An ultraviolet (UV) filter helps block ultraviolet light that can make outdoor and landscape photos look indistinct. Attaching a UV haze filter to a camera lens can reduce haziness to produce a clear atmosphere in color and black and white film photography. At higher elevations, UV filters can help limit a blue cast in landscape images. In digital photography, this filter can reduce chromatic aberrations or purple fringing.
UV filters also can protect expensive film and digital lenses from dust, grit, pollen and fingerprints. UV filters usually come in a round, disc-like format, with a black rim of plastic or metal that screws onto the front of the lens. Choose a UV filter size that exactly fits the camera lens. For example, a lens indicating a 58mm diameter requires a UV filter with a 58mm diameter. Before attaching this protective filter to your lens, always clean this filter carefully to prepare for the photographic process.
Cleaning the UV Filter
Position a blower bulb at approximately 45-degree angle from the surface of the UV filter glass. Squeeze the bulb to let air blow off any dust or grit from the filter. Repeat for the other side of the filter. Do not aim the blower bulb at a 90 degree angle to the filter surface because the forced air can make grit or other particles scratch the delicate filter surface.
Apply a small amount of lens cleaning fluid to the soft cloth. Wipe gently the filter surface beginning in the center and working in a circular motion outwards. Repeat the wiping motion on the other side of the filter. Do not rub the filter's surface. Handle the filter by the rim to avoid fingerprints on the clean surfaces. Screw the black rim of the filter onto the front of the lens. Never force the filter on to the lens. Do not damage the screw threads.
When photographing with the UV filter in place, take care not to touch the filter's glass surface. If you wish to keep the filter on the lens all the time, place a lens cap on the filter when the photo session ends.
When you wish to attach a different filter to the lens, unscrew the UV filter carefully. Clean the filter again and place in a clean filter case to protect from dust and scratches. Position another filter on the camera lens for protection.
Tips for Cold Weather
In cold weather, trying the remove the filter from the camera lens can prove difficult. Do not try to pry the UV filter off the lens. Avoid damaging the screw threads. Try to remove the filter in a warmer area. Please note that a very cold camera should go into a cold camera bag before coming indoors. Allow the camera to warm up very gradually.
Sources
Cambridge in Colour: Camera Lens Filters
Great Landscape Photography: The Ultraviolet Filter
Photo: Filters – UV or not UV?
Kathryn Hatashita-Lee - City life inspires stories and images for Kathryn Hatashita-Lee. Her first children's story was published in an anthology of Canadian ...
