How anal do you get about keeping dust out of Filters?

[Pablito]

anal? did someone say anal?

 

[oftheherd]

I have always used filters, UV for protection, and b/w filters when needed. I always use blowers, brushes or the tattered end of a lens tissue. Rarely, but when needed, lens cleaning fluid. I used to use that a lot, but less now that I use filters. To each his own.

 

[nikon_sam]

I have seriously trashed some filters and would hate to think that would have been the front element were it not for the filter.

I have two Vivitar Series 1 lenses that I bought new back in the early 80's...the front elements on both are perfect due to both always having filters on them for protection...
Lately, I've been pickier about the quality of filters I use and when I prefer to remove them for image quality...mostly they are there for protection...one such filter did save a lens for me when I was a youngster...

 

[35mmdelux]

Also "very". Each time a filter goes on or comes off, canned air is used for all surfaces. And this reminds me of my obsessive need to keep the lens cap on except for the few moments I'm actually taking a shot. I see people just walking around with their lenses exposed and it's like fingernails on chalkboards.

Canned air is one of the worst things you can use on a lens because of the propellant residual.

 

[capito]

After watching The War Photographer and seeing the scene in the sulphur mines where Nachtwey wipes condensed sulphur with a dirty cloth I have come to the conclusion that a few specks of dust are no trouble.

 

[Neare]

I attach a filter to a lens when I buy it, or when it breaks. I give a lens a blow off just before I attach it. After that, I only really clean the filter when it's covered in fingerprints and all hazy etc. Dust doesn't bother me at all.

I also don't pay 2x the price for b&w filters when hoya's etc. do the exact same thing.

 

[estudleon]

That sounds almost contradictory... 😉

While accurate to a point, I'd simply suggest buying good filters. I've had no issues with B+W or Heliopan for example.

IMHO is necessary to separate the wordl of laboratory and the real world.

In the laboratiory the filter reduce the IQ of the lens. In my test, with normal konica lens, film iso 400 (XP2 Super), at the 2/3 of the negative, the resolution power was 90 pl/mm. With B&W skylight filter, the resolution was decreased to 70 pl/mm.

In the real world, the difference was almost nothing. Not important at all.