I recently bought a Contax T3 and have been very happy with it so far. I also purchased a Contax UV filter to protect the lens. I would like to purchase the lens hood and metal lens cap, but the Contax User's Manual states that using both the hood and filter will cause vignetting? Is this true? Also, are there any other options for protecting the UV filter?
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T3 Lens Hood and Filter Can you use both
- Thread starter jkonva
- Start date
Jason
You bought the UV filter to protect the lens and now you want to protect the UV filter. I think your best option is to keep the camera off and in a bag! ;-) Don't worry about the UV filter, it may get scratched or it may not but protecting it is really not worthwhile.
The manual is correct regarding vignetting.
Simon
You bought the UV filter to protect the lens and now you want to protect the UV filter. I think your best option is to keep the camera off and in a bag! ;-) Don't worry about the UV filter, it may get scratched or it may not but protecting it is really not worthwhile.
The manual is correct regarding vignetting.
Simon
I suggest you save the UV filter for highly abrasive environments like dust storms and the beach, and leave it off the camera the rest of the time. The hood will protect the lens, and do far more to improve image quality than the filter will.
Regards,
Bob Kramer
Posted by Jason Konvicka
Also, are there any other options for protecting the UV filter?
Regards,
Bob Kramer
Posted by Jason Konvicka
Also, are there any other options for protecting the UV filter?
Thanks Bob. Many have suggested leaving the UV filter in place all the time. I take it you disagree? Also, back to my original question. Can you use both the filter and the hood at the same time? I am getting ready to take a bunch of photos in the Caribbean and filter will come in handy with the bright sunlight and glare. Thanks again.
Jason
You, like most of us, probably bought the T3 due to the imaging quality of the lens. Any filter in front of a lens, UV or otherwise, will degrade the lens performance since there are two more glass surfaces for light to pass through. Even if it is optically correct glass, it will still have an effect, albeit you might not see any degradation, as most of us can't. Filters can sometimes cause glare and other artifacts.
You should protect the lens if near salt spray or sand storms or such like. But if you are not, leave it off and enjoy the unadulterated quality of the amazing Sonnar lens.
Simon
You, like most of us, probably bought the T3 due to the imaging quality of the lens. Any filter in front of a lens, UV or otherwise, will degrade the lens performance since there are two more glass surfaces for light to pass through. Even if it is optically correct glass, it will still have an effect, albeit you might not see any degradation, as most of us can't. Filters can sometimes cause glare and other artifacts.
You should protect the lens if near salt spray or sand storms or such like. But if you are not, leave it off and enjoy the unadulterated quality of the amazing Sonnar lens.
Simon
Yes, I disagree. Particularly if the use of one means you can't use a hood. I can't answer your question about vignetting with filter and hood because I don't have a T3, but if this is the case and you have to only use one or the other, for gods sake man, use the hood! If you are going to the Caribbean, use a low contrast negative film to tame the bright light and use a hood to help with the glare and to reduce lens flare. Unless I am totally mistaken, a UV filter won't help at all with glare, only atmospheric haze.
Bob
Posted by Jason Konvicka on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 5:30 pm:
Many have suggested leaving the UV filter in place all the time. I take it you disagree? I am getting ready to take a bunch of photos in the Caribbean and filter will come in handy with the bright sunlight and glare. Thanks again.
Bob
Posted by Jason Konvicka on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 5:30 pm:
Many have suggested leaving the UV filter in place all the time. I take it you disagree? I am getting ready to take a bunch of photos in the Caribbean and filter will come in handy with the bright sunlight and glare. Thanks again.
From my experience, it doesn't much matter which film you use. Any Fuji or Kodak 100 speed film will do you right (even the consumer versions). But here's the thing. You need to scan the neg, using Vuescan or Silverfast (whichever works best for you -- I like Silverfast for scanning negative color film), and tweak with Photoshop to get really good results, or pay the required bucks to a custom color lab to do it for you. 4x6 prints from your garden variety Wolf photo or whoever will not look nearly as good (they will work fine as a contact sheet, though). So you do need to keep that in mind.
If you can't scan, then go with slides (I like what I am getting with ProviaF 100 lately), and think about using a lot of fill flash to bring out the shadow detail you are going to lose with the limited dynamic range of slide film. The flash on my Contax T does a really good job at this, but I am not sure if the T3 flash will work as well. Maybe someone else can comment on that. Also think about doing most of your slide film shooting early and late in the day when the sun isn't so intense. Drink beer (Leon Negro rocks, if you are going to be in the Yucatan) and lay on the beach the rest of the day.
No easy answers, I'm afraid, but whatever you decide to do, test test test before you go!
Bob
Posted by Jason Konvicka
What type of film would you recommend? Jason
If you can't scan, then go with slides (I like what I am getting with ProviaF 100 lately), and think about using a lot of fill flash to bring out the shadow detail you are going to lose with the limited dynamic range of slide film. The flash on my Contax T does a really good job at this, but I am not sure if the T3 flash will work as well. Maybe someone else can comment on that. Also think about doing most of your slide film shooting early and late in the day when the sun isn't so intense. Drink beer (Leon Negro rocks, if you are going to be in the Yucatan) and lay on the beach the rest of the day.
No easy answers, I'm afraid, but whatever you decide to do, test test test before you go!
Bob
Posted by Jason Konvicka
What type of film would you recommend? Jason
Jason -
I have only used filters alone but have read that hood and filter combo doesn't cause vignetting from another user. However, this particular T3'er doesn't use Contax but B+W and Kaesermann filters. Have you compared them? Contax filter rings are much thicker.
On a side note, I agree with those who recommended against using UV filter except in situations where dust/mist are present. I've only had the UV filter on during backpacking trips. High elevation atmosphere has lots of UV which can turn the sky into INK blue, even w/o a polarizer.
As for flare - try shoot with the sun pointing directly at the lens and let us know if you can find any. Like most Zeiss lens with T* coating, little to no flare will be detected.
enjoy your T3...
Niki
Jason Konvicka wrote: Can you use both the filter and the hood at the same time? I am getting ready to take a bunch of photos in the Caribbean and filter will come in handy with the bright sunlight and glare.
I have only used filters alone but have read that hood and filter combo doesn't cause vignetting from another user. However, this particular T3'er doesn't use Contax but B+W and Kaesermann filters. Have you compared them? Contax filter rings are much thicker.
On a side note, I agree with those who recommended against using UV filter except in situations where dust/mist are present. I've only had the UV filter on during backpacking trips. High elevation atmosphere has lots of UV which can turn the sky into INK blue, even w/o a polarizer.
As for flare - try shoot with the sun pointing directly at the lens and let us know if you can find any. Like most Zeiss lens with T* coating, little to no flare will be detected.
enjoy your T3...
Niki
Jason Konvicka wrote: Can you use both the filter and the hood at the same time? I am getting ready to take a bunch of photos in the Caribbean and filter will come in handy with the bright sunlight and glare.