Scratches on my lens

Hi everyone,
I was cleaning my lens and I noticed I have a few very small scratches on my lens. I was wondering if there is any way to fix this or even if it's necessary since the scratches seem quite small (will it affect my photos?) Thanks.

It shouldn't affect your shots and I wouldn't do anything to try to fix it - or worry about it. The worst possible situation would be additional lens flare from the scratches. Try shooting with the sun in the frame** for a good test of any possible problems. Then think about how often you shoot with the sun in the frame in real life. :) Use a hard plastic or metal lens hood for two reasons - it'll help with the flare but also give the lens a little protection.

**Looking at the sun thru a camera's viewfinder isn't exactly good for your eyes. The longer the lens, the more it's magnified so the brighter it will appear. Sometimes in doing this I'll put the camera on "A" (aperture priority, or Av) and use a moderate aperture like f8. Before I look thru the viewfinder I push the DOF button which darkens the viewfinder quite a lot. Life is much easier this way, but I don't bother with a 20mm or less focal length.

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Originally Posted by another view

Use a hard plastic or metal lens hood for two reasons - it'll help with the flare but also give the lens a little protection.

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Thanks another view for your reply.:)
Are you meaning a UV Filter over the lens?

I'm going to use up the rest of my Black and White film today and tomorrow to test out the lens, would the results be the same if I use colour film?

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Originally Posted by PhotoGirl

Thanks another view for your reply.:)
Are you meaning a UV Filter over the lens?

I'm going to use up the rest of my Black and White film today and tomorrow to test out the lens, would the results be the same if I use colour film?

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No! A UV filter is useless. The lens hood is, well, a hood (!) that fits over the end of the lens and blocks light entering from the sides. It has no glass and does not interfere with your lens quality the way that filters do.

Michael and I feel the same way about UV filters. :) I only use them when I'm pretty sure I'll get something on the lens - rain, etc. Any glass that you put in front of the lens can make the flare problem worse (no contrasty light on a rainy day means no flare though). The best protection you can get for a lens, in terms of flare and physical damage, is the dedicated lens hood made specifically for whatever lens you're using. Generic 52mm or whatever filter size hoods don't provide the best protection; they're a compromise.

Results will be the same with color and B&W.

thank you for the replies.:)