I just read an interesting piece about lens scratches and how they impact (or not) pictures. The popular myth (more on this later) is that scratches are the devil. I’ve seen very expensive lenses sold for pennies on the dollar due to a scratch on the front element, not even a big scratch, just enough to be seen. And when someone finds one, oh my, let the hair pulling and wearing of sack cloth and ashes commence. You would think the world had just ended.
One of the companies I have used to rent lenses from, Lensrentals.com, put up a very cool piece on this with some pictures. They showed two pictures of a trash can and a close up of a alignment card. Both looked ok, not super sharp or contrasty but better than a typical point and shoot. Then came the coup d’etat in the form of a picture of the lens used to shoot the prior two images. Oh my god, a wide angle had taken a hit dead center and splintered into a dozen pie shaped pieces held together by friction and the outer barrel of the lens.
Picture 1
PIcture 2
Article here:
I think this puts to rest any notion that a tiny scratch on the front element is fatal to a lens. Of course, if someone has a scratched 70-200mm VR Nikon lens for sale, I’d be happy to remove your source of grief for a small amount of cash, it IS flawed after all 
According to tests, a black marker or better, matte black paint filling the scratch will prevent it from adding any flare or other visual artifacts by keeping stray light from bouncing off the scratch and showing up on the image.
This also pushes back on the idea of using a filter to “protect” your front element. I’m personally in the middle on this. If I’m shooting in a studio, no filter. If I’m at a kids party or traveling, always a filter to keep the crap off the lens. I can always remove it when I want the absolute best image but it does stop finger prints, small rocks, dust, stray nerf darts and whatnot from impacting on the lens element itself.
So read the article at Lensrentals.com and watch the video from Digital Photography Tips from the Top Floor and make up your own mind. It’s definitely food for thought if you can get past the myth of scratched lenses are junk. And in my opinion, it’s a busted myth.
Awesome. An eye opener too. I never use a filter to “protect my lens” but I also put the lens cap on immediately after each shot. People walking around with their cameras around their necks and the lens cap off puzzle me. Why would anyone do this? Do they clean the lens from the dust that collects on the dirty trails before each shot?
Again, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
I’d be one of the people walking around w/ no lens cap on. Hate the things. As of yet, I can’t say I’ve had any undue dust collection problems (I save those for the sensor
)
I’ve got a Tamron 90mm pitted by sparks. If anything, it’s worse than the lens up above. Still very usable. Just won’t catch me stopping it down much anytime soon
Great! Someone said to my to use a filter for my camera because it can break, but i was like ‘sure that will happen’. after a while my camera felt almost and i thought well maybe i should by one. So i did and its great and you can not see there is a filter for your camera!