Before reading Gary Reese's anti-filter comments everyone of my lenses
(at least those in the carrying bag) was equipped with a UV filter. But
the filter was only there for protection. Lenses were stored in the bag
with both front and rear caps on.
After thinking on Gary's comments for awhile I decided on a new strategy
for carrying and protecting lenses. Today, there are no protective
filters installed on the lenses. Instead, every lens has its
appropriate, non-collapsing hood installed and no front cap (except
those long lenses that have built-in hoods). Lenses are simply placed
in the bag nose down and the hood prevents anything from coming in
contact with the glass. Long lenses get their own compartment. Short
ones may be stacked two high but with a stiff foam pad in between the
two lenses. The foam pads are cut from the 1/2" (12.5mm) rolls of foam
used by campers under their sleeping bags.
Now every lens is shaded, there are no filter distortions, changing
lenses is faster since there are no front caps to deal with and, should
I ever drop one, I think the hood will be a better sacrificial element
than the filter. The hood, of course, offers no protection for
something jammed directly into the front element but, in 38 years of
camera use, I've never had that happen.
Amazingly, I've never dropped a camera or lens except for the Stylus
Epic that took a 10 second swim and emerged unscathed... not even wet
inside. However, while hiking around on some stony ground yesterday I
did turn my ankle and hit the ground on hands and knees... fortunately
missing all the stones. Glasses flew out of my pocket and binoculars
crashed into a big stone directly under my chest. No damage though.
The binocs were protected by their version of a lens hood... big rubber
ring around the objectives. Just a little smudge mark on the rubber.
Fortunately, I was not carrying any OM gear. Something probably would
have been damaged.
Chuck Norcutt
Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
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