A little help with my new Nikon please.

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Bluenose

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I have just had an early Christmas present by way of a Nikon Coolpix P520

I am thinking that it would be a wise move to fit some sort of protective lens for starters and am wondering what you experienced members would recommend. Also, am I right in thinking that it needs to be a 52mm lens.

I would also like to fit a protective film on the monitor and would appreciate any recommendations for this too please.

Many thanks for any help that may be forthcoming.
 
look inside the lens cap size should be there hth mike
 
dinorock said:
look inside the lens cap size should be there hth mike
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Nothing in the lenscap I'm afraid, just LC-CP24 which doesn't mean much to me I'm afraid but thanks for trying to help. Have a good Christmas.
 
If the manual doesn't tell you, go to the shop where you bought it and ask their advice.
 
Bluenose said:
I have just had an early Christmas present by way of a Nikon Coolpix P520

I am thinking that it would be a wise move to fit some sort of protective lens for starters and am wondering what you experienced members would recommend. Also, am I right in thinking that it needs to be a 52mm lens.

I would also like to fit a protective film on the monitor and would appreciate any recommendations for this too please.

Many thanks for any help that may be forthcoming.
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From an 'experienced member' you'll find opinion is divided regarding a piece of cheap glass in front of your lens which will degrade image quality. Is there a lens hood available?
 
Phil V said:
From an 'experienced member' you'll find opinion is divided regarding a piece of cheap glass in front of your lens which will degrade image quality. Is there a lens hood available?
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Thank you for your input. Don't know if it is possible to get a lens hood, I will investigate that one. When you say 'cheap glass', what do you think that I should pay for a decent quality bit of glass then?
 
Bluenose said:
I have just had an early Christmas present by way of a Nikon Coolpix P520

I am thinking that it would be a wise move to fit some sort of protective lens for starters and am wondering what you experienced members would recommend. Also, am I right in thinking that it needs to be a 52mm lens.

I would also like to fit a protective film on the monitor and would appreciate any recommendations for this too please.

Many thanks for any help that may be forthcoming.
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hi and congrats with your purchase.
anything in front of your lens will degrade the quality but if you have kids or others putting their fingers on the lens or not being very careful then I fine some protection handy.
Also what you're looking for is a UV filter...not a lens. a lens would distort the image so that it becomes superwide or zooms in more.

check in the manual but it looks like you need a 67mm filter..but this is 2nd hand information, it should be on the front somewhere

options for you include, UV filter for general protection
ND filter for long exposures maybe?
circular polarizing filter for super sunny days or taking pictures into water or through glass.
As Phil says, a lens hood can protect the front from knocks too, if you prefer, as well as reducing lens flare
 
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Hiya DizMatt, thank you for this info, very helpful. I won't have problems with the kids as the youngest is 35! and the youngest grandchild is 19 so no probs there methinks. Strangely there is nothing in the manual about the size of the lens but, today I put a ruler across it and it appears to be 52 or 53mm.

There is no mention in the manual about a lens hood being an optional accessory, this may need more investigating.

In addition to the UV filter, the polarizing filter seems a good bet. Any particular recommendations as regards to make/manufacturer?

Thanks again for the help.
 
Google says that the P520 lens is NOT threaded so you can't fit a regular filter. You'll need a push fit adapter of some sort.
 
Bluenose said:
When you say 'cheap glass', what do you think that I should pay for a decent quality bit of glass then?
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I think one of the UV filters I got cost around £150 new.

I have bought UV filters for all of my lenses. Initially I didn't think it was necessary. Then I started when people advised it.
The UV filter stays on the lenses all the time. Except when I am taking a shot. If I am the one taking the shot, I unscrew the filter, and put it in a pocket (shirt pocket or something).
That is, unless I am in a hostile environment, like windy with sand blowing, or salt water in the air, or sticky small fingers near the end of the lens. Then I leave the filter on.

A hood is good for protection, and also stops flares to some extent, but I am not sure how well it will stop sand hitting the lens.

With a good lens, it is possible to see the difference between a bad filter in front, and no filter. With a good filter, I find you do need to look quite close, and things such as bad focus might make more of a difference. Some would say that having a filter on the front can affect the auto focus as well.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Google says that the P520 lens is NOT threaded so you can't fit a regular filter. You'll need a push fit adapter of some sort.
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Hello Jonathan, I have looked everywhere on google but can't find anything that says the lens front is not threaded. When I look at it closely, it does appear to be threaded. I have looked at many reviews and specifications but cannot find anything that refers to it, neither can I find anything that refers to filters or a lens hood as being optional accessories.
 
coldpenguin said:
I think one of the UV filters I got cost around £150 new.

I have bought UV filters for all of my lenses. Initially I didn't think it was necessary. Then I started when people advised it.
The UV filter stays on the lenses all the time. Except when I am taking a shot. If I am the one taking the shot, I unscrew the filter, and put it in a pocket (shirt pocket or something).
That is, unless I am in a hostile environment, like windy with sand blowing, or salt water in the air, or sticky small fingers near the end of the lens. Then I leave the filter on.

A hood is good for protection, and also stops flares to some extent, but I am not sure how well it will stop sand hitting the lens.

With a good lens, it is possible to see the difference between a bad filter in front, and no filter. With a good filter, I find you do need to look quite close, and things such as bad focus might make more of a difference. Some would say that having a filter on the front can affect the auto focus as well.
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Hello coldpenguin ( I didn't realise they suffered thus!) Thank you for your input. I'm not that good a photographer to warrant spending that sort of money on a filter. I'd be quite keen to fit a polarising filter if it turns out that it is possible to fit one, along with a cheaper UV jobby.
 
Just spotted that it was a gift rather than a purchase. I can recommend the Devon Camera Centre who have a branch in Exmouth. I usually visit their Exeter branch but the staff seem to rotate between the shops so the advice will probably be the same. Personally, I only use protection filters when there's a lot of airborne debris (flying sand, salt water) but I do use polarisers quite often.
 
If you are up for experimenting, then I find a Linear Polarizer is much more use than a Circular Polarizer, however, be prepared that not many people on here tend to use linear ones though.

I don't feel the cold, I can have ice/snow forming on my feathers without noticing :(

For digital cameras, a UV filter is not there for modifying the image (I believe that for film cameras they were used for making sure the film wasn't damaged/overexposed by the UV part of sunlight).
I have a cheap (£5?) UV filter on my 50mm f/1.8mm, a £50 lens. It is there to stop things from touching the front lens, I take the filter off whenever I can when I take a shot.
Pretty sure I have seen clip-on UVs, not sure about polarizers
 
Nod said:
Just spotted that it was a gift rather than a purchase. I can recommend the Devon Camera Centre who have a branch in Exmouth. I usually visit their Exeter branch but the staff seem to rotate between the shops so the advice will probably be the same. Personally, I only use protection filters when there's a lot of airborne debris (flying sand, salt water) but I do use polarisers quite often.
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Funnily enough Nod, thought that I would pop into Devon Cameras when I am down in town tomorrow morning. Thanks again.
 
coldpenguin said:
If you are up for experimenting, then I find a Linear Polarizer is much more use than a Circular Polarizer, however, be prepared that not many people on here tend to use linear ones though.
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The problem with linear pols on modern cameras is that they can affect the metering. Not always but they can.
 
Had a look at the lens in daylight and what I thought was a thread now appears to be more of a 'ribbed' section in 4 parts. Why on earth would the manufacturer do this as opposed to providing a proper threaded section so as to take the appropriate filters?
 
Bluenose said:
Had a look at the lens in daylight and what I thought was a thread now appears to be more of a 'ribbed' section in 4 parts. Why on earth would the manufacturer do this as opposed to providing a proper threaded section so as to take the appropriate filters?
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Probably cheaper. That's the reason for most things.

Google says you're not the first to think it's threaded but they are concentric ring not a thread. Hence the market in adapters.
 
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