This has been discussed so many times on the net, and so often it ends in a useless battle. There is no "right" or "wrong" about using UV filters, it's just a decision anybody needs to make for himself. Yes, you should know about some facts to guide you, there are valid arguments for each point of view, but I find it rather strange that there are so many "believers" that try to defend their position and pull people over to their side.
Allow me to add one point to the current discussion (hope you don't mind, wim): be careful about sources close to problem areas, they might have a somewhat "bent" vision. If I asked my wife, an intensive care nurse, if it's fun to ride a motorcycle, you can probably imagine her answer. Last year I have fallen victim to an eBay fraud, the police officer I talked to opens several such cases every day and personally carefully avoids any online businesses, let alone online banking. Actually, he doesn't even connect his main PC to the internet, he uses a seperate machine for the very few internet things he considers safe.
What I'm trying to say: the concentrated amount of damaged lenses and filters you see at a place like a retailer is not necessarily a reflection of the real world out there.
Plus: any retailer will try to convince you that protection is a good thing, because accessories like filters is where the profit is today (says another retailer <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> a low volume one, though)
Another thought: the risk of getting your front lens damaged is no doubt real, but it is pretty low, especially if we talk about severe damage, not just marks or tiny scratches. The latter, as already mentioned here, will have no visible effect on your images (just as in-lens dust, but that's another story), but they might reduce the resale value of your lens. Depending on the value of the lens, the number of lenses you own and the number of filters required to protect them, anybody can easily calculate the total amount required which needs to be invested for protection (and ease of mind). However, if it's cheaper in the end to buy filters or not, or to just acept the loss in resale value, no one can tell you. The probability of a scratched or completely ruined front lens is rather low, but that doesn't really help if it happens to you. It's as with insurances: a bet on the future, which you can win or lose.
And one final thought: completely independent of whether a filter will protect or ruin a front lens in case of a heavy impact, a lens hit that hard will most likely face other issues, too (I'm thinking about decentering here, also heavy impact on other mechanical parts like mount, zoom and focus ring, which might lead to additional issues in the long run).
(edit: just found that wim already mentioned this ... sorry, this discussion it probably too complex already <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> )
-- Markus
Allow me to add one point to the current discussion (hope you don't mind, wim): be careful about sources close to problem areas, they might have a somewhat "bent" vision. If I asked my wife, an intensive care nurse, if it's fun to ride a motorcycle, you can probably imagine her answer. Last year I have fallen victim to an eBay fraud, the police officer I talked to opens several such cases every day and personally carefully avoids any online businesses, let alone online banking. Actually, he doesn't even connect his main PC to the internet, he uses a seperate machine for the very few internet things he considers safe.
What I'm trying to say: the concentrated amount of damaged lenses and filters you see at a place like a retailer is not necessarily a reflection of the real world out there.
Plus: any retailer will try to convince you that protection is a good thing, because accessories like filters is where the profit is today (says another retailer <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> a low volume one, though)Another thought: the risk of getting your front lens damaged is no doubt real, but it is pretty low, especially if we talk about severe damage, not just marks or tiny scratches. The latter, as already mentioned here, will have no visible effect on your images (just as in-lens dust, but that's another story), but they might reduce the resale value of your lens. Depending on the value of the lens, the number of lenses you own and the number of filters required to protect them, anybody can easily calculate the total amount required which needs to be invested for protection (and ease of mind). However, if it's cheaper in the end to buy filters or not, or to just acept the loss in resale value, no one can tell you. The probability of a scratched or completely ruined front lens is rather low, but that doesn't really help if it happens to you. It's as with insurances: a bet on the future, which you can win or lose.
And one final thought: completely independent of whether a filter will protect or ruin a front lens in case of a heavy impact, a lens hit that hard will most likely face other issues, too (I'm thinking about decentering here, also heavy impact on other mechanical parts like mount, zoom and focus ring, which might lead to additional issues in the long run).
(edit: just found that wim already mentioned this ... sorry, this discussion it probably too complex already <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' /> )-- Markus
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