tdekany Loc: Oregon

How do you take a picture?

Bugfan Loc: Toronto, Canada

If you sleep well with no filters on your lenses then don't buy any, save your money for the next lens. If you have trouble sleeping when your lenses are naked, exposed to the elements with no protection from a filter, then by all means buy a filter for the lens.

I've done photography for almost fifty years and I've never broken or damaged a front lens element. So needless to say I sleep very well even though my lenses are all naked and unprotected. But of course accidents do happen to some people and they feel better when they've spent the money for added protection. A lens cap and a lens hood are sufficent I think but others disagree and that's ok. It's a risk tolerance question in the end.

Over five decades I've saved a lot of money not buying filters that I felt were unnecessary. So if today I should accidentally damage a front lens element, I can get it repaired and I'd still have money left over.

Jim Bob

Answer: an infinite number.

Dick Z. Loc: Downers Grove IL

I agree.

thearborist Loc: Delaware

Well, I, for one, just joined the forum, so I havven’t gone looking for every past post over however long it’s been here. It’s still a topical issue. I sure am not feeling too welcome to be called names here. And besides, who sits and reads three pages of responses to a topic they are not interested in because they’ve read it before?

btbg

Do whatever you want. It's your lens. But the people telling you that filters don't degrade your image quality are nuts.

If they saved you money and didn't hurt your photos don't you really think that those of us who make a living doing photography would use filters to protect our lenses?

We don't have more money for equipment than any of the rest of you. Most of us don't make that great a living at it. We do it because we love it. When I break a lens it costs me a lot to replace it. I think that the reason most people don't think there is any difference in image quality with or without a filter is because they use crappy lenses.

If you have a good lens take care of it, but don't degrade your image with a needless filter. Neutral density and circular polarizers are fine because you are only using them when there isn't any other good alternative. Anything else is a waste of money and messes with your picture quality.

All of you that don't believe it hurts your image shoot into the sun with and without the filter and compare your results. If that doesn't convince you then you must be legally blind.

I'm now officially done with this forum question. It seems that people ask for reasonable advice and then get advice from a bunch of amateurs who have no clue what they are talking about.

Bugfan Loc: Toronto, Canada

Gosh, this is a common subject with many postings in the past. The answers are always the same too, don't use them, they degrade IQ or do use them to protect the lens. How the person asking the question responds is the same too, some ignore the advice, some follow it. And so the issue comes back over and over again. How about a Frequently Asked Questions section as someone suggested in an earlier post so we can put this question to bed for all time? As to getting upset about it, it's not worth the energy or the emotion. It's the one who asks the question and who choses to decide what to do who is at risk. The rest of us simply express our opinions and nothing more.

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

Confirms my impression that elitists are rude. I am not so sure this group is worth the effort to read it. So many of its members are snarky and unhelpful, and frankly the content is pretty thin lately.

FiddleMaker Loc: Merrimac, MA

No doubt about it.

jimjjc Loc: Wisconsin

I find it funny that the 'jacks' that complain the most about repeat questions/topics are regulars that have so many posts they must live on UHH. Apparently, they don't have much of a life...perhaps that is why they are so grouchy. Get a life...A--h---!