Filter on an unused lens.

[Alan92RTTT]

In the prep to sell my D5000, I pulled out my old lenses to check them out. I pulled the lens cap off and found this.

FYI, Thats a UV filter that I keep on my lenses to keep that from happening to the lens.

 

[tirediron]

If there was enough of an impact to do that to the filter, I would be very concerned about the mechanics of the lens, in particular the focusing and zoom helicoids, especially if that was a kit lens.

 

[astroNikon]

many filters are very frail,
whereas the outer element on lens are very thick and sturdy.
there's youtube videos of someone hammering the outside element of a 50mm canon lens and not scratching it. Versus a filter which just shatters.

 

[KmH]

Filters used for 'protection' that break by being pushed into the front lens element often scratch the front lens element with the sharp edges of the broken filter glass.
shattered UV filter and resulting lens scratch

 

[Destin]

Filters used for 'protection' that break by being pushed into the front lens element often scratch the front lens element with the sharp edges of the broken filter glass.
shattered UV filter and resulting lens scratch

Agreed. I only put a UV filter on for protection if I'll be shooting in an exceptionally dusty or dirty environment, and then only because i can wipe dirt off of the filter without caring if I scratch it.

But a UV filter for impact protection is foolish.

 

[Alan92RTTT]

As Destin mentions, I just use the filters so I do not have to worry about scratching the glass. (I take a lot of pics at race tracks)

There was no impact. This happened while the lens was in a bag on a shelf in a cabinet.

 

[dunfly]

Was there a lens cap on it. When storing lenses, a lens cap is better than a filter and if you have a lens cap on there is not need for a filter.

 

[KmH]

From post #1.

. . . I pulled the lens cap off and found this. . . .

 

[Overread]

The only things that I could think caused that if it was on a desk unused are:

1) Most likely - someone knocked it off (or even you did yourself) at some point in the past. It might not even have knocked the lens-cap off; but landed with enough force to shatter the filter (as said they are pretty thin so a lot easier to crack than anything on the lens itself).
IT might also be that something was dropped onto the lens that was able to bump the lenscap in a bit (eg a corner landing on one side of the cap). Enough to, again, shatter the filter glass.

2) Heat induced damage - really only if you live in a very hot country and if it was sitting in sunlight; even then I've honestly never heard of temperatures causing glass fracturing in optics. Only putting this here on an offchance and such and I don't put it past being possible in some countries with prolonged intense sunlight; but then again I'd expect heat enough to cause that would have started melting the lenscap too.


Really its likely point 1 - that the lens got dropped even whilst in storage.

 

[tirediron]

...There was no impact. This happened while the lens was in a bag on a shelf in a cabinet.

Pull the other one, it's got bells on!

 

[480sparky]

I'm not going to say it was aliens..... but.......


It was aliens.

 

[Overread]

I'm not going to say it was aliens..... but.......


It was aliens.

I was going to say aliens, but the voices in my head told me not too.

 

[Derrel]

Filters crack so,so easily....lens front and rear elements? NOT so much!

 

[Braineack]

yeah, notice how the filter itself simply shattered? If you took a filter and dropped it from eye level, 9:10 it will shatter. do the same to a lens, and well, it wont shatter the glass...it may do other things, but it wont shatter the glass.

these cheap filters are a gimmick and only serve the companies who spit these things out by the boat load.

 

[petrochemist]

UV protection filters do have some uses:
1. Promoting discussions on photo forums (Far and away their most useful role!)
2. Allowing photos to be taken in dust storms & similar situations (provided the rest of the lens/camera are adequately protected too)
3. Reducing haze on FILM shots taken at higher altitude
4. Holding Bokeh masks close to the lenses front element
5. provide a sacrificial surface for drawing your own grad filters...

The last few of those show how much I had to scape the barrel to find uses!