StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

Over the years I have read a number of pros and cons on this site regarding the use of UV filters for lens protection. Personally, I have always used one, and never gave it much thought. A couple of weeks ago when I was unloading my car for my granddaughter's birthday, my camera bag fell out of the back of my SUV. My lens was attached to my camera. The lens cap broke, and the UV filter was smashed to bits. However, the lens was completely in tact, with absolutely no damage! And, no damage to the camera (which had nothing to do with the filter). Lucky me! I immediately bought a replacement UV filter!

HardwareGuy

I read a pro's comments a while back about using a UV filter, or even just clear glass, so that he would not have to even bother with a lens cap, which could slow down catching "the shot".

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

I can see the advantage to that. I prefer the extra protection of the lens cap.
Steve

Largobob

Despite the many opinions to the contrary, I always mount a high quality (B+W, optical glass, Nano-coated) UV or Clear filter on each lens when I buy them. I also use the lens cap and lens hood. I believe each provides some level of protection.

I have NEVER had to touch the front surface of any lens, with anything....EVER! It is easy to clean a filter. If it breaks or scratches...it is much cheaper to replace than the front lens element.

wetnwld

Has anyone ever worn out a lens by keeping the front element clean?

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

And where was your lens hood? :) :)

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

Actually, it was on the lens! However, as the lens was in my camera bag, the hood was reversed!
Steve

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Steven, my thinking is like yours and have had the same story.

Haydon

Just bought the popcorn to watch the rest of the thread :)

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

I've heard very passionate debates on whether or not to use uv filters at lower altitudes over many decades. I've made the decision to put higher end Hoyas on every lens I own. Had a similar experience to the OPs a few months back. My D7200 with 18-140mm zoom fell about 6" lens first off of a shelf. The UV filter took the brunt of the blow and shattered, but the lens and camera are just fine. Pass the popcorn please.

TBerwick Loc: Houston, Texas

Since my film days, which goes back 50+ years, I have always had protective filters installed on all of my lenses. I've considered them my first line of defense in keeping my front lens elements in pristine condition and never really cared one way or the other about those who thought it was a needless expense or degraded my images. I've had to replace filters, never a lens.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Yes, but not recently.

The glass in older lenses and the early lens coatings were "softer" than modern ones. Plus those "lens tissues" that Kodak and others used to sell us were terrible on lenses.... Paper made from wood pulp which has minerals in it that caused micro scratches that accumulated over time and became "cleaning marks". Lenses from the early 1960s, 1950s and earlier sometimes show this type of damage.

Modern lenses and their coatings are much tougher. Usually a whole lot tougher than the filters being used to protect them, in fact. Plus we have much better cleaning materials today, such as micro fiber cloths.

The OP may feel good that their filter "saved" their lens. But there's really no proof of that at all. All they really can say for certain is that they broke a filter and had to replace it. The lens might have survived the drop just fine without any filter. In fact there may be internal damage to the lens that they don't see.... damage to the focus, zoom or aperture mechanisms, de-centered elements, focus knocked out of calibration, etc.

There's very little real evidence one way or the other about the "protection" filters give to lenses. Anyone considering sinking money into protective filters for all their lenses should first view Steve's video, where he actually tests the effectiveness of protective filters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0CLPTd6Bds

I have no problem with other people putting "protective" filters on their lenses. I just think it's pretty silly and a waste of money. But that's their problem and if it makes them feel better, fine.

And, yes, I have "protective" filters for my lenses, too. They're stored separate from my lenses until and unless actually needed (like all types of filters I use). Some examples where I'd install them would be when out shooting in a sand storm or at the beach or a paint ball battle or similar. Those filters are among my least often used accessories and were pretty low priority. Somehow my lenses have survived for decades without them, including a few drops and bad bumps. I've broken some lens hoods and lens caps, but never done serious damage to a lens!

Back when I was shooting film I used UV and stronger warming filters (81A, 81B, etc.) for their actual purpose... to counteract film's tendency to go "blue" because of it's over-sensitivity to UV light. Those aren't necessary with digital cameras (if I want a warmer image, I use Warm Cards to set a custom white balance).

Even if I did do damage to the front element of a lens, that wouldn't mean the lens is "destroyed". It just means that the front element needs to be replaced (and the rest of the lens checked for proper function and re-calibrated, if necessary). That's often a fairly reasonable cost. I bet in a lot of cases it's not much more than the cost of a filter. Though, frankly, I've never had to have it done so can't say for sure and imagine it varies a lot depending upon the particular lens and it's optical design.

Salo Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

I have a similar story too. About 35 years ago I was shooting around the sunset hour. I wanted a completely unadulterated image so I temporarily removed the UV filter from my Nikkor AI-S 80-200 mm f/4 which was tripod mounted. Somehow, don't ask me how, the sturdy tripod tipped over and my camera and lens went face first onto the little stones under it. I didn't even want to look but when I did, there was a small chip on the front element about one-third of the way from the edge. I was heartbroken. Long story short, fortunately that chip never seemed to have any adverse effect on that lens' capabilities, but I have never removed a protective filter from any lens since that night. BTW, I still have and use that indestructible Nikkor to this day, chip and all.

Bill_de Loc: US

How about a link to at least 15+ prior UHH threads on the subject. There might be some redundancy.

https://www.google.com/search?q=uv+filters+site%3Auglyhedgehog.com&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&gws_rd=ssl

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As for the OP ... Good Outcome.

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