Re: [Leica] Filters

[ted grant <75501.3002@compuserve.com>]

Dale wrote:

<<<<Just how do you pros keep your lens clean?  >>>>>>>

Dale,
Man I'm about to confess big time on this lens cleaning stuff! :)

I just look at them once in awhile and if they look like there is
something, I blow it off. I'm not a lens cleaning freak as I'm usually too
busy shooting and looking at the subject rather than the lenses.

I had one occaision of shooting all day during a cattle round-up and
towards the end of the day I went to shoot with a 560mm Leica lens and when
I looked through the view finder towards the sun there was this beautiful
golden glow of a cowboy and some cattle and without thinking I shot a half
dozen frames as he moved along with the herd and the sun at his back.

Then I looked at the lens and it was completely covered with fine dust from
bouncing around on the seat of the pick-up all day. In a panic I cleaned it
and re-shot the scene through this sparkling clean lens.

Guess what?  Not one of the sparkling clean lens images got off the light
table! As the "deep dusty" golden frames were gorgeous and one made the
book I was working on. The others didn't have any mood or warm feeling to
them. Looked nice and clean but, "So big deal!" :)

So sometimes what the heck, forget the dust and shoot the stuff anyway. :)

As long as it isn't greasy finger prints or smudges then not much is going
to happen to your image.

<<<Do you try to keep their caps on as much as possible?>>>>

Not at all, most of the lens caps (front) I had, I can't tell you where the
caps are as they're spread around in various hotel rooms about the world.
:) Besides if they're on the lens you loose time removig them if you have
to shoot in a hurry .

<<<And throw the other lenses in the bag and/or put them in your pockets
unprotected?>>>>>>

I may make it sound that I'm careless in how I handle my gear, but that's
not the case, as I have to earn the money to pay for them myself. However,
I don't ever throw lenses into the bag one on top of the other, as I've
seen "staff guys who have their gear paid for" do.

I rarely carry a bag when I'm shooting, they just get in the way and can be
stolen too easily if you put it down and are looking through the camera in
a different direction. You don't always remember to place your foot in the
middle of the shoulder carrying strap.

So quite often I may have several lenses in different pockets of a vest and
if I have time I put the rear caps on, as that is where you get into
trouble if bits and pieces in your pocket get into the back of the lens
mechanism.

So there we are. I can imagine the crying going on as some folks read this.
Do not despair, I do look after my gear very well and if I'm on the road
shooting,  each night before I crash everything is checked over, cleaned if
necessary and re-loaded for the next days start.

ted