Products to protect lenses and keep camera gear clean?

philipgonzales3 · Mar 17, 2014

A buddy of mine told me to get some cheap tiffen UV filters for protecting my lenses as he pointed out filters are a lot cheaper than new lenses. Well I have a D5200 that I bought a few days ago and I don't have any cleaning supplies or anything. Anyway, I got a little confused reading the reviews for the UV filters as many complained of glare, ghosting, reflections with a green tint, etc... then I read something about a clear end cap. I assume this is the same as a UV filter? or is it not? Also should I get something like a lens pen? I always put the caps back on the lenses after use and what not but I live out in the country and it is pretty dusty outside so I don't want to tear up my stuff. Please let me know what to get, as you guys and gals probably know what works and what doesn't. Thanks. :thumbup:

Nevermore1 · Mar 17, 2014

To give some protection while using the lens I would recommend a lens hood as opposed to a UV filter. It will provide some protection since something would have to get "in" the hood to scratch the lens and it you hit the end on something it will hit the hood before it hits the end of the lens. It also help with reducing lens flare.

As for the lens pens, I have one but only use the brush end of it to lightly brush off the lens when needed to make sure there are no large bits of dust/sand that can scratch the lens when I use a lens wipe.

SCraig · Mar 17, 2014

Get good filters or no filters. They become part of the optical path and there is no sense in putting a cheap filter on a good lens. All that does is turn a good lens into a cheap lens.

table1349 · Mar 17, 2014

You need a new buddy. Adding a cheap filter to the front of and engineered lens is asking for trouble. Lower image quality, flare, ghosting to name a few. As already stated, lens hood. lens hood. lens hood. The OEM hood not some collapsible rubber job.

The only good thing about the lens pen is the brush on the end. My wife is a Mary Kay freak so she is always getting brushes with her Mary Kay. I have two or three unused brushes that I got from her to use on my lenses. Soft as a baby's but and very effective. Best way to clean the elements of your lens is good photo lens cleaning solution and either lens tissue or micro fiber. Me I prefer lens papers.

robbins.photo · Mar 17, 2014

Well I don't us uv filters anymore myself. I didn't really see a loss in image quality initially myself on the d5100 but I did notice a difference when shooting with the d5200.

Whether its the higher megapixel sensor, the fact that I'm using better glass or a combination of the two I can't really say.

But the front element of a lens is pretty tough so I just didn't think that it was worth the loss in image quality myself. Opinions vary on this greatly, just fyi.

I don't use lens pens myself, I've got a rocket blower that suffices about 90% of the time and some lens cleaning solution and microfiber cloth when the blower isn't enough.

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robbins.photo · Mar 17, 2014

Oh, my lenses are always capped when not in use.

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Fire · Mar 17, 2014

gryphonslair99 said:
You need a new buddy. Adding a cheap filter to the front of and engineered lens is asking for trouble.

Haha. This makes me think his friend is purposely trying to make him take bad pictures so he could admire his friend.

philipgonzales3 · Mar 17, 2014

Thanks for the info. I'll use the lens hood, get some cleaning solution just to have on hand, and look into lens paper and probably look into getting a new buddy. I just didn't want to neglect my lenses.