Lasers operating at 808nm are versatile and widely used in various fields. One of their most common applications is in dermatology, specifically for laser hair removal. During this procedure, the laser targets the base of the hair follicle, effectively disrupting hair growth after multiple sessions. With increased power output, 808nm lasers also find use in engraving and cutting tasks.

The $10 UV filter screwed onto the front for the previous year and a half shattered.  Imagine losing one of your go-to lenses in the middle of shooting a live wedding!  I thought lost the lens but realized that only the filter was shattered.

Using Class IIIA, Class IIIB, or Class IV lasers necessitates proper eye protection. This is especially critical for 808nm lasers, as their near-infrared wavelength is not visible to the naked eye (the visible spectrum ranges from 400-700nm). Ensuring safety against potential harm from these invisible beams is paramount.

I have yet to meet a photographer who has been able to look at a photo and tell the quality of the UV filter from the photo. I can understand you might want the best you can afford if you are a professional photographer, and make your living from delivering images to clients, but 99% of the time the cheap filters are perfectly functional. I’ve personally shot ad campaigns with a $15 UV filter and didn’t have any complaints, color-cast issues, etc. Again, if you have the budget for the best of anything you should likely get it, but considering most of my readers don’t have an infinite budget I feel more comfortable having them put that $50-80 difference toward a better lens, speedlight, etc. that will noticeably impact the quality of their image. Personally I’ve never bought the “buy expensive filters because thats what you’re supposed to do” ethos.

IsUV filternecessary for water

The real practicality of a UV filter is that protects your lens just like your lens cap.  That means as long as you have a UV filter on the front of the lens, you don’t need to bring your lens cap!  Any scratches, dirt, dust, or damage will happen to the UV filter and not your lens!  I never leave home without one of these on my camera.

I see a lot of new photographys carrying their cameras around with the lens cap on all the time.  These are easy to lose, and kill any spontaneous photography you could ever hope for.  Something starts happening and you are busy fumbling with the lens cap!

Good point, I should add Sony to this list. I wrote this post a few years ago before Sony exploded onto the scene and stepped their game up! Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

UV filtervs NDfilter

◼ Alexandrite/Diode High Light Transmission – Blue, 55.5% VLT, OD 6+ at 690-1000nm◼ Argon/Ruby/Diode/Alexandrite/YAG/CO2 – Brown, 21% VLT, OD 7+ at 710-1200nm◼ Multiwave YAG/Alexandrite/Diode – Light Blue, 64% VLT, OD 7+ at 700-1200nm◼ Vbeam/Vbeam2/Dye Filter – Purple, 22.7% VLT, OD 7+ at 795-810nm◼ YAG/Alexandrite/Diode/Homium – Light Blue, 50% VLT, OD 7+ at 704-1600nm

For most hobbyist photographers leaving a lens cap on all the time vs. simply using a uv filter to protect the lens isn’t efficient. If you need to grab your camera and quickly take a shot, removing the lens cap could mean you miss the shot. I haven’t had a single reason to have a lens cap on a lens that I can think of. If you fall into the purist camp “lenses shouldn’t have filters on them ever” then I could see having a lens cap is better than nothing.

Yes, a lens filter is a good idea. But encouraging people to adopt bad habits so you can have a page full of affiliate links isn’t a hack. If you can’t remove a lens cap, you need to practice removing a lens cap.

Uv filter what does it dofor lenses

◼ Alexandrite/Diode – Pink, 32.6% VLT, OD 5+ at 730-855nm and OD 7+ at 755-830nm◼ D680 UV Excimer/Diode/InGaAs – Green, 50% VLT, OD 3+ at 745-1115nm and OD 5+ at 800-904nm◼ D81 Diode 810nm Filter – Yellow-Green in color, 68% VLT, OD 5+ at 800-830nm◼ Diode/Alexandrite – Green, 38% VLT, OD 5+ at 800-980nm◼ DH83 Laser Safety Filter – Brown, 33% VLT, OD 4+ at 808-850nm◼ Diode – Green, 2.8% VLT, OD 6+ at 600-900nm◼ Intense Pulse Light (IPL) – Green, 14% VLT, OD 1.5+ at 550-1100nm and OD 3+ at 620-1050nm◼ Alexandrite/Diode/YAG – Green, 41% VLT, OD 5+ at 730-1085nm◼ Multiwave YAG/Harmonics/Alexandrite/Diode – Amber, 10.6% VLT, OD 5+ at 730-1090nm

I get “what size filter do I need” question a lot from new photographers so I thought it would be helpful creating a comprehensive list. I see no problem posting affiliate links for a brand and product I’ve personally used for 6 years and have on all my lenses. Not all lenses have the filter size on them. In my gear bag right now I have a 50mm f/1.4 and a 100mm f/2.8 that have no filter size noted anywhere.

Proper eye protection is essential for anyone working with 808nm lasers. By choosing the right safety goggles or glasses, you can protect your vision and work safely with these powerful tools.

Uv filter what does it doreddit

I unscrewed the filter from the lens and keep on shooting!  I actually got applause from the attendees of the wedding when this happened!

DoI need aUV filterfor my lens

A UV filter helps filter ultraviolet rays from the light coming through your lens.  Enough geek-speak for you?  Here it is in plain english, UV filters reduces glare.  Sun glare off of small waves in a lake, the gleaming sun off the chrome on a motorcycle, the reflective sun off of a glass window in a building.  Screw a UV filter onto the front of your lens and you will cut down the gleaming sun.

What does UV filter doin water purifier

Thanks for taking the time to read the post and leave a comment. Let me preface what I’m about to say with this: this site is mostly written for newer photographers. You sound like a more experienced shooter so your gear and usage needs may vary greatly from my average reader.

Do UVfilters affect image quality

For most hobbyist photographers leaving a lens cap on all the time vs. simply using a uv filter to protect the lens isn’t efficient. If you need to grab your camera and quickly take a shot, removing the lens cap could mean you miss the shot. I haven’t had a single reason to have a lens cap on a lens that I can think of. If you fall into the purist camp “lenses shouldn’t have filters on them ever” then I could see having a lens cap is better than nothing.

I’m not sure if lens have asses, but I’ll try my best.  I was shooting a wedding with two cameras around my neck and was crouching down to get a shot.  One of my cameras with my mid-range zoom slid off my lap to the ground and landed straight onto  the lens.  The sound of breaking glass will haunt my dreams forever!

You could miss a once-in-a-lifetime photo from those lost few seconds!  How many times has this happened to you while wanting to take a quick photo with your phone but your screenlock prevented you from getting it?

Thanks for taking the time to read the post and leave a comment. Let me preface what I’m about to say with this: this site is mostly written for newer photographers. You sounds like a more experienced shooter so your gear and usage needs may vary greatly from my average reader.

Each lens has a filter size.  Most of the time, the lens will have the number for the size filter it needs on the front of the lens.  Its a number next to a circle with a line through it.  Use that number when looking up the lens filter size.

A *good* UV filter that you’d actually want to put on, say that $1600 85 f/1.4 you have on your list, will cost you around $70. If/when you do decide to buy a filter, finding the size you need isn’t a pain. It’s clearly labeled on the front of most lenses. Look for the circle with a line through it.

I’ve seen a lot of new photographers carting their camera around with a lens cap on all the time.  I did the same thing when I started out.  This is a pain in the ass because you can never take the lens cap off quick enough when something is happening and you end up missing the shot.

Phillips Safety Products offers a range of laser glasses and goggles designed to protect against various laser wavelengths. These safety glasses shield your eyes from the harmful reflected or scattered radiation emitted by laser light. For 808nm lasers, Phillips provides several lens options:

Your laser’s user manual or label often provides details on the necessary operating parameters, including the appropriate safety eyewear. Additionally, consulting with your organization’s Laser Safety Officer (LSO) can ensure you select the correct protection. For any uncertainties, Phillips Safety Products offers free consultations and optical density calculations from their laser safety experts.

Whatis aUV filterfor water

I get “what size filter do I need” question a lot from new photographers so I thought it would be helpful creating a comprehensive list. I see no problem posting affiliate links for a brand and product I’ve personally used for 6 years and have on all my lenses. Not all lenses have the filter size on them. In my gear bag right now I have a 50mm f/1.4 and a 100mm f/2.8 that have no filter size noted anywhere.

A UV lens filter is a disk of coated glass that screws onto the front of your camera lens.  If you look close at the front of your lens you will notice there is a thin threading.  This is there so you can screw a filter onto the front of your lens.  There are a ton of different filters out there.  A filter works just like when you put on sunglasses, its puts something between the light and your eye to change it in some way.

I have yet to meet a photographer who has been able to look at a photo and tell the quality of the UV filter from the photo. I can understand you might want the best you can afford if you are a professional photographer, and make your living from delivering images to clients, but 99% of the time the cheap filters are perfectly functional. I’ve personally shot ad campaigns with a $15 UV filter and didn’t have any complaints, color-cast issues, etc. Again, if you have the budget for the best of anything you should likely get it, but considering most of my readers don’t have an infinite budget I feel more comfortable having them put that $50-80 difference toward a better lens, speedlight, etc. that will noticeably impact the quality of their image. Personally I’ve never bought the “buy expensive filters because thats what you’re supposed to do” ethos.