Filters Vs Repairs Vs Risks
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Master619 wrote:
Let me start off by saying that I'm typically not a filter guy. I don't use any filters on any of my lens, unless it's for special purposes like ND and polarizers (and very rarely as well). I followed the (somewhat common) mindset that if I've paid a good amount of money for top-notch glass, I don't want to put some cheap glass in front of it. I've rocked multiple big, heavy, large front lenses like the Sony 100-400, various 70-200 including the IS ii, 85mm f1.2,... with just their hoods and no filter needed.
But now that I just got the RF 50mm f1.2, the front moving parts of it got me a bit concerned (and I noticed the previous EF version also had that). So for you guys who have been using them for a long time, do you feel the need to have a filter to prevent dust from getting into the inside of the lens? Is the weather seal reliable? Are some blower squeezes at the end of each session enough? If you use a filter, which one did you go with? Did it affect the IQ in any noticeable way?
Any input is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!
My new RF 85mm f/1.2L USM lens - with a protective HOYA filter on the front.
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Mention Filters and some people get wound up. I don't care about their experiences. I care about my lenses, my image quality and my own experiences. I personally recommend a filter. Whether you use one is up to yourself. But for an expensive lens, be sure to use a reasonable quality lens filter. You don't have to buy the most expensive filters, just one that is coated appropriately and from a known seller. I prefer Hoya Digital filters myself.
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I'm using the RF 85mm f/1.2L USM lens and will eventually obtain the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens in the near future. I made sure to fit a filter to my RF 85mmL lens before leaving the store and did the same when I purchased the EF 85mmL II lens a few year ago as well. On the new RF lenses wit seals (L-series), you don't really need to worry about dust or moisture getting into the lens. Although I'd say that protecting the front element with a lens hood is the LEAST you can do to protect your investment. Forget anyone who says that lens coatings are so hard they can't come off, even with harsh and abrasive abuse. I can assure you that it happens.
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First day out with the older EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens - and its protective filter.
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The RF lenses with seals are great for dust and moisture although I won't walk about without a protective filter on my front lens element. Best best reason I can give is thhat it's easier and cheaper to replace a filter than a lens element. So many photographers end up scratching a front element with a set of keys and then panic and try to resell it on eBay or Craigslist while claiming that this scratch has no effect on image quality (which is usually a lie). It's such a small price to pay for the protection and you can always remove a filter for critical photographs involving light-sources that can trigger internal reflections. However, unless you bought a really cheap filter, most have multiple coatings to eliminate ghosting, light flares and internal reflections. Canon and Hoya make protective filters solely for the purpose of reducing damage to the front element of a camera. The only time I've every noticed a potential need to remove a filter is when photographing a very bright light source. I often shoot near the ocean and after 20 minutes there's a distinct salt layer on top of the lens filter. I can swap it out with another filter, and not need to worry about grinding the salt crystals against the thin lens coatings. When I return home I can carefully clean the affected filters before letting them dry and using them again. It's a little like riding a motorcycle without your helmet visor down. The helmet is there to protect your head from accidents. Even the ones that are not your fault. The visor protects your eyes from stones and insects that could cause catastrophic injury if flicked up from another vehicle or when impacting an errant insect.
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Example of Sunscreen-etched lens coatings from a Canon L-series EF lens.
Yet another 24-70mmL lens with lens coatings wearing away with minimal use
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First time I walked outside with a brand new EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens, I ended up with droplets of tree sap on the front filter and was immensely grateful to have used a filter. The warm weather was causing the local trees to "sweat" particles of amber sap into the air and it was incredibly hard to remove from the filter. I've seen people wear away the vapor-deposited coatings on the front of their expensive L-series lenses with one specific lens proving problematic to Canon and was known for easy removal with just a smear of sunscreen. The penetrative oils were able to travel between the coating and the optical glass and the Titanium/Zinc Oxides simply wiped the colorful coating from the lenses.
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I once attended a large public convention in a crowd and a woman walked past me, allowing her engagement ring to slam into my 50mmL lens, etching the filter deeply. She flinched but she didn't stop walking. I removed the filter and put on a spare. The filter cost me nearly $200. A replaced front element would have been many times more expensive with no assurances of reliable image quality afterwards. I can't even count the number of times (or the expense) of having to repeatedly return lenses to Canon to have them repaired after they bungled the prior repair... and the repair before that one... resulting in contaminants inside the lens array or decentered lenses resulting in soft corners or soft centers when zoomed. Nothing beats a new lens that was purchased straight from the factory.
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My reasons for using a filter on most of my lenses is as follows:
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* Front element on a 50mmL lens Vs diamond engagement ring = disaster.
* Enjoy photographing food? If it's hot food it will end up spitting on your lens.
* General oils in the air in enclosed rooms lead to "fogging" on a front element.
* Cost of replacing front element of all EF lenses went up by 500% since 2014.
* Likelihood of a repaired lens performing as new - less than 4% (my estimate)
* New filters with coatings can transmit as much as 99.8% of the light.
* Lens Filters can easily be removed for critical photography.
* Vapor Deposited Coatings on lenses CAN be removed by repeated cleaning.
* Resale value of lenses is always higher than Camera body resale.
* A lens that's been protected by filters usually retains much higher resale value.
* A filter is often required to Seal the front end of an "weather sealed" lens.
* A filter will reduce dust and moisture ingress - and potentially mold spores.
* Sunscreen (Zinc-Oxide + Titanium Dioxide) is abrasive to lens coatings.
* Filters are inexpensive and can be cleaned, reused or discarded.
* If you can't afford a new lens to replace a damaged one, or if you don't want the suffer the irritation of an incorrectly repaired lens, then use a filter.
