The UV filter: a sales staple of every camera store for decades, but is it also a complete waste of money? Everyone who advances in photography will eventually ask, so let's take a look.

To come right to the point, I stand with pretty much every professional when I say UV filters are not worth anything, not $20, not $150 -- at least for general use. The amateur market may be divided, but that division is less severe when you look at pros, who actually rely on the quality glass of their lenses to make money with images. If you look at most pros shooting, you'll see bare glass, with the exception of a polarizer or some sort of ND when needed. 

The simple reason is, in short, I and other pros are experienced enough to see past the sales pitches. We don't want anything in front of our glass unless there's no other choice, and we take enough care with lens caps and lens hoods, and handling, to eliminate damage.

Ansel Adams, the guy who made us crazy about photography and utterly mastered the art and equipment, recommends in his book "The Negative" not using UV filters, due to a reduction in optical quality, unless you're in a severe environment (dusty, dirty, etc). Adams was a stickler for the best quality. I don't know about you, but his assessment is good enough for me.

When I started decades ago I believed in the sales pitches about protection and UV filtering, but I later realized I never actually received those benefits. They were just perceived. However, I did notice consistent reduction in image quality and increased glare. Once I took the crap off, I was able to see that image quality was actually better without it and I could protect the glass myself for free.

Through experience I also realized that it's almost impossible for a bit of dirt or even a light scratch to affect image quality. Once you get over that fear, you'll be in the Matrix and will realize you owe the salespeople nothing, and you'll be improving image quality.

Still, people love to regale you with stories of how a $20 filter saved their lenses from cracking. Chances are you've already heard stories about lenses landing on sharp rocks and maybe even seen pictures of cracked UV filters with captions saying the lens was untouched. Firstly, anyone can take a picture of a cracked filter on a lens and write what they want about it. If the story is true, what they don't emphasize is how the filter came to be cracked; maybe it was with $20 handling. You treat a $20 filter a lot differently than you treat a $1,500 light-crafting tool. Also, there aren't any sharp rocks where I regularly shoot.

Pros know stuff happens. A ninja might pop out of a corner and kick the lens out of your hands onto the pavement. That's why we have insurance. Those who defend UV filters will quickly point out that insurance is more expensive than a $20 UV filter. But it isn't. Two reasons: First, having equipment insurance is not optional when doing photography as a business; it's prerequisite. Secondly, and most importantly in my opinion, you're degrading the quality of every image with the UV filter in exchange for a small chance that one time it might protect the lens from real harm, and that's an expense I don't want. I'll even add a third reason: UV filters protect only from rare front element damage, which is the least important element because it would take a significant scratch to affect image quality, not some tiny feather scratch. They don't protect from a hundred other things that could happen to the lens, but insurance does.

Then there's the "better filter" argument, that a $150 UV filter is better than a $20 filter because it's so clear. So, you want to pay more to put less in front of the lens? That's nothing more than price psychology from clever marketing people. While it may be true the more expensive filters are exceptionally clear, I already have something perfectly clear in front of the lens: It's called air, which is what you'd get if you took off the filter and protected the lens for free!

This is anecdotal, but I didn't need science to make my decision. I needed only my experience and the knowledge that no UV or skylight filter has ever improved my photography, equipment or balance sheet. When shooting with filters, I frequently noticed drops in quality and was continually frustrated with my lenses believing they weren't good enough. When I took the filters off, I noticed immediate improvements in clarity and sharpness. It was like getting a new lens. I then decided I would have to find other ways to protect my gear, and I did.

Cleaning Lenses

As long as we're on the topic of protecting lenses, I might as well answer the question of how to clean them. Everyone wants to sell you a special combination of proprietary cloths, wipes and liquids. You guessed it: You don't need it.

I use one method, and it's the cheapest, easiest method I've found, and it's effective and safe: microfiber and distilled water. As I covered, lens glass is tough stuff. It's not soft plastic. It's hard ground and coated glass from one of the best glass makers in the world. Put microfiber cloth spritzed with distilled water on it, and you can't scratch or erode it. Simply pour the distilled water into a small spray bottle and spritz a section of the microfiber cloth, and then rub the lens in a circular motion from the center out. Then use a dry part of the cloth to finish. Of course if you do have grit on the lens, it's best to blow as much off as you can with forced air or gently wipe it with a damp microfiber to lift off as much grit as you can first to prevent a sandpaper effect.

There are other good ways to clean a lens, but they cost more and this is my favorite method of the ones I've tried. Some of them might be more effective if your lens is super dirty, but for general repeated cleaning I haven't used anything better than microfiber and distilled water.

You can find microfiber cloth packs on sale anywhere -- grocery, auto and hardware stores -- for around $5 to $10, and they're washable; just don't throw them in the dryer or add fabric softener (or dryer sheets). Brand isn't really important as many probably come from the same or similar factories.

Distilled water is free of minerals and chemicals that come in tap water and is about 99 cents a gallon at most stores. You can easily find a small plastic spray bottle, also around 99 cents, to pour the distilled water in and carry with you.

The only drawback to microfiber, and it's a small one, is that sometimes little fibers get left on the lens. You can easily use a little air blower to clean them off, but they won't affect image quality or damage the glass.

With microfiber and distilled water, you can have lens cleaning supplies for the next 10 years for as little as $6. And the microfiber isn't just a good lens cloth. It's exceptional for lifting dirt and water from other gear. Keep a spray bottle and a microfiber or two in your bag and another set back at home, and you probably won't spend another dime on fancy solutions and wipes.