Buy expensive UV Filter or cheap CPL

[VitaminB6]

I am going to get a super wide angle lens, Sigma 20mm f1.8, and also considering to have both UV filter and CPL since I take landscape pictures mostly, but sometimes take picture for human portrait. Here is my question,
I am surfing on the internet and found some of the uv filter are really expensive like B+W MC 82mm but some are cheap. What I am thinking about is that should I buy expensive UV filter such as B+W and cheap CPL like Hoya CIR-Polarising? Or, get a cheap UV filter and buy a good CPL? Any advice is appreciated.

[weemannie]

I really think that cheap filters are a waste of money. Why buy quality lenses only to put some poor glass in front of it?
Buy a high quality CPL and protect your lens with a cheap UV by any means, but take it off before using the lens :D

[electrict]

Spend the extra cash and get a decent filter, would you put regular gas in a ferrari?

[crn3371]

I don't know if it is true or not, but I was in my local camera shop the other day pricing a polarizer and was told that for a polarizer it didn't matter that much whether it was multi-coated or not. I keep high quality uv filters on for protection, but for the occassions where I would want a polarizer it would be nice to know that I didn't have to spend the extra money for multi-coated.

[SkipD]

I don't know if it is true or not, but I was in my local camera shop the other day pricing a polarizer and was told that for a polarizer it didn't matter that much whether it was multi-coated or not. I keep high quality uv filters on for protection, but for the occassions where I would want a polarizer it would be nice to know that I didn't have to spend the extra money for multi-coated.All filters that you intend to use should be the highest quality you can find (and afford to buy). It makes much more sense to me to buy a high quality circular polarizer and forget the UV filter totally if your finances can only afford the one. Then get a lens hood if you don't have one already. The hood is usually less expensive than a high quality filter, and will do more for you. Even if you use a filter for "protection", you should have a hood mounted any time you use a lens.

[Bill Roberts]

I suppose the short answer to your question is to buy the best quality filters that you can, which in my opinion is Heliopan or B+W. Either will cost you a fortune but you'll get Schott (part of the Zeiss group) optical glass and brass (rather than alloy) mounts. A lot of people argue passionately that you shouldn't add any filters at all as it will degrade the image. It's impossible to refute this as technically they're correct, but the real argument has to be whether you can actually see any degradation? In the end it comes down to a personal choice. I choose to use B+W UV filters as a matter of course on all my lenses, and Heliopan cpl when required. I've never regretted this and I find it's less stressful to clean a grubby fingerprint off a filter than the front element of a lens. Oh... one more thing to consider, if you're looking for a filter for extreme wide angle lenses you may be better with the slim mount versions to avoid vignetting, and yes... these cost more :-) of course they do, would you expect anything different?
Always use a lens hood as well, they're cheap in comparison and often give more protection.
cheers
Bill

[VitaminB6]

Thank you all the replies. I think I will buy a good UV filter first, and then consider to get CPL since I can not afford to buy two at the same time.

[thetolleyman]

I have had an experience lately with this issue. I recently purchased a Canon 70-300 IS, went out with it the first time without a filter and got great results. Added an el cheapo UV filter and went back out, huge mistake, every shot was slightly out of focus. Took filter off, shot some more, back to looking good. SOOOOO! I will never go cheap again.