What brand of filter to buy

I'm looking to get a UV filter to protect my 24-105L and 50 1.4. What brands are good and what should I look for in a filter? I see there are different prices for the same size filter from the same brand.

Actually, my other question is if a UV filter is what i'm looking for to protect my lens.

B+W MRC filters are considered to be one the best, but do you really want to use them? Or just for lens protection?

Hey there. I personally don't use any type of filters. You'll run into the age old argument that they'll cause flare and degrade image quality. I think a sturdy hood usually does just as good of a job while lowering your chances of flare. Having said that, I can understand why you would want a filter as well. I just picked up at 135L, and it frightens me to see that giant front element bare. At the momment I'm not really considering a filter, i'll just take extra good care of this lens. FYI a lot of people go about shooting without a filter.
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-AL

I want something to protect my lens and i thought that a high quality UV lens is the right way to go. I shoot mostly indoors with a child crawling around.

I know that b + w and hoya are good brands. I don't know what multi coated versus non-coated versus super coated means though.

Just plain glass will do, if you really want one. Canon branded glass filters are cheap. UV is not really a issue with digital cameras, there is a UV filter already built in over the sensor.

A hood will usually do a better job of protecting from droppage, it flexes and absorbs the energy, while a filter passes the shock into the lens.

You can clean a filter without worrying about scratching your lens, and clear glass ones are cheap, just toss them if they get cracked or badly scratched.

You might want to look into this a little more. What our eyes consider clear is not up to the same tolerance as the rest of the lens and the sensor. Introducing a new element to a lens design that wasn't made for one, can introduce a slew of unwanted side effects : i.e. extra flare being one of the more prevalent issues. This is where the high end glass + a good multi coat comes in handy, it'll have the least impact on your final image. B+W makes some great filters, but you'll notice that you will be shelling out quite a bit of money for them, so in that light, the hood tends to work just fine. The front element of the lens is actually very hard. It's always good if you take the approach where you aught to be careful with your gear, but I feel that for your purposes the hood will do just fine and a soft microfiber cloth to dust off the front every once in a while will suffice for the other times.
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-AL

So many people have different views on this subject of filters, canon says only use canon filters with their lenses, we all know others work just as well though so canon wants to sell their filters I'm sure.

A few things I've noticed after reading and thinking the subject over a lot, some times 2+2= 4 no matter how you cut it.

1) Only use a filter when you have to, I shot wildlife in the woods and don't need a protection filter, the higher the cost of the lens the moe careful you will be I'm sure.

2) When you need to use a filter get one with coatings and made of real glass, most middle priced filters will do about the same.

3) Learn how to use the filter and when to use a filter, and the difference the filter will have on your images, and digital cam and what settings it may or may not need.

4) Most people seemed worried more about brand name then the filter it self, they show tests some one took using them, in ways most of us will never use them and moving the lens a little would make a big difference either way.

5) A bad filter will tint images and could mess with the AF even, and if you use a filter you should test it before using it, because I'm sure having coatings on sensors and lenses, and then filters put 3 different coatings into the mix, may well cause problems in some settings.

There are likely as many differences with the same filters, as there is with different filters, and testing filters with shots that are not likely to be used much, or the person taking them would be careful to start with, is not very telling about how good a filter is or is not.

For me I'm going to be careful with my gear because it cost so much, and protecting it needs to come from be careful, or it's going to get hit or dropped even with a filter on it for protection. So I don't use a filter to protect it so I don't forget, to be careful in the first place, it's some thing to think about and works for me.
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