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How do you protect your lenses...?

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Forrest41926

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Okay, so we all have UV condoms on the tips of our lenses, lest any dangerous air touches the glass! But I've noticed this shiny and unprotected rear element that I expose every time I change lenses. I've got a dust spot on the back of one of my lenses, and ( for this reason ) I won't swap them anywhere near the beach.

What do you guys do about this?
 
1) Swap lenses as quickly as practical

2) Replace rear lens caps as quickly as practical

3) Blow out rear elements with a bulb blower

note to self design rear UV filter to sell ;)
Forrest said:
Okay, so we all have UV condoms on the tips of our lenses, lest any
dangerous air touches the glass! But I've noticed this shiny and
unprotected rear element that I expose every time I change lenses.
I've got a dust spot on the back of one of my lenses, and ( for
this reason ) I won't swap them anywhere near the beach.

What do you guys do about this?
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
 
Is it standard to put a UV filter on your lens. I never have. Guess because I shoot indoor portraiture. Is this an outside thing?
-Eric
DavidP said:
2) Replace rear lens caps as quickly as practical

3) Blow out rear elements with a bulb blower

note to self design rear UV filter to sell ;)
Forrest said:
Okay, so we all have UV condoms on the tips of our lenses, lest any
dangerous air touches the glass! But I've noticed this shiny and
unprotected rear element that I expose every time I change lenses.
I've got a dust spot on the back of one of my lenses, and ( for
this reason ) I won't swap them anywhere near the beach.

What do you guys do about this?
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Click to expand...
 
Even better -- to use your condom metaphor--- create a "dental dam" to put over the sensor!!
DavidP said:
2) Replace rear lens caps as quickly as practical

3) Blow out rear elements with a bulb blower

note to self design rear UV filter to sell ;)
Forrest said:
Okay, so we all have UV condoms on the tips of our lenses, lest any
dangerous air touches the glass! But I've noticed this shiny and
unprotected rear element that I expose every time I change lenses.
I've got a dust spot on the back of one of my lenses, and ( for
this reason ) I won't swap them anywhere near the beach.

What do you guys do about this?
Click to expand...
--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net
Photography -- just another word for compromise
Click to expand...
--
http://www.jaygardner.com
 
I use 81A warming filters on all my lenses. Same protection but actually helps many images and doesn't hurt anything. Also, same price.
Forrest said:
Okay, so we all have UV condoms on the tips of our lenses, lest any
dangerous air touches the glass! But I've noticed this shiny and
unprotected rear element that I expose every time I change lenses.
I've got a dust spot on the back of one of my lenses, and ( for
this reason ) I won't swap them anywhere near the beach.

What do you guys do about this?
Click to expand...
 
Forrest said:
Okay, so we all have UV condoms on the tips of our lenses, lest any
dangerous air touches the glass! But I've noticed this shiny and
unprotected rear element that I expose every time I change lenses.
I've got a dust spot on the back of one of my lenses, and ( for
this reason ) I won't swap them anywhere near the beach.

What do you guys do about this?
Click to expand...
--
“What actually happens in the real world is what photographers needs to know.”
Michael Reichmann – Luminous Landscape
 
Never have - just a personal preference, but an extra piece of glass is an extra piece of glass.

On many (most) lenses, you could take a major chunk out of the front element and never even notice a drop in image quality.

Just my personal preference, of course - of course on days with UV Haze, I'll use a UV filter to correct - and sometimes in bright sunlight I'll use a CP to get the effect I want...but most times nothing on the front.

Use a blower/brush and get the dust of the rear element. No reason you can't clean the rear element with lens cleaner/tissue the same way you do the front element!

Gary
Forrest said:
Okay, so we all have UV condoms on the tips of our lenses, lest any
dangerous air touches the glass! But I've noticed this shiny and
unprotected rear element that I expose every time I change lenses.
I've got a dust spot on the back of one of my lenses, and ( for
this reason ) I won't swap them anywhere near the beach.

What do you guys do about this?
Click to expand...
 
EricNord said:
Is it standard to put a UV filter on your lens. I never have. Guess
because I shoot indoor portraiture. Is this an outside thing?
Click to expand...
Yes ... the best landscapes usually aren't found inside ... and I'm not lucky enough to have a picturesque back yard ( or any back yard at all ). So I have to go to beaches, the tops of mountains, and places like that to get my photos:

http://valhallaphotos.com/html/Galleries/LandscapeGalleries.htm

I usually have a pretty good idea what I plan to shoot, and what lens I'll need ... but sometimes things aren't as you expect.
 
**** Ginkowski said:
Forrest said:
Okay, so we all have UV condoms on the tips of our lenses, lest any
dangerous air touches the glass! But I've noticed this shiny and
unprotected rear element that I expose every time I change lenses.
I've got a dust spot on the back of one of my lenses, and ( for
this reason ) I won't swap them anywhere near the beach.

What do you guys do about this?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
“What actually happens in the real world is what photographers needs to know.”
Michael Reichmann – Luminous Landscape
 
Gary Rodgers said:
Use a blower/brush and get the dust of the rear element. No reason
you can't clean the rear element with lens cleaner/tissue the same
way you do the front element!
Click to expand...
Exactly! I don't clean the front element. I put a UV on the front of all my lenses when I take 'em out of the box ( at home ), and never remove it. I don't mind cleaning that , but filters are quick and easy to replace...
 
Hate to say it but I don't use any lens protection either, not even on my L glass. Get an insurance policy instead.
Gary Rodgers said:
On many (most) lenses, you could take a major chunk out of the
front element and never even notice a drop in image quality.

Just my personal preference, of course - of course on days with UV
Haze, I'll use a UV filter to correct - and sometimes in bright
sunlight I'll use a CP to get the effect I want...but most times
nothing on the front.

Use a blower/brush and get the dust of the rear element. No reason
you can't clean the rear element with lens cleaner/tissue the same
way you do the front element!

Gary
Forrest said:
Okay, so we all have UV condoms on the tips of our lenses, lest any
dangerous air touches the glass! But I've noticed this shiny and
unprotected rear element that I expose every time I change lenses.
I've got a dust spot on the back of one of my lenses, and ( for
this reason ) I won't swap them anywhere near the beach.

What do you guys do about this?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
BA said:
Hate to say it but I don't use any lens protection either, not even
on my L glass. Get an insurance policy instead.
Click to expand...
Tell me more about your ins policy? I'm not kidding ... it's just there are a few things about this approach that bother me. I know you can get a rider for not too much extra, so you would get the replacement cost and not the depreciated value of your lens. But how does that work out? Do you get a check for the B&H import value, do you buy one at Ritz and get reimbursed, or...?

( The nice thing about a UV is if I scratch the filter, I can use my polarizer, have a new one in-hand in 30 minutes ... or shoot without it if I really have to. Replacing a lens seems like a nightmare, though. )
 
I'm just very careful with my lenses and they are all insured. I do use the lens hood supplied with all my L glass.

Not everyone uses filters, some do and some don't, I don't.

I can't change the mindset of a filter user any more than they can mine. So I leave it at that, if yoou do a search you will find this topic many times.

For the rear element I use the rear cover that comes with the lens and am very quick and careful changing them.

Jack
--
http://www.pbase.com/joneill
 
William C said:
Forrest said:
Okay, so we all have UV condoms on the tips of our lenses, lest any
dangerous air touches the glass! But I've noticed this shiny and
unprotected rear element that I expose every time I change lenses.
I've got a dust spot on the back of one of my lenses, and ( for
this reason ) I won't swap them anywhere near the beach.

What do you guys do about this?
Click to expand...
--
“What actually happens in the real world is what photographers
needs to know.”
Michael Reichmann – Luminous Landscape
Click to expand...
--
Brian Kennedy
http://www.briankennedy.net/
 
Don't get a rider policy, that links your homeowners policy to it and usually that policy has a rather large $1,000 deductible. Plus these days if you make more than 1 claim on a homeowners policy in a 10 year period, your insurance company drops you. It is then very hard to find any coverage for your home except for high risk. With a personal articles policy the is NO deductible and everything from dropping it to theft is fully covered (except acts of war) I have $10,000 worth of gear covered for about $6.00/month. If something gets damaged or stolen I call my agent and they replace it. They (the insurance company) gets everything at wholesale through their own source for most items. I have mine insured for replacement cost (no depreciation)

Jack
--
http://www.pbase.com/joneill
 
In normal day-to-day use lenses accumulate dust. I try not to be a lens-scrubber. I use a rubber squeezy blow thing and a camel's hair brush. If I get smudges I use Kodak lens cleaner and tissue. Every lens I own has a filter on it. Most are Heliopan KR 1.5 warming filters. They are pricey but the glass doesn't seem to scratch. I also have some Canon (Tiffen) filters and some Nikon filters from the old days. My oldest lens is a 50 Summicron for my Leica M3. I got it with the camera in 1965, and it still has the original filter on it. The glass is mint despite years of hard use. The lens has photographed Richard Nixon and Janis Joplin, Slobodan Milosevich and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I don't baby my gear, but I take care in situations that are hard on equipment. Rule number one is don't carry too much stuff. What wrecks the most lenses? Probably getting in and out of cars with the camera on your shoulder...the lens whacks against the car door frame. Lenses also get dropped while changing. I've done that.

If you buy new lenses like Imelda buys shoes, you don't need a protective filter. But if you plan to use your equipment, it needs the protection over the front element.

Zidar
Alaska
--
It's not about stuff.
http://www.pbase.com/zidar
 
Jack,

I have considering this myself. I am waiting to get a little more investment in equipment before I bother. Who do you use? I was considering State Farm.

Joe
 
Member said:
Don't get a rider policy, that links your homeowners policy to it
and usually that policy has a rather large $1,000 deductible. Plus
these days if you make more than 1 claim on a homeowners policy in
a 10 year period, your insurance company drops you. It is then very
Click to expand...
So after they drop you, you get all the premiums you've ever paid them back with interest, right...? I think it's pretty ludacris to buy something you can't ever use ... and then to price it so the people who really need it can't afford it. And they say Iraq is the evil empire... The fed is suing the cigarette companies for all their profits, saying they ran an illegal enterprise for decades; I wonder if this might ever be applied to the insurance industry?
Member said:
hard to find any coverage for your home except for high risk. With
a personal articles policy the is NO deductible and everything from
dropping it to theft is fully covered (except acts of war) I have
$10,000 worth of gear covered for about $6.00/month. If something
gets damaged or stolen I call my agent and they replace it. They
(the insurance company) gets everything at wholesale through their
own source for most items. I have mine insured for replacement cost
(no depreciation)
Click to expand...
Yeah, that does sound quite a bit more reasonable... So how long does it take to get your lens replaced?
 
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