Why I really feel no need for the protective filter

*********THIS IS NOT A THREAD INTENDED TO FIRE UP THE DEBATE - JUST MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE*********

I know this topic is against the Warsaw Treaty to bring up, and has been beaten to death, but I just wanted to share.

Today I did something many folks might cringe at - I set up my camera with my Rokinon fisheye in a box at the park in a way that I knew would run the risk of the lens being pecked by many beaks. My goal was to get a shot looking up at a bunch of ibis's feeding all around the lens.

I took a small cardboard box, cut a hole in the top to allow just the lens front to show, and used a wireless remote (Shutterboss). Didn't take long to get the birds to come over, and they did eat off the box (hamburger buns), but I didn't get the actual shot I was hoping for (full circle of birds feeding around the lens). What I did get was a lot of birds pecking at the box, and the lens, as the wind was blowing crumbs onto the lens. I could hear the beaks hitting the lens on at least 10 occasions from about 7 feet away, and in honesty, it made me cringe. When it was all said and done, not a scratch, scuff, nick, blemish or anything on the lens or the coating.

I've taken old lenses and dropped things on them like pilot-tipped drill bits to see how they hold up with and without 'protective' filters, but I've never had a 'real-world' situation that most would think would cause damage. Today just really re-confirmed my belief that even in 'hazardous' situations, a filter is not necessary. On a side-note, I live in Florida, near the beach, which has salt water, and I go to the beach quite often, and I don't use a filter there either.

BUT - TO EACH HIS OWN. I'm not trying to start the war, just relaying my personal experience.

Here's one of the shots I got where the bird hit the lens -

^ ***RANT RAVE RANT RAGE FILTER RAGE RANT RAVE***

I fear fingerprints, dirt and everything else, never considered a threat of wild Ibis's attacking my lens.

Your intentions don't matter. It will turn into the typical filter argument.

InfiniteDivide wrote in post #16823068
^ ***RANT RAVE RANT RAGE FILTER RAGE RANT RAVE***

I fear fingerprints, dirt and everything else, never considered a threat of wild Ibis's attacking my lens.

gotcha. that is awesome.

I figured I would just start the argument, but personally don't care what others use or don't use.

1Tanker wrote in post #16823071
Your intentions don't matter. It will turn into the typical filter argument.

I'm really hoping it won't. I've noticed the past few protective filter threads have remained quite civil, and I'm hoping this follows suit.

It really was just about my observations, and how I expected there to be something because of the lack of a filter, yet there wasn't.

WHAT ABOUT THE IBIS BEAKS?!

they seem to have survived unscathed

lol. great idea, still a great shot even if you didn't get your circle of beaks vision.

Thanks coogee. I'll be trying again. Now if they would only cooperate and follow my directions. Darn models!

Wouldn't the beaks not hurt the lens simply because they are made from a material softer than the glass?

Regardless, great shot and idea.

Yet, people use twigs as a reason for filters....

Thanks!

Never worried around filters until I was stuck in sand for 15 hours waiting for the New Years Eve fireworks (it's a Sydney thing, big event big crowds) and scratched the front element near the edge of the 24-70mm II 2.8 simply due to some sand getting stuck in the lens cap and grinding against the lens!

try again with a $1500 Canon fisheye. tell us how you really feel.

I personally don't see why people worry so much about what others do.

Given my experience, no matter how careful you are... Scratching the front element is easier than most people think. Maybe not into the glass exactly, but the coatings certainly.

The decision to use or not use filters have no impact on someone else. So why people get personal about it is beyond me. Who, really, cares?

Just to throw it in there, I use them with no issues. I like them for the care-free cleaning I can do when required. I had a loaner 8-15L from Canon that I cleaned the front element once with a lenspen (using bulb blower first, brush, bulb blower again and then lenspen) and the coating was marred. Coatings are not as robust as people think. I have some blemishes on my Hoya HD filters as well from careful cleaning… They look perfect in normal light, but if you shine a powerful light at proper angles you see everything.