Should I care about clean clean lens filters?

Killerbob

I have a "touch" of OCD, and if I spot a single fingerprint on my lens filter, I will literally spend minutes, if not tens of minutes, getting it cleaned off. I may even stop what I am doing, cleaning the filter to a spotless state, and then go on. If it is not easily cleaned off using my lens-pen, I will pull out the Leica cleaning cloth and go to mattresses on that f.....

So, am I crazy? Probably yes, but does a single fingerprint on a filter matter at all?

haroldp

maybe.

It may induce glare or loss of contrast if there s a strong light source in or closely outside the frame.

Get some residue less fluid and a cleaned (but not worn) 100% cotton soft t shirt (no printing).

Always blow or brush off dust first, as the dust may be hard and scratch if rubbed.

NSXTypeR

I have to admit, I have some fairly dirty filters on my DSLR. They work more like transparent lens caps than anything else.

That being said, I don't really notice a huge difference in image quality, even though it's fairly dirty.

spraynpray

Silly perhaps, but I feel that my camera can see better than me so if I can see the crud, so can my camera...

Pistnbroke

To clean it 100% take some domestic bleach ..pub over with finger then wash under the tap and dry with a hairdryer...wet rain spots can send the focus crazy

Msmoto

True confessions: I will clean a finger print or other foreign material from the front element, but will simply blow dust off if possible. I am fairly fastidious about protecting the rear elements, and because of this I have not cleaned one in several years.

In several years I have cleaned the front of my 400 only once or twice, usually after being at the beach or shooting in the rain.

And, I have just finished some shots at a dirt race track, but fortunately the track was so over watered by the heavy rains we have been experiencing , the dust was very low up in row 46.

Small specks on the front filter do not bother me. However, as I do use a protective filter in most cases, I have been know to use a shirt tail after breathing on the front filter.....not recommended, but oh well...

My final conclusion is that if a chemical, i.e., ocean spray with salt, actual pieces of a wind blown foreign material such as dirt or mud, or a finger print with who knows what in it, is present I will attempt to clean this off because I think it will damage the coating on the lens or filter. Big spots will most likely create some degradation of IQ, IMO.

WestEndFoto

It will be out of focus so will be minor. I don't blow my brains out on keeping the front element clean and I have only noticed something when it is fogged over. Dirt on the sensor is a different story.