Discussion
I'm planning on getting a UV filter for my new camera, is it worth spending extra for a big brand or is there very little difference between them. I'm tempted by the £1.00 'Kenko' filter on Ebay, but am concerned that at that price it will be rubbish. I've always used Hoya filters in the past (quite a few years back).
Edited to say: on the same lines, are the spare batteries on Ebay worth the risk, or should I stick with the branded Canon items?
Edited to say: on the same lines, are the spare batteries on Ebay worth the risk, or should I stick with the branded Canon items?
Edited by julianhj on Sunday 14th January 00:01
Well nobody's answered yet - so you'll have to do with my very opinionated views. 
If you've just spent a nice tidy sum on a half decent lens, think carefully about whether you want to compromise its abilities at all.
I cannot argue with the people who are generally aware that they're clumsy/accident prone who want to protect their front element. But, if a digital camera, I don't think you'll get any particular benefit from any filter apart from polariser, ND, perhaps ND grad or close up.
You've just added two more grubby surfaces to deteriorate your image without any particular benefit - and you could have put your dosh towards something more useful!
If you are going to stick something on the front it better be the best quality you can afford, best multicoating to do justice to a modern lens and all the loving care and technology that went into designing that to give best quality image.
You generally get what you pay for.
Equally, if its going for a song, snap it up try some shots with and without, in a variety of conditions, and see what you get
There - that my tuppence used up.......
If you've just spent a nice tidy sum on a half decent lens, think carefully about whether you want to compromise its abilities at all.
I cannot argue with the people who are generally aware that they're clumsy/accident prone who want to protect their front element. But, if a digital camera, I don't think you'll get any particular benefit from any filter apart from polariser, ND, perhaps ND grad or close up.
You've just added two more grubby surfaces to deteriorate your image without any particular benefit - and you could have put your dosh towards something more useful!
If you are going to stick something on the front it better be the best quality you can afford, best multicoating to do justice to a modern lens and all the loving care and technology that went into designing that to give best quality image.
You generally get what you pay for.
Equally, if its going for a song, snap it up try some shots with and without, in a variety of conditions, and see what you get
There - that my tuppence used up.......
I'd agree with the above, if you are going to have one, get a decent one or not at all.
The only time I use a UV filter is when I know grubby fingers or doggy noses (like the chap below, quite the heavy breather, lots of spit flying around!) are going to be coming into conact with the lens, otherwise I do without.
The only time I use a UV filter is when I know grubby fingers or doggy noses (like the chap below, quite the heavy breather, lots of spit flying around!) are going to be coming into conact with the lens, otherwise I do without.
Only thing to remember is that the multi coated filters are harder to clean properly - you need a cleaned formulated for multi coatings, otherwise they smear like nobodies buisness.
Batteries wise I never had any probs with clone batteries on my 300D. When my charger was blown up by a rogue generator 3 days into a 21 day safari I was left with 3 fully charged and one half charged battery. Managed 4000 shots with clone batteries ( did a lot of manual focusing, had to shoot Jpeg and didn't use the monitor - all to save power). That said apparently the Sony doesn't work with clone batteries and I've yet to see if the chipped nikon clone batteries work. Certainly the boggo BP511 canons are great - and usually higher capacity than the std canon.
Batteries wise I never had any probs with clone batteries on my 300D. When my charger was blown up by a rogue generator 3 days into a 21 day safari I was left with 3 fully charged and one half charged battery. Managed 4000 shots with clone batteries ( did a lot of manual focusing, had to shoot Jpeg and didn't use the monitor - all to save power). That said apparently the Sony doesn't work with clone batteries and I've yet to see if the chipped nikon clone batteries work. Certainly the boggo BP511 canons are great - and usually higher capacity than the std canon.
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