“That’s disgusting,” you’d reply. “I know how to protect it.” But, Mom was usually right, and then came that day when you whipped it out and learned your lesson. That trip to the clinic was embarrassing, and everyone laughed at you for not having protected your most valuable property.
Put a UV filter on all your expensive lenses to protect the front element. Oh, you thought I was talking about something else? Get your mind out of the gutter. I should have known seeing you in that raincoat with the bag of candy in the pocket.
Nowadays, most decent cameras are weather-resistant but not waterproof. Still, do you really want to take a six thousand dollar camera and lens and have someone spray you with a hose to prove it?
Today’s high-end cameras cost more than a full-size car did in my youth. It’s why we wear seat belts for protection, just in case. Always double down to maximize the safety of your camera equipment.
When I buy a new lens, I always include a UV multicoated filter for the front of the lens. The front element of most camera lenses is coated to minimize flare and is part of the lens’s optical design. As a general rule, you want to rarely, if ever, clean the front of the lens. When lenses of today are approaching three thousand dollars each, a scratch or damage to the lens coating is a terrifying thing to think about.
A UV filter is supposed to filter out the sun’s UV rays, and I assume they do, but I want the filter to be a twenty-five-dollar seat belt to the front element. If you photograph children or animals, the thought of having a toddler whack the lens with a slobbery sucker or the dog lick it is a real possibility.
Cleaning or replacing an inexpensive filter is cheap insurance against sending your lens off for repair.
Adding a UV filter does have potential drawbacks. I’ve noticed on my Canon EOS R5 that my wide-angle zoom (RF 15-35mm f2.8L) is more prone to flare if you shoot towards the sun. To minimize this, I buy multicoated filters, which are more resistant to flare. Of course, flare can add an interesting effect to an image.
This is my safe-sex lesson for cameras and always protect your investment.
P.S. The image has nothing to do with this post. I just like the picture. Model: @Ava_Lush_model.
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Vegas Camera Guy 