06-01-2014, 01:28 AM
It's not scratching and gross damage I use (good quality) protective filters for. It's to be able to clean the front of the lens with impunity.
My spectacles become badly hazy within about 9 months, even with anti scratch filter. It's because they need constant cleaning, and I'm not always 100% careful, even though it's mainly done with microfibers. It's not big scratches, it's little ones and bits of oily muck that create veiling flare. A big scratch on the front element of a lens may have little impact on the results: but a pattern of mild damage from cleaning can be worse.
Of course lots of you are plenty careful enough not to cause damage when cleaning, and to prevent dirt in the first case.
But I often find smears, dribbles, and god knows what on the front filters on my hard used lenses. And it's good to be able to give it a breath and a rub with a microfiber, and know that the worst case is that after a year or two or more I have to replace the filter.
Of course if you are happy to always carefully use a blower and a lens pen and some ROR and a perfectly clean microfiber or whatever you'll be fine with no filter. But I find it reduces the hassle.
My spectacles become badly hazy within about 9 months, even with anti scratch filter. It's because they need constant cleaning, and I'm not always 100% careful, even though it's mainly done with microfibers. It's not big scratches, it's little ones and bits of oily muck that create veiling flare. A big scratch on the front element of a lens may have little impact on the results: but a pattern of mild damage from cleaning can be worse.
Of course lots of you are plenty careful enough not to cause damage when cleaning, and to prevent dirt in the first case.
But I often find smears, dribbles, and god knows what on the front filters on my hard used lenses. And it's good to be able to give it a breath and a rub with a microfiber, and know that the worst case is that after a year or two or more I have to replace the filter.
Of course if you are happy to always carefully use a blower and a lens pen and some ROR and a perfectly clean microfiber or whatever you'll be fine with no filter. But I find it reduces the hassle.