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The most wonderful woman in the world and I went to southern California on vacation last week. One of the places we stopped was Antelope Valley. I really wanted to visit because the hills can be completely covered in blossoms and appear orange, yellow, and purple. We were early, but I got a few decent close-up shots there nonetheless.

Anyway, as we were leaving I saw an interesting hillside with more blooms than the surrounding area and decided to stop the car and get a picture. I was on a curve in the road, the speed limit was 55MPH and I was hurrying to get out of the car with my camera in one hand and the wide-angle lens in the other. Wouldn’t you know it? I dropped the lens on the pavement and it rolled about ten feet down the highway!

I ran over and picked it up and began to inspect the damage. Amazingly there was very little. I had a Tiffen UV Protector on the lens and the threaded ring was dented enough that my polarizer could not be properly mounted, but that was it! If that filter had not been there, it is almost certain that the lens would have been scratched. As it was, the accident only cost me about seven dollars.

Use UV Protectors on your lenses.