Re: [Leica] A level of lens protection

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

At 10:55 AM 1/30/98 -0500, you wrote:
>
>However, a lens with no filter glass is still vulnerable to whatever sand,
>dust, cinder, grit, etc. that happens to be flying through the air, or acids
>and other pollutants adhering to water molecules.  This is what I refer to
>when I say I use a filter for lens protection.  With top-quality lenses able
>to out-resolve film by a wide margin, I rather play it safe with a $25-50
>Schott-glass filter than risk marring the front element or even its coating.
>This is true with my Nikon lenses...and that much more so with Leica lenses
>whose front elements alone cost more than an entire Nikon lens of similar
>length.
> 

Do you wear sealed goggles over your eyes and scuba gear for your lungs?
Remember, cameras are not dust proof, moisture proof, or anything proof...
except a Nikonos. And filters do not seal out anything, except perhaps a
kid throwing sand. But then you have other problems. What do you do to
protect your camera gears, front surface mirrors, and other delicate
mechanisms? Where do you change lenses and film? I'm very happy that what
you do works for you. But it is a fact that cameras and lenses are very
robust. And nothing is sealed. Putting a filter over your lens for
protection is like whizzing into the wind, toward the sun. It doesn't work.
You still get wet. And you get filter flare.

I'm curious, what would you do if you owned either the 15mm Super Elmar R,
or the 19mm Elmarit R?

Jim

ps... Doc, don't take this personally. I like you and your posts. I'm
exercising my right to be a cantankerous old fart. But please answer the
15mm & 19mm question. Thanks.