"Michael Yates" wrote in message
...
What kind of plastic do you mean?
I want to get the best performance but also the lowest risk of damaging
the polarizer or the lens itself.
How much does a polarizer degrade the image compared to a skylight filter?

I was under the impression that the skylight filter doesnt detract hardly
anything compared to a polarizer, and a skylight filter could possibly
warm the darker image that the polarizer is providing.

I thought it was worth asking.
thanks for the reply

Bret does have a point, after all, the lowest risk of damaging the polarizer
or the lens is to keep them in their boxes and in a safe deposit box
somewhere. But if you want the effects that a filter provides, use a filter.
If you want the effects of multiple filters, use multiple filters. If the
only way that you will feel comfortable enough to walk outside with your
lens is to put a "protective" filter on it, then by all means, put a
protective filter on it. It will affect your image quality, but if that is
the price that you pay for being mentally and emotionally able to get out
and shoot pictures, then so be it. For what it's worth, I have never put a
"protective" filter on any of my lenses and in 25 years of photography have
never damaged a front element, and I'm not the most careful person around. A
lens hood might afford all the protection you need, a watertight case and a
wetsuit might not. Only you can figure that out. Why not try shooting photos
with and without and see if the difference matters to you?

Eric Miller