass was the yardstick then. Musings of, Ed.

[John M]

Producing flat glass is not hard - certainly not as hard as producing a lens - and I find the cheaper filters just fine - no hint of any distortion in my final images - I normally print to A3 size so defects will show up.

I would avoid plastic filters, especially if you are likely to use a polarising filter, as well as plastic can produce polarising artefacts that will show as coloured bands in the image.

[Wall-E]

Going back a bit!! Kodak made a vast range of Gelatin, yes Gelatin, filters, 3 inches square, cheap, slid into a thin metal holder, and put in front of lens, held on by two elastic bands. Used professionally for many years, mainly on a half plate camera. Results excellent, often made 20x16" Prints. Chance Optical Glass was the yardstick then. Musings of, Ed.

We now refer to them as 'Cokin' style.
Still available and widely used.
Especially for graduated ND filters.
http://www.cokin.co.uk/
Except now the holder is plastic.
And plenty of clones/knock-offs.

[Barbara G.]

Thanks for all the valuable info here in this thread! :0)

[EdMak]

Cokin were not made of Gelatin. Ed.

[Wall-E]

Cokin were not made of Gelatin. Ed.

No, but they are of the same form factor and similar method of attachment.

[EdMak]

Used Cokin, large size, many times. The point I was making, is that, they are not glass, not even rigid, but do not affect, to me, quality, So if "coloured Paper" does not impair, price may not reflect conventional filter quality. Not that it matters to me, I do not use any. Ed.