Do you filter stack??

[KobraCarry]

Do you use a Cir Pol and a UV at this same time or just the CP? Just curious for overall image quality. Thanks

[CaptainTom]

except for graduated density filters and the occasional but rare CP I don't think other filters are useful for digital photography.
UV might as well just be a piece of glass that some people claim stops the front element from getting scratched.
My thought is that any piece of glass attached to the front of your lens degrades the optical quality no matter how much it costs.

All of this is based on the now useless concepts for film cameras.
Digital is different and any filter can be duplicated after the fact.

This will spark the usual debate. What goes around, comes around.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Tom don't for forget the IR (infared) filter that can be used on non-ir-retrofitted bodies but otherwise I agree with you and you really don't want to stack unless you use a good lens hood to help cutdown refractions that can occur with a stack of filters.

Also the placing of a filter on a lens to "protect" the glass is used by me only when I am hiking along trails that take me near rock walls that can make contact with the camera when you really least expect it-ie Utah Canyon Country. (I think it was a way for camera shops to sell a high profit margin item -You ever see pics of one of the famous Leica street shooters over the years with a ton of filters on their rangefinders?)

[jeffkohn]

There's no benefit to stacking a polarizer and UV filter, but it does increase the likelihood of flare, ghosting, and vignetting; so I would say it's not advisable. If you're motivated by the convenience of not having to swap filters, my suggestion is to just stop using UV filters; there's no optical benefit to them with today's sensors and lenses, and the protective benefits are questionable (IMHO the combination of a lens hood, and replacing the lens cap when not shooting is a better solution for protection).

[3n-Out]

I use a UV on on my lenses. That's just personal preference though. Like the others I never thought about using any of my older Cookin filters because I can produce anything in PS that I desire. It just works better that way and I don't have to carry them with 40 lbs of other crap I normally carry. Of course, that's my opinion.

[oldfotopro]

how come I can't send a private message to Captaintom?

[3n-Out]

CaptainTom is funny like that! hehhhehehehe

[humminboid]

Yes, Sir, Cap'n Tom, Sir!

I read somewhere a filter will displace the focus point ~1/3 of the thickness of the filter glass, and stacking just compounds the problem, plus any glass surface will increase flare, no matter how expensive or multi-coated the filter is.

Some people use multiple Cokin-style filters successfully, but it's a matter of choice, and how much you are willing to give up for the effect you want. But, only experience can tell you that.