There doesn't seem to be a thread for discussing photographic matters without posting pictures, so here goes.

A point for Elbert:- you say you never use a filter and also that you have fungus inside your new lens. I'm looking to buy another lens for my Canon setup and was reading a review, in which it said of the lens "..... fully weather sealed to protect against dust and moisture only when a filter (typically a UV Filter) is in place like all of the other current-at-this-time sealed non-super telephoto lenses)".

That's what I thought. I was concerned primarily with protecting the face of the objective lens, but it seems sealing around the edges is a key feature of a filter. That's for my Canon "L" lenses - I don't know if it applies to Nikkor lenses. But certainly I have no fungus, and my lenses have been used for twice as long as yours and swapped on and off the camera frequently - I believe your new lens is effectively a fixture?

My fungus is dead , but I'm not defending how I care for my equipment for the sake of the equipment. My point was time, energy spent and concern for the equipment gets out of control with a lot/most photographers, so I have a rebellion I call 'a healthy disrespect', to keep me 'focused' :-0, on the product.
read Eye of Eisenstadt. Alfred did a good job of illustrating concern for the camera is in the way of a good photo.

We can post photos here.
The School House at gallon Jug
http://yobubba.livejournal.com/
I went to school in a city, this makes me jealous

I'm only saying what works for me.

Other than worrying about muck getting into the camera and onto the sensor when I change lenses (a major problem here, and it's not just dust that an automatic cleaning system can dislodge), I don't "care for" my equipment at all in any active way. I keep it when not used physically protected and away from dust etc but not hermetically sealed, and when it's in use I try to protect it from rain and sea spray. That's it. Not too onerous.

I do find I have to clean the lens filter pretty well every day of serious use, and given the nature of the muck that gets on it (combined greasy and salty) the most effective way is to take the filter off and wash it in dilute detergent. Not possible with the front element of a lens, and every time you use traditional lens cleaners you risk scratching the surface (virtually unavoidable, in fact) and stripping part of the coatings. I've never cleaned the lenses themselves, here or back in the UK in my film SLR days, and hope I never have to.

In any case, on one lens I actively want a filter as it's a circular polarising filter which I find invaluable with the intense sunlight here. I'd use one on the other lens as well, but the hood is too deep to reach the filter to turn it, so that just has a UV filter. Leaving the hood off is not an option as that can cause slight internal reflections.

I see a major degradation in IQ when I don't use some form of UV filter.

My biggest problem here with photography is that I have a lovely view of sunsets from upstairs in my house, but with the layout of the windows and screens I can never photograph them, and from downstairs I don't get the same view because of undergrowth. Very frustrating!

But I will try to read the book you cited. Do you have a copy?

Forgot to ask - did you rid the fungus yourself, or did the lens go back to Nikon?

I know we can post photos here, but in the photographic forum, including the bit at the top where it mentions "discussions about photography" or some such wording, we HAVE to post a photo to make a text post. It would be useful if in that top section text posts WITHOUT pictures could be made (Marty....?).

Elbert - I've searched a bit, including on Amazon, and I can't find "Eye of Eisenstadt" or any similar title. Do I have the name right? Maybe it's out of print?

Peter-

The book was published in 1949 and is our of print. We have 2 copies in our library (sorry, not for sale). Amazon has 9 resellers with used copies:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0...p;condition=all

Thanks for the info. I've never had anything shipped to Belize but I know people who regularly buy books on Amazon, so I just tried to buy it (I'm a regular customer of theirs). Got a message "we don't ship to Belize". Any ideas?

Have it sent to someone who can mail forward it to you, or put it in their suitcase when they are coming down.