whitewolfowner

You just refuse to face reality, don't you. I guess you feel that 10MPlayer is lying about his experience; in fact you have to be saying that without saying it since you refuse to except what he has told you and shown you. He is not the only person that an incident like this has happened because I have heard of similar incidents of filters saving lenses. Many have talked about hoods; and yes a hood is also a protector from side blows, but does nothing for wind, dirt, sand and direct impacts; and I'm not talking a bout a bomb hitting the lens either. You are putting your foot in your mouth and don't even realize it.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

This is getting stupid. 10MPlayer never said the filter prevented his lens from damage. He said only that the filter broke and the lens didn't. As I said before, that is not evidence that the lens would have broken without the filter. It is only evidence that the filter broke and the lens didn't. You seem to assume that if the filter breaks and the lens didn't that the filter must have saved the lens. That is WRONG! (Excuse me for shouting). Let's agree to disagree. We have both stated our cases and anyone with the stamina to read through this whole thread can make up their own mind. I am not going to argue with the brick wall any more.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

mcveed, catchlight, and whitewolfowner:
Instead of disputing with each other, why don't you join forces and set me straight. I purchased my first SLR in 1979. Since then, I have had neither filter nor hood resident on my lenses, just lens cap. I did have a body ruined once when it was misted on at Niagara Falls, and I did have a lens "escape" (*), but I've never had a lens ruined by being dropped or by hitting something. {I hope I'm not tempting fate here}


(*) I tripped over a root just after changing lenses. I had forgotten to fasten the latches on my camera bag, so the lens I'd just taken off rolled out of the bag and over a long drop. I hope the squirrels found some use for it.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Neither have I. I use the lens cap to protect the front elements from dirt when I am slogging through the bush. I use a hood to keep the sun from shining on my front element. It just also happens to prevent my lens cap from being knocked off when it bounces against my body, my backpack or a tree. I use clear filters when I have to shoot in blowing sand or snow, or in windblown salt water. I don't touch the front element of my lenses and I don't let anyone else do so either. In forty years I have had only two lens mishaps; one got fungus in it when I was careless when shooting in the tropics; and a Panasonic 100-400 had a critical breakdown of the Image Stabilization system during a shoot in Iceland (Panasonic graciously replaced the lens). Neither of these mishaps could have been prevented with a protection filter. Incidentally, I use the term "protection filter" to describe what people use them for, certainly not what the manufacturers make them for. The only thing I would suggest to "set you straight" is "Take better care of your stuff".
Cheers, Don

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

Did you ever wonder why you don't get a filter with your lens when you purchase it or a recommendation to install one?....hmm

Haydon

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

That like the clear glass filters I use when shooting in blowing snow, sand or salt water. Except the ones I use are Hoya Fusion antistatic Protector filters. I don't use any filter unless it is serving a purpose.

JohnFrim Loc: Somewhere in the Great White North.

The biggest bone of contention on this topic is disagreement about the level of "ballistic protection" afforded by protective filters. So maybe there is a market opportunity to salvage/recycle pieces of bullet proof glass from armoured vehicles? And considering the number of layers of glass involved and the fact that the windows are usually heavily tinted, you get a few stops of neutral density filtration as a bonus! Any investors out there? I plan to set up shop in Florida where I bought a few acres of land many years ago...

whitewolfowner

There is nothing to disagree about. if you had eyes, you would see how damaged the filter itself is. At the very least the filter save the lens filter screwing area from being damaged, so he could not be able to put a filter on it again. It could have also caused vignetting into his photos. Your problem is that you are so caught up on pushing your agenda that you are blind to the fact that a filter sometimes will save damage to a lens; a fact you absolutely refuse to see or admit.

whitewolfowner

A filter is not a magic secret to prevent any mishap to a lens; it is a safety thing that can save a lens and they have done so many times for many people. I know about four people in my time that have been lucky to have a lens saved by a filter being on the front of it. It's just smart to do so and the only time you have to worry about it possibly affecting your photo is if their is a direct light source (or one just off to the side) of your shot and then it MAY increase the amount of flare in the photo. Then it would be be wise to remove the filter for the shot and then put it back on. Yes, a lens cap is also a great protector and so is a lens hood; which is some thing that should be on a lens whenever shooting. The point I'm trying to get across here and so many refuse to accept is that having that good quality filter on the front of a lens is another piece of protection to protect the lens. Many here could care less because they have the funds to replace anything that gets ruined, but many others, and me included, value highly every piece of equipment we have and many do not have the extra money (including me) laying around to replace a damaged lens; so it's only smart and a good use of common sense to to take every precaution to protect it and take care of it. I am standing up for those that are trying to learn photography and part of the hobby is to take care of what you got and to learn how to do it. Whether they do so or not is their choice of course. Nothing but a different situation would have saved the fallen lens for you but some other precautions or possibly a better quality lens would have saved the one at Niagara Falls. I was there myself, even took my camera on the maid of the mist and had no problems with my gear, but I protected it every second I was not shooting and immediately wiped it down after shooting (on the maid of the mist it was as soon as I could - you literally almost took a shower on that boat), as you know if you got on it. Now my lenses did get soaked shooting the falls close up and having the filter on the front of the lens protected the front element so when I dried off the front of the lens, it was the filter and the front element. The filter also prevented any water seeping into the front of the lens. The rest of the lens was covered to help keep it dry.

whitewolfowner

Actually, many, if not most experienced photographers do recommend to just that.

whitewolfowner

And a UV filter on a lens to help protect it is not serving a purpose? Your logic is so flawed; it's got more holes than swiss cheese.

whitewolfowner

Actually, there is a company out there that is supposed to be making or has them already on the market; filters that are made out of protective glass. Read the article about 6 months to a year ago; don't think it was supposed to be bullet proof but would take a very hard blow. Anyone know about that?

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Great idea! Maybe just a couple of layers of tempered glass laminated like a car windshield would be enough. We could mount it in a steel frame instead of brass or aluminum. Maybe we could get it so strong that you could drop your camera, lens down, off the second story balcony without damaging the front element of the lens. Of course the internal parts would be totally scrambled, but we don't have to admit that in the advertising campaign.
Don

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

I completely agree, these are the only filters I use.