What’s Your Preference?

dcclark · #11 (**permalink**) 04-22-2010, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeeR

My first week of photography class I was hiking in the woods with a borrowed camera when I fell, camera first. One look at the front of the camera and I could see that the glass had a huge crack across it. I was heartsick. The friend who loaned me the camera took one look at it, laughed and called me 'the luckiest bonehead on the planet.' He then proceeded to unscrew the filter revealing an unscathed lens, replaced it, and on we went, as if noting had happened.

I hear ya... I take my camera out bushwhacking in pretty dense forests (and cliffs, sometimes), and this has happened to me.

Also, sometimes you'll hear about using lens hoods to protect your lenses in similar ways. Sometimes that helps, but they're not as good about actually protecting the glass. In addition, they come off MUCH easier than filters -- I lost a lens hood when a tree slapped it right off my lens, once!

BCampbell · #12 (**permalink**) 04-22-2010, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcclark

Also, sometimes you'll hear about using lens hoods to protect your lenses in similar ways. Sometimes that helps, but they're not as good about actually protecting the glass.

Right. Lens hoods are not designed to be physical protection for a lens. In fact, because of how some lenses are designed, stress to the hood can actually transfer right to the lens and do serious damage to the front element or the focus/zoom mechanisms.

vandergus · #13 (**permalink**) 04-22-2010, 04:26 PM

Quote:

My first week of photography class I was hiking in the woods with a borrowed camera when I fell, camera first. One look at the front of the camera and I could see that the glass had a huge crack across it. I was heartsick. The friend who loaned me the camera took one look at it, laughed and called me 'the luckiest bonehead on the planet.' He then proceeded to unscrew the filter revealing an unscathed lens, replaced it, and on we went, as if noting had happened.

Just because the filter broke doesn't mean the front lens element would have been broken or damaged. It just means the filter broke.

Not trying to take sides, I just don't like bad logic.

Vrinda · #14 (**permalink**) 04-22-2010, 04:41 PM

I always use a UV filter on my lenses, I don't trust myself not to scratch or otherwise damage them. Way too often, while switching lenses on the fly, I've been known to put lenses in my bag without the lens cap (a bad habit I'm cracking down on).

One time a few months after I got my SLR, I was carrying too many bags on the train, stood up at my station and realised a second too late that my camera strap wasn't across me like I thought it was. Everything went slow motion and silence spread through the carriage as everyone watched my precious SLR hit the floor. Thankfully my UV filter took the hit, the metal was dented and the glass was chipped. My lens was fine, but from the angle of the filter's dent I'm pretty certain it wouldn't have been if the metal hadn't protected it.

I don't consider filters optional for my lenses. I can see where other photographers are coming from, and perhaps some people need more protection than others, but there have been too close calls for me to not use them.

tasmo2 · #15 (**permalink**) 04-22-2010, 07:44 PM

Thanks for all the responses everyone! After thinking it over, I am going to get a lens filter. I do a lot of shooting at my sons ball games, and we go on a lot of nature walks. It would be great to have it to protect my lens from falls/dirt/baseball ball fences (LOL). I'll be looking now to see what kind I want! Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks!