Bruce, Joe- This argument goes back and forth from time to time - it's kind of a maximax/maximin type of thing. Being a conservative guy, I go for the maximin approach, or at times, more precisely, the minimin approach. I figure the optimal performance of the lens is only very slightly reduced by a high quality filter (and I use ONLY new Pentax or B+W multicoated filters) whereas over the long haul the performance loss from glass scratches and coating degradation is likely to be noticeable and, by comparison, appreciable. At least with filters I'm more or less guaranteed a, practically speaking, constant level of very, very good performance. (And the filter is replaced when this level is no longer constant.) Without filters I have a good chance at very slightly better performance for the short haul and a good chance at noticeably reduced performance for the long haul (with the additional possibility of a traumatic event being far more likely to seriously compromise performance). In particular, it seems like a good idea not to be cleaning the coatings on that crucial outside surface of the lens too often - as much as they are bragged about for durability, they're still somewhat soft.
Many on the list, such as Len (if I remember correctly) will disagree and take the opposite approach. But a lot of it comes down to personal preference and pure enjoyment - myself, I can relax more with a filter on the lens for protection and enjoy my shooting in a more carefree way. Rob >Joe, > >I used to put protective filters on my lenses. Once I started to >aquire high quality optics, I finally got over my fear of damage and >quit using filters for protection. Why would one want to spend so >much money on a lens with great optics only to put on filter that will >negate some of that optical quality. > >Protection can be in the form of lens hood and/or lens cap. Got to >let that lens perform to it's best for you. > >Just my 2 cents. > > >Bruce Dayton _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
