[Spock]

I should really have added that protectors don't even do that - a shattered filter is quite likely to scratch the front element itself.

Chips in the glass or marks in the coating (sometimes caused by cleaning) are much more common than shattered glass. I've never shattered a filter in 40 years of owning pentax lenses but have had a number of filters develop small blemishes - sometimes without even knowing how it happened.

Thanks to protective filters, my lens' front elements however have always been, and still are (touch wood), unblemished despite using my lenses in a variety of conditions from sandy deserts, to humid tropical jungles, to smoggy and dusty third world cities, on mountain climbs, motorcycle tours, etc.

[ThorSanchez]

True, but they have a large impact on lens resale value.

It appears that the higher-end 49mm Hoya UV filters are about $80. I've bought most of my lenses second-hand, many Limited primes in excellent condition for between $150-300. To me it seems kind of silly to buy $80 insurance for a $200 lens, especially when that insurance may adversely effect image quality in some conditions.

I've never really resold a lens, so resale value is not something I even think about.

[Spock]

It appears that the higher-end 49mm Hoya UV filters are about $80. I've bought most of my lenses second-hand, many Limited primes in excellent condition for between $150-300. To me it seems kind of silly to buy $80 insurance for a $200 lens, especially when that insurance may adversely effect image quality in some conditions.

I've never really resold a lens, so resale value is not something I even think about.

That's fair enough in the situation you describe. However, in my case I have 1) some lenses that are worth quite a bit more than $200, and 2) a number of vintage lenses, that while not especially expensive, are rare and hard to come by in very good condition (perhaps because many owners didn't use protective filters ).

[Jonathan Mac]

Chips in the glass or marks in the coating (sometimes caused by cleaning) are much more common than shattered glass. I've never shattered a filter in 40 years of owning pentax lenses but have had a number of filters develop small blemishes - sometimes without even knowing how it happened.

Thanks to protective filters, my lens' front elements however have always been, and still are (touch wood), unblemished despite using my lenses in a variety of conditions from sandy deserts, to humid tropical jungles, to smoggy and dusty third world cities, on mountain climbs, motorcycle tours, etc.

Mine are all fine too, with filters very rarely used.

[Spock]

Mine are all fine too, with filters very rarely used.

Fortunately for people like me who love vintage lenses most enthusiasts are careful with their gear.

[angerdan]

1. Is it always advisable to have a UV filter on the DFA 21mm?
2. How about a circular polarizer -- can you stack it on top of/under the UV filter?
3. I'm curious to learn from what other owners of premium lenses do.

1. No, only when the integrated hood isn't enough to protect from something specific. UV light is blocked already in front of the image sensor.
2. Doesn't make sense, it only make the images even less bright.
3. Taking good care of lenses when storing, handling, carying and using it.

[Wheatfield]

I haven't used protective filters since my Nikon F2 days. My photography doesn't take me into hostile environments, so they aren't a value proposition for me. I'll make sure that if I ever visit an ostrich ranch to be careful......
When I shot B&W film I pretty much always had an orange filter on the lens. I liked the somewhat punchier negatives I got and the viewfinder image was a pretty colour.
With digital I use polarizing filters and neutral density filters. I am buying premium filters as I don't see value in putting a potentially quality compromised filter on a premium grade lens. I've pretty much settled on Breakthrough Photography filters as they are highly rated and have brass rings that don't bind to lenses as easily. My DFA* 85/1.4 seems to jam them up easily enough that I took the glass out of a UV filter and mounted it on the front of the lens. I mount filters to it and it works well enough.
I easily have spent as much on filters for my DFA* 50mm and 85mm lenses as I paid for the lenses themselves. The filter quality is good enough that I can stack a polarizing filter onto a couple of ND filters and still get acceptable sharpness.

For myself, I would say don't bother with a protective filter unless it is required for protection. I had a gig years ago in a local steel foundry photographing molten steel being poured into a mold that would then be run through a rolling mill to make coil pipe for an oil pipeline. I used protective filters for that and was glad I did. I wrecked two of them doing that job.

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Last edited by Wheatfield; 01-01-2023 at 01:05 PM.