The Wild Photographer

UV Filters Explained: Worth It, Overrated, or Essential Lens Protection?

• Episode 83

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UV filters are one of those deceptively simple pieces of camera gear that somehow manage to spark wildly passionate opinions.

Some photographers swear by them. Others won’t let them anywhere near their expensive glass. And somewhere in the middle are a whole lot of people wondering, “Wait… do I actually need one of these things?”

In this episode of The Wild Photographer, we’re taking a practical, field-tested look at UV filters: what they are, why they exist, why they mattered more in the film era, and why many photographers still use them today even though digital cameras don’t really need UV filtration in the same way.

The big shift is this: for most modern photographers, UV filters are no longer about filtering UV light. They’re about protection.

A good UV filter acts like a clear, protective layer in front of your lens. It can help shield your front element from scratches, smudges, dust, rain, mud, salt spray, and the occasional “oops, that branch was closer than I thought” moment. And for photographers who travel, guide, shoot in rough conditions, or frequently clean their gear in the field, that extra layer can provide a lot of peace of mind.

But there are trade-offs. Cheap filters can potentially degrade image quality, stacking filters can cause issues like vignetting or optical weirdness, and if you’re using extremely high-end prime lenses, there’s a very reasonable argument that you may not want to place a lower-quality piece of glass in front of a truly elite lens.

So this episode is less about declaring UV filters “good” or “bad,” and more about understanding when they make sense, when they don’t, and how to shop for one if you decide to use them.

UV Filter Product Links Mentioned

Here are the UV filter brands and shopping resources mentioned in the episode:

  • PolarPro QuartzLine UV Filters — a higher-end UV filter option with quartz glass, anti-reflection coatings, scratch protection, and no exposure adjustment needed.
  • Hoya UV Filters at B&H Photo — Hoya offers a wide range of UV and protective filters, including multi-coated and higher-end HD options.
  • Hoya HD3 UV Filter — a premium Hoya UV filter with nano multicoating, scratch resistance, water and oil repellency, and no exposure change.
  • B+W UV-Haze MRC MASTER Filter — a high-quality UV protection filter with MRC nano coating and low reflective qualities.
  • B+W Clear Protection Filter — a clear protective filter option designed to protect against dust, fingerprints, splashing water, and other field hazards.
  • B&H Photo Protective and UV Filters — a useful place to compare UV, haze, and protective filters by size, brand, price, and coating type.
  • Lensrentals — a place where photographers can research or rent gear, including filters depending on availability.

Final Takeaway

UV filters are not magic. They will not transform your photos, make your colors explode, or really much of anything when it comes to look.

But a good UV filter can protect your lens, make cleaning easier, reduce stress in rugged field conditions, and help preserve resale value. For most lenses, especially everyday travel, wildlife, and landscape lenses, I think they’re a very smart investment.

The key is to buy a good one. Look for reputable brands, multi-coated glass, and a price point that matches the quality of the lens you’re protecting.

And when you’re stacking filters, working with ultra-premium glass, or chasing the absolute highest optical quality possible, that may be the time to take the UV filter off and let the lens do its thing.


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Court (00:00)
Hey friends, welcome back to the Wild Photographer Podcast. Today's episode is all about UV filters. A relatively deep dive, even though a very specific and shorter deep dive. It's a deep dive into the world of UV filters. And I've found as I get more and more questions from guests on my photo expeditions around the world,

whether it's folks like you writing in and asking me these questions, I have been getting a lot of questions over the last few years.

about UV filters and whether they're worth it. What are my thoughts? And I gotta say, as I've done more research and talked with fellow guide buddies and done deep dive internet stuff, like there's there it's a very polarizing topic. And I guess polarizing pun intended, because polarizers are another type of filter.

But it's a thing where I'm seeing a lot of love it or hate it type language and attitudes on UV filters. So this episode is intended to give you really just an unbiased viewpoint. I'm gonna give you my opinions, of course, but sort of like the pros and cons, why you should love it or should hate it, when people use them,

why some people use them all the time, the fact that I do use them religiously, my takeaways, and also really just what they are in the first place. I also give you some tips on how to shop around for them, because I will tell you of all filters out there, not only are the most ubiquitous, but they're also the most varied in terms of the types of materials and elements and coatings, the price ranges.

Before I get into the chunk of it, I wanted to quickly turn you on to my YouTube channel. and give you more resources to learn about photography. I believe photo editing is a huge part of successful photography these days. And I'm really doubling down on my editing tutorials on my YouTube channel. So I'll put the link in the show notes, but just know that not only do you this podcast for great audio resources, but you also have a long list and growing list of real-time editing videos.

Of how I edit challenging landscapes, easy landscapes, wildlife, wildlife portraits, wildlife in landscape, general travel photography, nighttime photography, you you name it. so check out my YouTube channel. It's just youtube.com/@courtwhelan Would love to see you over there. And just a reminder, that is the best place to reach out to me. So when I talk about listeners writing into me with these questions, YouTube is the best place for it because I get notifications when

anyone ever messages me and I do respond to them, And they also give me some great fodder to talk about in episodes. So if you have a future episode idea, ping me over at YouTube and I'd love to hear from you. Okay, so let's really get into it. What is a UV filter and why the heck does it exist in the first place? So UV filters, as you can imagine, they limit the amount of UV light or the spectrum that's entering into your camera, like the

type of light that gets in your camera. And I will say that nowadays, this is really not that important. Like it's no longer that much of a thing to cut through UV light. But back in the film days, it was pretty integral. The way that film processes the photos, the way the cameras read light, it was relatively necessary. And so it just became this kind of standard thing in the kit. But it's migrated, it's evolved into this need not so much to cut UV light. Again, like I said, it's not that important if at all.

digital photography because of the way that the sensors read light, but they are becoming this great protective filter for the tip of your lens because lenses, let's be honest, they're they're expensive, they're getting more expensive. and UV filters offer this great option to essentially protect your lens. It's like

another layer of glass in front of your lens. So if you drop it, if it gets scratched, if it gets smudged and you have to clean it, you're not actually touching the actual lens itself, which is always going to be the most high quality aspect of your lens is like the glass that comes with it. But you're putting this this safety net over your lens. And I have to say that's why I use them all the time. Like I love the fact that if I do get a smudge my lens or if it is raining,

I'm not worried that my actual front of lens is getting scratched or muddied or dirtied or dinged or anything like that. I've seen photos and heard stories of people that have dropped a lens, unfortunately, and the UV filter cracks, but the lens is in perfect condition. So these are the reasons why people use them today. And I I totally vouch for it all. I think it's a great idea. It's great for protection. A lot of the nicer UV filters, we'll get into what differentiates those and some some buying and shopping techniques in a second, but

A lot of the nicer ones are more durable. They're very easy to clean. And I think maybe more than anything, by protecting my main lens, the actual glass itself, I'm increasing the resale value of my lenses. And you probably heard me say that after buying a, you know, a very expensive lens, two, three thousand dollars or more, when I take that UV filter off to sell it, there is not a single scratch or a single smudge.

on that lens because I've always had a UV filter on it. And I usually get like 70 or 80% of the value that I paid for it back from selling it. So it's a great thing to have its protection, it's increased resale value. Highly recommend it. However, there are reasons to not use it. And I I have found and have determined and believed there to be two main reasons. One is you want to remove your UV filter if you are stacking filters or have the inclination to put a different filter on. So as an example,

If you want to put a polarizer on your lens, I recommend taking your UV filter off. The issue is that as you stack filters, you get more and more vignetting, you get more and more aberrations, you get more distortion. These things can be slightly abated when you get higher-end filters and the glass is thinner and thinner.

But the idea is as you stack more glass on top of one another, that thickness increases and it really messes with light when you go beyond one filter. One filter is A OK, a polarizer, a neutral density filter,

A single UV filter. Those are fine. But stacking filters, I do remove my UV filter. I'm very careful when I remove it. I make sure that I'm not doing it in a dusty safari vehicle. I'm not doing it outside in a windy environment or when it's rain because I really don't want to quote unquote contaminate my actual lens when I make that swap. So I'm very, very careful. The other time that people this is probably the biggest argument out there, is when you have really primo expensive.

Pro pro level glass, i.e., a pro level lens. I'm talking about multi-thousands of dollars, like the twelve to fifteen thousand dollar range were like the big primes. People often say, some really good buddies of mine will say that why would I buy a fifteen thousand dollar lens if I'm gonna put a hundred dollar piece of glass in front of it? Because that's the last thing between your camera and that wildlife spectacle or that landscape. And I really get it. When you think of that comparison, fifteen thousand to one hundred dollars.

You know that the glass, the tech, the quality, the clarity is not as good as what's in that lens itself. So, yes, I get it. When you're going for really primo glass, that might be a consideration to not have a UV filter. In addition, UV filters, like all filters, are for the most part sized, meaning that they come fitted for the exact lens that you have, like the front of your lens. It might be a

67 millimeter or a 77 millimeter, heck, an 82 millimeter or a 92 millimeter. If you were to put a UV filter on one of these big primes, like a 300, 400, 600 prime, you'd probably be looking at like a hundred and twenty millimeter glass, maybe even bigger. Like honestly, these things are a gargantuan. And so then all of a sudden that UV filter gets quite expensive. And yes, more expensive means more quality.

But that just means that it's another thing to have to buy when frankly your best quality, maybe not the safest, but your best quality is gonna come from not having anything in front of your camera. I will say that the downsides of UV filters are pretty minimal. Like, yes, if you get a cheap UV filter, that's going to be worse than a high-end one, an expensive one. But in general, what we're looking at with filters is how much light transmission goes through. So when we look at polarizers, a lot of times.

I will not use a polarizer because I'm shooting at dawn or dusk or in a dimly lit rainforest. And you'll read on the package or on the advertisement on the website that that polarizer cuts light by a third of a stop or a half a stop or two thirds of a stop. And that reduces how much light gets into your lens and gets into your camera, ultimately to your sensor. UVs do not have this issue. So you don't have a light transmission issue. Really all that you have is a quality of glass issue. And so this brings me to

What I think is probably the most important topic of today's talk, which is considerations when shopping around for UV lenses. So I recommend you go on a you know a solid website like Adorama or BH Photo. Heck, you can even rent them on places like lensrentals.com and do your research on what is out there in the market. But I will save you a step if you don't wish to take that time and you just want to get a good takeaway. Is I recommend going for a slightly or a lot more expensive version of a UV filter.

these things do not have a lot of tech in them. There's no moving parts. The glass is very, very simple to build and construct and to smooth down to perfection. so if you get say a $40 filter versus a hundred dollar filter, you're gonna get a pretty big difference in the overall quality.

Now we're talking about like that last 10% of quote unquote perfection. but you'll quickly find that with just a little bit more money, you can assuage all those concerns of quality. The higher end ones usually have multi-coated surfaces that allow them to be cleaned

easier and maybe more durable too. I know Polar Pro makes a great UV filter. It's about $100. And these things are reportedly four times stronger than glass. So if you drop it, maybe it won't break. You know, that's great. I would rather have the UV filter break and take that strain off the lens itself, but if nothing breaks, gosh, that's great. So UV filters come in a variety of qualities.

And it's very, very tempting because, you know, everything I'm telling you is this is just a clear piece of protective glass in your lens. It's very tempting to say, well, whatever. Cheap glass, it's easy to make this. I'm gonna buy the $20 version. But I really recommend you going for a higher end version and primarily looking for those multi-coated surfaces. A lot of them will boast that they are smudge proof or fog resistant.

I think that's all well and good. All these things are great, but really what it boils down to, to be totally frank, is going with a good brand and getting something, in my opinion, in like the 60, 80, 100, 120 range. You don't have to get the most primo filters like Singray or others, but you'll find B and W. So it's just the letter B and W, I think an ampersand actually. that's a great one. Hoya has some really great multi-coded

kind of nano UV filters and they have all these fancy words, but really when you get into that hundred dollar range, you know you're getting a top piece of glass. So even if you do have a two or three thousand dollar lens, you're very unlikely to be degrading the quality. In fact, that's what I do for all my lenses is right when I'm buying the lens and I put it in the shopping cart online, I also add a UV filter for the same thread size as the lens itself.

Most of mine happen to be 77 millimeter. So that's great. And then yeah, I just shoot for something around the $100 range. the technology or the coating technology is improving pretty consistently. So they might be out with a new coating next week. You never know. But something around a hundred dollars is just really fantastic.

So ultimately, UV filters, they had this origin of actually cutting down UV light for film cameras. it's no longer really needed in the digital world. It doesn't do a lot for you as far as cutting down haze or changing lighting. In fact, that's why we like it is it doesn't do anything but just sit in front of your lens.

They are clear, they don't limit light transmission, they don't do much other than just sit in front of your lens and really prevent those mishaps, those scratches, those drops from having a major effect, not just on the quality of the lens as you use it in your photo career, but also on resale value. Resale value is a big one. I I mean I'm so thrilled.

Every time I go to sell a lens and I pop off that UV filter, the actual lens itself is just perfect, like the

day I bought it. So that's the main reason. I do personally use them religiously. If I were to invest in a big $15,000 prime, I would actually really entertain not getting a UV filter for it. Not only are they huge, not only are they expensive, because you're getting a

Filter size for a much, much bigger piece of glass. If you've ever seen like a 400 millimeter, the tip of the lens is massive. It's like volleyball size. and also, you know, I didn't mention this yet, but the fact that those big primes also have very, very big lens hoods means that the chance that dust, rain, whatever is gonna get in there is even less than our good old 24 to 105s and 70 to 200s. So I I totally buy into that.

If you're getting a super primo piece of glass, that might be the time to leave the UV filter off. But gosh, for all other purposes, it's just a fail-safe. Now, in my research, one final caveat I have found that in the market, this new type of filter is popping up, and they are just basically termed clear filters, clear protective filters. And that's pretty cool. Like they're essentially rebranding this need for a UV filter, saying, you know what?

No longer are we trying to limit UV light or to narrow down the spectrum of UV and only let certain parts in. They're just saying, you know what, this is clear and this is good. I have not yet dabbled in them. I haven't spoken to anybody that's used them, but they look pretty good on the market. I gotta say, there are way more companies making UV filters. And again, to me, it's the same thing. Having a clear piece of protective glass is a UV filter, and vice versa. So

Look for the multi-coated surfaces, look for a higher end UV filter. You know, you're gonna see very different ranges of prices from bottom to high end in UV filters compared to like polarizers. You know, a polarizer might start at $50, but quickly the highest end is $500. The highest end UV filter is really rarely gonna go over $100. So I feel like that's a great investment for not just my resale value, for peace of mind, for protecting my gear, but also just knowing that it's gonna.

probably be easier to clean and just more manageable. It's gonna screw onto my filter rings and threads better. So yeah, this all really boils down. Just get the better one, put it on your lenses each and every time.

So folks, thanks for joining me on this shorter episode on UV filters. I hope it helped you a little bit. And I'd love to hear from you. So again, if you do shoot me a message over on my YouTube channel.

It'd be great to know what you think about UV filters and also great to think about new episodes. What do you want to hear about out there in the world of nature, wildlife, and landscape photography? So thanks so much folks and looking forward to talking with you next time.


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Court Whelan

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