Use your filter/lems hoods + some care

Did this last weekend.

Glad the lens is ok! I dropped my 85/1.8 onto a wooden floor (about 6") and all that happened was the lens cap got "fused" onto the filter. I was able to get the filter off and the lens was fine! Had to buy a new filter and lens cap though

OUCH!!! Glad things turned out ok.

Wow that was a close one, this honestly made me consider giving in and getting filters for my lenses.

This thread almost made me want a filter but on second thought....nahhhhhhhh

Had a similar experience in the 35mm film era when a Canon Rebel XS and a 75-300mm lens fell on the lens' front element. Smashed the UV filter, but the front element was spared. Removed the broken filter and kept taking pictures.

Lazuka wrote in post #8779179
Wow that was a close one, this honestly made me consider giving in and getting filters for my lenses.

Even though the lens in the first post was not damaged, the filter had absolutely NOTHING to do with "saving" the lens except possibly keeping the lens' filter threads from becoming damaged.

In order to provide protection to delicate equipment in a major impact situation, the protection device(s) need to be able to absorb energy in one way or another to spread the impact out over time. That will reduce the peak forces felt by the equipment being protected. Since a filter cannot crush or bend on impact, it provides only a VERY tiny reduction of force to the lens when it breaks. Photographic filters are extremely fragile and will break very easily.

A rigid lens hood, on the other hand, can provide significant impact protection. It can break up or bend (depending on materials and design) which absorbs energy that would otherwise be transmitted to the innards of the lens.

Here is my blog on the event. Definitely use your hoods as much as possible. There really is no reason not to use them.
http://www.artbynichol​as.com/blog/?p=19

Unfortunately the filter I had on was my circular polarizer, so that was a little more expensive than the UV, but still, saved me from possible other significant damage.

I just wanted to let people know to take as many precautions as possible. I was shooting a live band at Summerfest in Milwaukee and did not have my strap around my neck. My foot caught the strap and took my camera for a fast ride to the pavement. The 5DII body took some scratches and rash and the lens hood saved the day overall.

1. Make sure your gear is insured
2. Ensure you have a UV filter or other type on at all times.
3. Use your lens hoods as much as possible.
4. ZIP UP YOUR CAMERA BAG!!!

NicholasP wrote in post #8779739
Unfortunately the filter I had on was my circular polarizer, so that was a little more expensive than the UV, but still, saved me from possible other significant damage.

Speaking as an engineer, there is no way a filter can protect a lens from an impact. The presence of the filter in this drop cost you a filter and did nothing for the lens.

This I agree with.

JeffreyG wrote in post #8779806
Speaking as an engineer, there is no way a filter can protect a lens from an impact. The presence of the filter in this drop cost you a filter and did nothing for the lens.

Had the filter not been there, the rim of the lens (not the filter) would have made direct impact with the pavement, and caused damage to the lens.

Respectfully, stick to engineering things and not hypothesizing.

NicholasP wrote in post #8780135
Had the filter not been there, the rim of the lens (not the filter) would have made direct impact with the pavement, and caused damage to the lens.

Respectfully, stick to engineering things and not hypothesizing.

In this situation, the only damage that might have occurred (that did not because of the filter being there) was possible bending of the lens' filter threads. Had there been internal damage to the lens, that would have been no different with or without a filter attached.

An empty filter ring would have done absolutely as much for crash protection as the filter that broke up did and would not have sprayed tiny glass shards all over your lens.

Where was the lens hood? Had it been mounted, it would have probably have kept the lens in rather pristine shape as well. It would be less expensive to replace than a high quality UV filter.

The bottom line is that you lucked out. The filter did not really do much, if anything, for you.

SkipD wrote in post #8780273
In this situation, the only damage that might have occurred (that did not because of the filter being there) was possible bending of the lens' filter threads. Had there been internal damage to the lens, that would have been no different with or without a filter attached.

An empty filter ring would have done absolutely as much for crash protection as the filter that broke up did and would not have sprayed tiny glass shards all over your lens.

Where was the lens hood? Had it been mounted, it would have probably have kept the lens in rather pristine shape as well. It would be less expensive to replace than a high quality UV filter.

The bottom line is that you lucked out. The filter did not really do much, if anything, for you.

Damage was not caused to my lens because the filter was on.
Had the filter been off, the damage would have been caused to my lens (as you said, bending the lens filter threads.)

Therefore, I can't put a lens filter on after that happens which means - DAMAGED LENS.

Filter = LOSE
Lens = WON

Someone remind me why are people nit picking this?

NicholasP wrote in post #8780305
Someone remind me why are people nit picking this?

The problem is that newbies will often believe that filters offer mechanical protection to lenses involved in impact situations when they read posts that have incorrect cause/effect analysis. Several of us try to make sure that newbies understand the truth about impact reduction.

A very significant comparison can be made to the water-filled or sand-filled barrels that you see on the highways in front of bridge abutments, etc. They are designed to crush on impact, slowing the impact time and very significantly reducing the peak forces applied to the crashing automobile (and its contents). If the highway department used something hard and not crushable (like the rim of a filter is) instead of the crushable barrels, more people would die when hitting them. This is very basic mechanical engineering at work.

(sigh!)
still another "filter/no filter" debate.

If the OP is happy that his expensive CP filter prevented damage to his lens, and other than spouting theories, nobody can really prove that it didn't offer some hope, then why not just let it be?

We're talking about a camera lens and a screw-on filter here, not a car traveling at highway speeds and roadside barriers. Apples and Watermellons at best.

Personally I would think that dropping the lens, front first, with no filter or hood onto the concrete or asphalt could well do some damage....if not to the theads then possibly to the front element. If a filter took the brunt and kept the damage from spreading to the lens body itself then I would say it did its job. If not, then the worst that happened was a filter was destroyed.

But I know full well that will not stop the raging debate, so.......as you were.

DennisW1 wrote in post #8780494
(sigh!)
still another "filter/no filter" debate.

If the OP is happy that his expensive CP filter prevented damage to his lens, and other than spouting theories, nobody can really prove that it didn't offer some hope, then why not just let it be?

We're talking about a camera lens and a screw-on filter here, not a car traveling at highway speeds and roadside barriers. Apples and Watermellons at best.

Personally I would think that dropping the lens, front first, with no filter or hood onto the concrete or asphalt could well do some damage....if not to the theads then possibly to the front element. If a filter took the brunt and kept the damage from spreading to the lens body itself then I would say it did its job. If not, then the worst that happened was a filter was destroyed.

But I know full well that will not stop the raging debate, so.......as you were.

THANK YOU! Someone with some sense.