Humid Environment - UV Filter?

[phkc070408]

I'm going to be traveling to a remote tropical island about 3000 miles west of Hawaii. The island, named Pohnpei, is one of the wettest places on earth, getting over 300 inches of rainfall annually.

Some of my pictures will be close-ups, such as hiking in a river, while others will be out over the ocean on a boat, or up on a hill of the birds and objects in the distance. What's everyone's opinion in a good UV Filter for my lenses?

I generally shy away from UV filters, since the general use of them is protection, and I generally feel an extra piece of glass between my subject and sensor is asking for quality reduction, but I'm unsure about this one.

I'll be taking the following lenses with me:

Tamron 15-30mm f2.8
Canon 28-105mm f4
Tamron 70-200mm f2.8
Tamron 150-600mm f5-6.3

 

[snowbear]

I don't think they are needed for digital: there is already UV filtering on the sensor. Maybe in windy, sandy areas there may be a benefit, but I've never had an issue with the lens elements breaking or getting any damage. A good lens cap will protect a lens.

I would use one in the mountans if shooting color film.

 

[cgw]

I still use 'em since they've absorbed impact damage rather than front elements. IQ compromise? Minimal with quality. Sounds to me like moisture protection would be a bigger concern.

 

[phkc070408]

Thanks Snow, I appreciate it.

CG: The air out there is a salty moist. In fact, it’s so salty that the planes that fly that route have to be swapped for other planes every 5 years to prevent corrosion.

I highly doubt 3 weeks as a tourist will do much damage to a lens, but if I lived there, a valid point.

 

[Thiophilos]

The term "UV filter" should be avoided because it is a legacy item to protect film from UV radiation. That isn't needed with digital as already mentioned. There are clear filters, and they help to protect the front element from fingerprints and dust. They are not very good at protecting from impacts.

A filter isn't going to help much against salty air.

You might be at risk of fungal growth and corrosion with prolonged exposure in high humidity surroundings. Keep the temperature of the gear well above the dew point to avoid problems like this. Silica gel in sealed containers is effective for storing gear in high humidity situations.