scratches on lens

[arthurking83]

Since it's a wide angle lens, I presume it would be used to shoot at smaller aperture where scratches will be more apparent. .....

Under normal conditions, irrespective of aperture used, you won't see the effects of the scratches on the front element.
If you see any effects due to a stopped down aperture, then 99.99% it's something on the sensor itself, not the front of the lens.

If you regularly use the lens with any extension tubes, then you 'may' see the scratches themselves .. but to achieve this situation, you'd have to be actually trying (really hard!) to take photos of those scratches

Get yourself some extension tubes and try it for yourself to see how hard it is to take a photo of any subject where the focus distance is on the front lens element .. just to experience how hard it is to take photos that close to the front of the lens!

What you may see tho, is some lens flare effects if you shoot under the conditions where any light source will strike the front of the lens element. You'd have to test this for yourself to see how bad it may be now.

But I think this post reiterates the point that using a 'protective' filter creates the exact opposite effect that the filter is supposed to do!

I'd bet my last $ that if the lens cap alone was the only thing 'protecting' the lens .. you wouldn't be seeing those small scratches now!