On Tue, 25 Aug 1998 07:26:34 -0700, Ted Culotta wrote:

>> I usualy
>> buy UV filters for all my lenses to protect their front element. However
>> the store said that Nikon suggests not putting any filters on the front
>> thread including the UV filter because it 'screws up the optics'. I can't
>> seem why they would say
>> that if it was not so (they may loose the sale of a UV filter).

>Nikon is not concerned about the sale of a UV filter. Also, screwing up the
>optics, while maybe too harsh a description is essentially correct. Why
>would you buy the best glass you can and then throw an inferior piece of
>glass (compared to that in the lens) on the front of it? The whole
>"protective filter" issue is a myth probably created by someone at Hoya to
>boost sales. If you want to protect the lens (and maintain image quality)
>use the lens hood. That will prevent almost all bumps and scrapes from
>affecting the glass. By the way, I do use other filters for effect (like a
>polarizer) so I am not saying they have no place in photography, but the UV
>filter should be used to cut UV haze, not protect the lens. The only
>situations I can think of where you might want to sacrifice image quality by
>using a UV filter are those where the elements (not glass ones, but outdoor)
>could ruin the lens, like salt water spray, a lot of blowing sand, etc.
>
>Just an opinion.

Ummm, and another opinion....;-)
I have done testing with long, fast lenses with and without (good...)
front and rear filters, and other than a slight focus shift introduced
by removing a rear filter that was designed to be there, I have been
unable to detect the theoretically present degradation of image
quality when using filters (thus rendering that, for me, a myth...;-).
The Nikkor 300mm f4 shade is a slip-out type, so it offers little
protection from front bumps. I have had a lens grabbed, and the filter
protecting the lens was damaged, saving the lens. And, since
multi-element lenses absorb most UV light of interest, the "UV-haze"
filter does little or nothing in practice to cut haze...