Maintaining And Buying Lens Filters....It's Easy.

Keeping it short for this one up to now as no pictures, yet....

When I've mentioned filters previously it was in general and just a KISS view, sometimes it's the best way as complicating things or delving deeper technically doesn't always bring the benefits we were expecting or looking for in relation to the time spent researching or investments spent.

This is nothing to do deciding wether to use them or not, there are plenty of 'expert' articles out there to bore you, it only takes common sense, a little reading and your own desires, not someone elses idea of what you should be using or not for their reasons and not your own.

For me I use them primarily for protection which has roots in using them in the field and in the elements but I'd also use them if I didn't have that experience, my personal interests are also outside so it's a no brainer, decide which one, put it on, forget about it, any other filter I need to use for an effect is bought with the same mindset, I'm looking for glass that's easy to clean, some say Hoya HMC Coated Filters are hard to clean, I don't own any so, do your own testing, do not take my or anyone elses word for it, try it yourself, it's the only way.

Snip: If you need to use a generic or alternative Petal Lens Hood on an older lens, where the original hood might be hard to find, I've seen commments saying some don't work because they are fixed in the wrong position, personally I'd just try an old Polariser (Or any rotating Filter Ring), with the glass removed, inbetween the Hood and Lens to be able to rotate the hood into the desired position. (I think SRB sell empty Filter Rings)  I clean dirty filters with warm water, a little mild degreaser for stubborn marks making sure the soft brush or cloth is clean from grit or cornflakes etc. I use a really soft micro fibre cloth gently to remove any water marks, many gentle passes rather than one or two heavy rubs, I use a soft (Sable) paintrush sometimes to clean at the edge and threads, any liquid that's used will settle behind the edge of the glass and mount, make sure it's gone before using or putting away, I'm not a, sometimes recommended, fan of using compressed air onto glass, it's tougher than you think but a hairdryer has speed if needed but slower for drying.

 I mostly use Nikon OEM for all my Nikon Lenses, partly to do with fitment, they are made for each other, just make sure they are era specific and they'll fit, never get stuck, are cheap (Most common under £10) and they do what they were designed to do.

 Some larger Nikon filters can expensive if on a low budget so 3rd Party Hoya or Hama are a friendly option for the wallet and unless you need a specific technical minimum for scientific work etc then your OEM will usually suffice, I do know each filter does impact on the image but the ones I use result in the same image, no filter, three figure or cheap knockoff regardless.

 They protect against light knocks, protect against wind debris, rain, make you feel more secure about possible damage to your beloved lens, all my fav Nikons have all OEM Hardware specific Caps, Hoods etc as yours probably do, plus they keep dust off the front element, if you also need to get close for Macro stuff then no need to worry about subjects touching the glass.

The unconditional winner of our test! We didn’t expect that the 79 Polish zloty Hoya HMC would win against B+W, Marumi or Heliopan. This filter cuts out the UV radiation the best and has a large visible light transmission (although that 3% value could be a bit less). The very good balance between price and quality easily convinces us to buy it. We don’t have to add anything else, do we?

UV filters test - 11 May 2009 - lenstipdotcom/index.php?art=113&roz=15

 It's not rocket science and no one needs any 'Special' snake oil product to clean material that's harder than anything you use to clean it, sandpaper might be an issue but you get the drift....If you don't, then you need to find another hobby.

 I don't care or want to know why others do or don't, that does not affect my decisions as I can make my own mind up based on 30 yrs of taking pics, that's the only advice I need and really, how hard are people making it for themselves if they can't clean a 2" piece of glass.

Snip: I've found that some newer Hoya Filter glass is held in with what seems to be plastic rings that can't be unscrewed, if you like changing things or replacing things as I do, that isn't DIY friendly at all...Of course as someone who likes to pay as little as possible, who doesn't, sometimes you need to buy dirty to get cheap so the above treatments are the extreme end of the tale, most arrive in good shape so don't think it applies to every Filter, but the Hoya on the 180/2.8 that's been on it since the 90's sometimes, needs a fettle....after being dragged around a Festival Site for 12 hours....