How easy is it to scratch the glass on the lens?

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devitt

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The last couple of days I have been out with the camera in rainy conditions and found myself cleaning the lens a fair bit and thought about getting a protection filter for piece of mind. I was looking at the B+W MRC SH filter.

What I am wandering is, is it that easy to scratch the glass when cleaning (without filter) on expensive lenses (ie, are they any more scratch resistant being an expensive lens), and if so is it worth me getting the B+W filter.

Any help appreciated:thumbs:
 
Its really hard to scratch. Make sure there is no dirt, sand on an element (blow it off).

Having said that I've got a lens that I bought dirt cheap as the front element had some scratches and the lens takes fab pictures and I cannot make them show up in images at any aperture under any situations (ie shooting into the sun), so I wouldn't worry too much.
 
puddleduck said:
Its really hard to scratch. Make sure there is no dirt, sand on an element (blow it off).

Having said that I've got a lens that I bought dirt cheap as the front element had some scratches and the lens takes fab pictures and I cannot make them show up in images at any aperture under any situations (ie shooting into the sun), so I wouldn't worry too much.
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I Bet Janice could do it;):p
 
gaffer said:
It can be quite difficult. Use a diamond tile-cutter and a straight edge to do it properly.

Andrew
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Oh I don't know, I once scratched the front element on a Sigma lens by sticking it in my pocket sans lens cap, forgetting that my car keys were in the same pocket :bonk:

Protective filters for me nowadays :thumbs:
 
puddleduck said:
Its really hard to scratch. Make sure there is no dirt, sand on an element (blow it off).

Having said that I've got a lens that I bought dirt cheap as the front element had some scratches and the lens takes fab pictures and I cannot make them show up in images at any aperture under any situations (ie shooting into the sun), so I wouldn't worry too much.
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Cheers Puddleduck, its just that I have recently purchased the Nikkor 24-70 2.8 which is a lot of money for me and no way I want to damage it. Thanks for you advice:thumbs:

gaffer said:
It can be quite difficult. Use a diamond tile-cutter and a straight edge to do it properly.

Andrew
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You couldn't make a video and post it up for me could you?:lol:
 
It's the rear element that you should be very protective of. As PD says, no evidence of loss of IQ with a front element blemish, but you certainly will on the rear, presumably cos it's a lot closer to the mirror/sensor.
 
I only have a bridge camera at the moment but I have a hoya UV filter on it that my dad gave me, it's got a couple of miniscule scratches on it makes no difference to IQ, but better a £18.00 filter than a whole new lens/camera. Other forums come up with this one all the time, we'll pay a small fortune for a lens given half the cahnce and then resent putting a £18 - £120 filter on it, believe me if money was no object I'd pay for B&W filters on any lens I had. if money is tight try Kood filters they're made by Hoya....but are considerably cheaper....to protect the front lens element you only need a UV filter anyway....
 
I say get the filter, not the UV but a CP, and don't use it unless you have to!

Only use it if, and when, you really need to .. like shooting down at a stormy seafront, or if putting the lens into your pocket (though the 24-70 is a bit too big to fit your pocket, I guess) .. keep the filter handy just in case. Of course, the best thing to do is to get a CP, so in the event that you need to protect your lens, you will do so with a filter that is of better use than a normal UV.
 
The first thing to go with a badly scratched lens is contrast.
 
Wail said:
I say get the filter, not the UV but a CP, and don't use it unless you have to!

Only use it if, and when, you really need to ..
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Just had a look at the uv on the front of my 17-55 and it has a scratch right across it. I've got a fair idea when it happened and it wasn't a time when I'd have thought of bunging a CP on the lens....
 
The thing about scratching things is that the scratcher needs to be at least as hard as the scratchee. If the scratcher is softer it won't scratch.

(EDIT: This is the strangest sentence I have ever typed)

Consider this when you go for the filter option. The filter is proly a very similar glass to the lens and will possibly be as hard as the lens your trying to protect, but it will be thinner and more likely to break. and if it breaks inward, well it might (might) scratch the lens...

Just wanted to play devils advocate there.
 
Do brands make much of a difference? e.g Jessops as opposed to Hoya UV's etc?
 
Euan said:
Do brands make much of a difference? e.g Jessops as opposed to Hoya UV's etc?
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YES!

My lenses are all filterless now since I discovered how much affect a Hoya UV filter was having on my 24-70.

Did tests when taking pics of the moon back in Oct/Nov.
 
koomber said:
The thing about scratching things is that the scratcher needs to be at least as hard as the scratchee. If the scratcher is softer it won't scratch.

(EDIT: This is the strangest sentence I have ever typed)

Consider this when you go for the filter option. The filter is proly a very similar glass to the lens and will possibly be as hard as the lens your trying to protect, but it will be thinner and more likely to break. and if it breaks inward, well it might (might) scratch the lens...

Just wanted to play devils advocate there.
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Conversely, if you've hit it hard enough to break the filter then the same impact on the front element probably wouldn't have done it any good either....



Euan said:
Do brands make much of a difference? e.g Jessops as opposed to Hoya UV's etc?
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Yes indeed, anything you put between the sensor and the image will impact upon the quality of what is recorded.

The cheaper filters tend to be poorer quality glass and usually uncoated, Hoya's "Green" entry-level filters in particular get a reputation for being awful.
 
B&W UV filters are probably the best.

Nevertheless its very easy to observe IQ impact with wide angle lenses - I can clearly see IQ issues on a Nikkor 17-35 or a Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AI-S (both top of the line optics) if I inflict a filter on them.

Better just to get a Nikkon 18-55 kit lens really, rather than hamper good lenses with filters, because if you have good glass, its easy to observe and you don't need to shoot MTF charts to see it.
 
I dont use UV filters or lens caps, often shove lenses in pockets, just always make sure the pocket is empty! I don't have a scratch on any lens. I could just be lucky, but filters just annoy me, as do lens caps.
 
Sounds like good advice from all here. Will get one (B+W) and just use it in the circumstances where the front element will get mucky.
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
I dont use UV filters or lens caps, often shove lenses in pockets, just always make sure the pocket is empty! I don't have a scratch on any lens. I could just be lucky, but filters just annoy me, as do lens caps.
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I side with Jimmy, why spend shedloads on a lens then put a bit of cheap glass in front, perhaps extra reflections etc? Just be careful and use a lens cap when storing, as said before a small blemish on the front element won't show up.
 
puddleduck said:
Its really hard to scratch. Make sure there is no dirt, sand on an element (blow it off).

Having said that I've got a lens that I bought dirt cheap as the front element had some scratches and the lens takes fab pictures and I cannot make them show up in images at any aperture under any situations (ie shooting into the sun), so I wouldn't worry too much.
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Scratching the glass front element might be difficult-ish, but scratching the coating off, or worse scratching a plastic front element is a lot more lightly, a filter buys you peace of mind and give a lot of protection. Wayne
 
I just don't buy that argument. Yes, I might scratch a lens. But I'm not clumsy, and I'm careful.

I could also get run over by a bus, but it doesn't stop me crossing a road. Why don't I get run over by buses? I'm careful. I look left and right before crossing.

Why don't I scratch my lenses? I'm careful - I use lens caps and lens hood.

I find folks willingness to degrade a lens a lens because of what "might" happen baffling. Why not just buy a cheap one that you don't care if it gets scratched? As a cheap lens can be less than a top of the line UV filter!!

Or buy insurance which will cover ALL damage, and offer genuine protection against theft too - and is again much cheaper than a filter.
 
puddleduck said:
Nevertheless its very easy to observe IQ impact with wide angle lenses - I can clearly see IQ issues on a Nikkor 17-35 or a Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AI-S (both top of the line optics) if I inflict a filter on them.

...because if you have good glass, its easy to observe and you don't need to shoot MTF charts to see it.
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I think I'm going to have to set you a challenge some day, PD.

Meanwhile you might want to warm up with the challenge I set last year using a Canon EF-S 10-22mm:
Does a filter degrade the image? You decide!
 
StewartR said:
I think I'm going to have to set you a challenge some day, PD.

Meanwhile you might want to warm up with the challenge I set last year using a Canon EF-S 10-22mm:
Does a filter degrade the image? You decide!
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Hmmm... well I looked at the other thread's images and the conclusion was obvious to me :)




You need to cut your grass more often and trim those shrubs :shake:

HTH :shrug:

DD
 
I don't bother with filters, but then I have a bog full of cheap(ish) glass so buying expensive decent quality filers makes no sense, I did have a hoya uv (came in a green box) on my 17-70 for a while but it had a terrible impact on quality. I've also never scratched any of my lenses (touch wood) and I don't treat them with kid gloves my primes will often be in my pocket and my 70-210 is twenty years old and has at least one previous owner yet is still scratch free.
 
Thanks for the further advice from all. My main concern was damaging the lens when out on beaches with water getting on the lens and possibly sand in windy weather, and then cleaning it excessively. There is no way I would be happy if it were to degrade the image quality thats why I was looking at B+W filters as they seem fairly praised.

Reading more replies makes me think that its not worth it. Looks like I have saved £100+ on a filter:woot:


:thumbs:
 
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