Gary Glass 20 Nov 2009

you don't want to use a cheap polarizer for protection.. main reason, it is going to cut light transmission down a couple of stops.. best to use a high quality UV/Skylight or plaing glass filter if you want to protect the lens.. anything in front of the lens can possibly hinder a tad on sharpness etc...

I use to do that all the time, now I don't use one on my lenses.. except if I am in stormy, sandy,windy etc type conditions.. then I do.. remember.. anything added to a lens front has the potential of degrading,, even with the very best,, think Prime lens vs Zoom, prime are sharper because less glass... However, there is one caveat, if you tend to bang your camera around,,etc.. cover it with a filter.. My sister dropped my camera out of it's bag one trip to Lake Tahoe, and it fell smack on it's front end of lens... it was a high quality B+W filter and it took the brunt of the drop and saved my lens.. I kept the filter as a reminder. it was totally destroyed.

but most technology is so good now, that with high quality filter on front, you won't notice much of a degradion, but the potential is always there..

and as your saying, by the filter for your biggest lens, and then use step down filter rings to use it on smaller lenses except for really wide angle ones... saves you lots of money and clutter of trying to find all those filters.. God knows I found that out years ago.. I had all sorts of filters laying around that it was a hassle to take them all..

APHOTO4YOU 20 Nov 2009

And that is true Gary,

I dont use no filter on my prime 600 mm...cause i have a large HOOd.....for protection...and cant never get to my glass nothing...

Same goes for my 300 mm prime lens...

But u are right ...when i stated my statement i meant anything just for protection..not much as in when photographing...

Meaning take it off if u have to....when photographing at least u have protection...

Anything just to protect glass....

But u are right use high end filters ...if budget allows...In my view is if one has Nikon product then they can afford to buy high end accessories too...

But u have point here Gary....

21 Nov 2009

APHOTO4YOU 21 Nov 2009

Minerva

Those kind lenshood have tendency to come off...It happen to me...and if it comes off will damage your lens....

As a matter of the fact i lost that lenshood dont even know where and when..That is how easy that comes off...However i do get excited when i see subject to photograph so i run and always in a hurry.....I am speaking of 4 legged critters not 2 legged...LOL...so there who knows when i lost it

Unless lens has build in lens hood that is telescopic u dont need filter then....

Again if u have to go with it then go ahead....Just my experience with those hoods...

Gary Glass 23 Nov 2009

some of the newer telephoto and zoom lenses(the longer focal ones) have a glass filter that comes with them or at least with my 100-400 it came with one that screws on the front of the lens.. but usually on those big ones, you have to drop in a small filter at the camera end of the lens..

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