It's amazing how dirty the filters can get, I'd rather not have all that on my lens element, nor would I like to then rub it in with a cleaning cloth.

Good example in favour of filters, my dad has loads of Zeiss lenses, which have always had skylight filters on. I now use these lenses and the filters were pretty speckled and mucky (despite lens caps) so I removed them and cleaned them and the lenses are utterly perfect. That's enough of a reason for me.

I clean my lenses with a lens pen - keeps them bright and sparkling. I give them a clean once a month or so and carry a lens pen in my bag for emergencies. Replace the pen every year.

I use these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hama-00005604-Lens-Cleaning-Pen/dp/B00006JALB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345666166&sr=8-1

My favourite brand is usually whatever is the cheapest!

Don't go believing that just because they normally come from Hong Kong that they will be poor quality either!

The camera I've just bought was made in China - I have no prejudice to Far Eastern manufacturing, I'm ashamed to say it, but I'd probably be more inclined to trust it than that of our own shores a lot of the time.

The problem for me being a novice is not knowing what to look for, so if I'm pointed towards a named product it makes it easier for me at this stage

The camera I've just bought was made in China - I have no prejudice to Far Eastern manufacturing, I'm ashamed to say it, but I'd probably be more inclined to trust it than that of our own shores a lot of the time.

Haven't you got it out to have a play with it yet?

Barely I'm afraid was playing with it in the dark last night on the low light setting -it takes multiple exposures and makes up a composite (something like HDR?) and watching how many exposures it would take. I notice that it has separate modes for Dog photos as opposed to Cat photos -I guess that's so you can obtain a balance between idiot grin and hateful scowl.

it takes multiple exposures and makes up a composite (something like HDR?)

I must have a dabble with that sometime

I clean my lenses with a lens pen - keeps them bright and sparkling. I give them a clean once a month or so and carry a lens pen in my bag for emergencies. Replace the pen every year.

I use these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hama-00005604-Lens-Cleaning-Pen/dp/B00006JALB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345666166&sr=8-1

I'd rather not rub anything over the most delicate part of a lens costing hundreds of pounds thanks

I'd rather not rub anything over the most delicate part of a lens costing hundreds of pounds thanks

Fair enough! Let 'em stay dirty! Filter only covers the front though and you already told us that lens caps didn't keep you dad's lenses free of dirt...

I like my lenses clean and sparkly - blow off any loose stuf with a rocket blower, light flick with a soft brush, another go with the blower and final polish with a lens pen. Perfect! Exactly how the repair shops do it.

Did you read my post? ALL the dirt was on the filter, the lenses, some of which are older than me, we're IMMACULATE. Touching the lens element makes me cringe. Ok if you're using a cheap kit lens, but not when you buy decent ones.

Did you read my post? ALL the dirt was on the filter, the lenses, some of which are older than me, we're IMMACULATE. Touching the lens element makes me cringe. Ok if you're using a cheap kit lens, but not when you buy decent ones.

Yes I read it. My point is that the filter only protects the front element. If the front lens cap still allowed the filter to get dirty then what was happening to the rear element?

Believe me - your cringeing is misplaced. I use 'em on my "cheap" (!) kit lens and £4-500 lenses with no qualms and my son happily polishes his £600-1000+ L series lenses.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one

Maybe you should get a lens pen to keep your filters clean then you will see that they don't damage anything

The dirt happened because of usage, not through a lens cap, in leather lens bags, in a zipped up bag, in a drawer!! The rear element was fine!

Yes I read it. My point is that the filter only protects the front element. If the front lens cap still allowed the filter to get dirty then what was happening to the rear element?

Believe me - your cringeing is misplaced. I use 'em on my "cheap" (!) kit lens and £4-500 lenses with no qualms and my son happily polishes his £600-1000+ L series lenses.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one

Maybe you should get a lens pen to keep your filters clean then you will see that they don't damage anything

I also clean the front elements of my £1000+ lenses with soft cloths and yet to scratch one, if the lens element is going to be damaged by a soft cloth then it's not a lens worth having for my use as I expect toughened weather sealed lenses to be able to resist a lot more than that(and so far they have). I'm not keen on filters, I have tried out very good ones but they still seem to suffer from flaring/ghosting at times.

John

Not by the cloth, by the grit and grime you may be rubbing in. Goodness me, why do I bother!

Not by the cloth, by the grit and grime you may be rubbing in. Goodness me, why do I bother!

Indeed - why do we bother! That is why you give it a light flick with a soft brush and a blow first - to get the grit off. The lens pen is protected by a cap with an integrated cleaner so there won't be any grit on it.

I have been wearing specs full-time for 50+ years. I have cleaned them daily with tissues, handkerchieves from the depths of my schoolboy pockets, the flap of my shirt, my tie and more. I have NEVER repeat NEVER scratched a lens. Some of those lenses were plastic including the last pair that lasted 7 years - that is around 2,000 cleans and not a scratch..

I admire your confidence that you can keep your lenses so pristine & sparkiling that they never need to be cleaned. But I repeat - a filter only protects the front element - how do you keep the rear element clean? Do you scrap the lens if a speck of dust falls on it while you are swapping lenses?

You really are being over-protective of your lenses - they are much tougher than you think.

BTW - how do you clean your filters?

That's really nice for you, but I, like most photographers, am happier having a filter on, just in case of impact an to protect from grit etc. I clean with a Swarovski cloth that came with some of my crystal.

The rear element is never exposed. It's either in the camera or has a cap, it's never exposed, say, on the beach - where salt and grit can blow on it. I've never known my rear ones need cleaning, but if they did there would be perhaps a few little dust specs on it, nothing nasty.

Indeed - why do we bother! That is why you give it a light flick with a soft brush and a blow first - to get the grit off. The lens pen is protected by a cap with an integrated cleaner so there won't be any grit on it.

I have been wearing specs full-time for 50+ years. I have cleaned them daily with tissues, handkerchieves from the depths of my schoolboy pockets, the flap of my shirt, my tie and more. I have NEVER repeat NEVER scratched a lens. Some of those lenses were plastic including the last pair that lasted 7 years - that is around 2,000 cleans and not a scratch..

I admire your confidence that you can keep your lenses so pristine & sparkiling that they never need to be cleaned. But I repeat - a filter only protects the front element - how do you keep the rear element clean? Do you scrap the lens if a speck of dust falls on it while you are swapping lenses?

You really are being over-protective of your lenses - they are much tougher than you think.

BTW - how do you clean your filters?

I'd love to know how you've never scratched specs whilst cleaning them. Whenever I go back every two years for new ones, my existing pair have tiny micro-abrasions all over them! And I use the Specsavers fluid and an MF most of the time!

I spent hours researching this over the past several weeks and there really does seem to be an almost exact 50/50 split of opinion across the internet. Personally, I bought Hoya HD UV alongside my 70-200 IS f4 L and nothing sticks to it. Dust rolls off and a quick blow from a rocket moves anything larger.

My 15-85 IS on the other hand, I thought I would leave. Took it down to the beach the other night and got sea water spray on the end, freaked me out and I've now order a Hoya HD for that too! I'm not taking photos of still stuff, I'm at the beach, in the club (with beer everywhere) and this winter, I'll be heading to the Alps and on skis all day. So for me I think filters make sense. That's the decision I've personally come to.

But I can totally see the argument against them and if I was in less demanding locations, maybe I'd skip them.

The only other thing that I noted, was that some L lenses supposed require a filter to be considered fully weather sealed. Could be a myth, dunno. But just throwing it in there. It seems anecdotally that pros use filters as a replacement for a lens cap to protect the front element whilst always being ready for a shot. Which given the stupidly, fiddly lens caps that Canon make when compared with the Nikon ones - I can imagine why!

Edited 7 October, 201213 yr by okenobi

I'd love to know how you've never scratched specs whilst cleaning them. Whenever I go back every two years for new ones, my existing pair have tiny micro-abrasions all over them! And I use the Specsavers fluid and an MF most of the time!

This is waaayyyy off topic now! Preferred method - Rinse under the tap with warm water; one small drop washing up liquid on each wet lens rubbed in both sides with clean fingers, rinse under the tap with warm water and dab dry with kitchen roll. Opticians have remarked on the condition of the lenses when it comes around for new specs.. NB be careful to remove all the washing up liquid especially with metal frames - it contains salt as a viscosity enhancer that will corrode the frame if left.

Emergency - wipe with anything available that is reasonably clean!

My 15-85 IS on the other hand, I thought I would leave. Took it down to the beach the other night and got sea water spray on the end, freaked me out and I've now order a Hoya HD for that too! I'm not taking photos of still stuff, I'm at the beach, in the club (with beer everywhere) and this winter, I'll be heading to the Alps and on skis all day. So for me I think filters make sense. That's the decision I've personally come to.

My SLR cameras rarely go on the beach and NEVER goes near any salt spray. On the rare occasions that I do take it on the beach I leave the grandkids with mum and dad, I don't change lenses and the lens cap stays on except when taking the shot. When I take the grandkids to the seaside I use a sacrificial point and shoot that I picked up for peanuts off ebay (Canon Powershot A1100 IS). Though having said that even after splashing about in the sea with an excited 5 yr old it has stayed sand and salt free!

I understand why folk use filters as protection and respect and understand that decision. I just feel that the apparent morbid fear of ever touching a lens surface with anything verges on the paranoid.

The only parts of my DSLR where I have a strict "no touch" policy is the mirror and the sensor. I have cleaned the sensor just once (with a puff of air from a hand squeezy thingy rocket blower) to remove a speck of dust.

My film SLR gets a routine blow from the rocket blower if specks appear on the focussing screen.

I also have an early 1960's vintage Mamiya 4B rangefinder 35mm. The lens and rangefinder on that get the lens pen treatment. 50 years old and not a scratch (I haven't had it the whole 50 years though )

Awesome tip on the specs, thanks!!

And yeah, I think we agree on filters then. My 72mm arrived today and I can't wait to get in drunk people's faces with it

I bought the Canon SX50 last week and found it awesome!

Look out for eBay seller *einfinityshop1*. He is presently selling them for £311.

Here is a photo of the moon at 100X magnification this week. The camera is capable of shooting at 200X

Sorry, not sure what has happened to my moon shot

Ah I see I meg limit. Try this

Awesome :clap:

I bought the Canon SX50 last week and found it awesome!

Here is a photo of the moon at 100X magnification this week. The camera is capable of shooting at 200X

Shouldn't that be:-

Here is a photo of the moon at (optical) 50X magnification this week. The camera is capable of (digital) shooting at 100X?

Still mega impressive for a bridge camera though!

The camera has a maximum power of 50X optical and a 4X digital. This will give you a total magnification of 200X if you use optical and digital together at maximum values, very simply 200 X 4 = 200. Obviously any magnification in between can be attained depending on how far you extend the lens. The picture of the moon I submitted was at 100X so taken with full optical and 2X digital. However at these values you do need some support to hold the camera steady. even though it has image stabilising technology. My photo was taken with the camera sat on a blanket on the top of my car but one should use a tripod for perfect results

As an aside I noticed the Ebay site I mentioned in my first post has dropped its' price as today the price is £296, that is one hell of a deal I can tell you as they sell at Comet for £500!

The camera has a maximum power of 50X optical and a 4X digital. This will give you a total magnification of 200X if you use optical and digital together at maximum values, very simply 200 X 4 = 200. Obviously any magnification in between can be attained depending on how far you extend the lens.

That isn't how it works. The 4x, 50x etc is not the magnifying power. It is the ratio between the focal lengths of the lens at the widest and longest setting. The SX-50 has a 4.3 to 215mm zoom lens. Because of the small sensor size that is equivalent to 24 to 1200mm on a 35mm SLR. The extra 4x digital zoom crops the sensor to an even smaller size giving focal length up to 860mm or 4800mm 35mm camera equivalent.

BTW - the moon shot is very good. Salt rubbed in wound by "taken with the camera sat on a blanket on the top of my car but one should use a tripod for perfect results" - looks damn near perfect to me already!

Thank you.

Joe