Does a glass lens need protection from UV?

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I am getting an Olympus 2020. Along the way while researching which camera to buy, several times I ran across references to protecting the lens from UV damage, yet cannot seem to find any real information on the topic. I even saw one reference to a camera being sold whose lens had 'never been touched by UV rays' or some such statement. Is it important to keep a filter of some kind on the lens when outside? What is the story on this?

Thanks! (I can hardly wait to get my camera, which I think will be delivered today!!)

-- June Templin (jdt@goshen.edu), July 18, 2000

Answers

Where do they keep thinkin' 'em up? No, glass lenses do not need protection from UV. The coating will not fade, the glass will not get darker, it won't melt, shrink, crack, haze, get bubbles in it, fog, explode, develop glass cancer, or cause your hair to fall out (unless you worry over non-existent problems like this of course).

Let me ask you this. How many of your household windows have you had to replace due to UV damage?

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), July 19, 2000.


What they probably meant is that a UV filter will protect the camera lens from scratches and dust. It is much easier and safer to clean or replace a $10 filter than the original camera lens if something happens. Picture quality will not change appreciably with the filter. I too have the 2020 and keep one on mine with the cla-1 adapter as lens armor. The lens extension mechanism tends to be a little fragile on the camera to knocks or leaving the cap on when powering on.

-- Brad Grant (bradandsteph@home.com), July 19, 2000.

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