what kind of filter

[EOS mE]

i have the 17-55 lense on my 30D. i want to get a filter lens to protect the actual lens. which one do you guys recommend? i think most just us UV/Haze right?

and where could i get one fairly cheap? thanks~

[gcobb]

A skylight filter is fine. When you start getting budget coated filters and they lose the coating you'll understand too why they better ones cost more.

[EOS mE]

ah.. cuz today when i went to ritz camera.. they were telling me that i should get the professional grade hoya UV filter. but when i asked them what's the difference, they just said it's different manufacturer and different coating.

so any difference between skylight filter vs. uv/ haze? are they about the same?

[gcobb]

Hoya=Good From what i know and hear you really don't want to shoot with a UV all the time. Unless I just really didn't know what was happening at the time, I ruined a few good pics with it being left on.

[EOS mE]

GC... i know what you mean. I have the UV/Haze on my G6, and it's great on outdoor shots, but anything else is not as clear as I had wanted.

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[Titus213]

Why don't you just get a lens hood for the lens? A filter is not really necessary.

[Dante King]

think Dave is right here. Dont get a nice lens and ruin the optics with crappy filters. nice quality filters are VERY expensive. Len hoods are great for protecting the front element. I could sell you the bottoms off some old coke bottles for CHEAP!! I understand the paranoia in wanting to protect an investment, but with modern coatings on lenses
(pretty darn tough), common sense and a hood, you are more than protected in my opinion.

[Dante King]

on the other hand, you should invest in ND and CP filters, but alas these have nothing to do with protection.

[EOS mE]

Dante.. this is the first DSLR i own. i got the lens hood for th e17-55 already. what happened the other day was when i was removing the lens cap with the hood on. it slipped a bit and tapped the lens. my jaws dropped and my heart stop beating until i made sure no scratches on the lens.

in that case.. i'll take your suggestions. i'll just remember not to remove the lens cap with the lens hood on.

[Dante King]

remember, these are tools to be used. have fun with them and dont sweat the small stuff. I think you will find that well made camera gear is pretty resilient.

[Jon]

If you're going to get a protective filter, get a good one. Hoya HMC or B+W MRC at the minimum. I use UV filters by one or the other of these on all my lenses (except the 15-30, which uses rear gels) as it completes the weather seal on those that are sealed, and protects against flying branches or dog noses on all of them (which lens hoods do a significantly poorer job of).

[225719]

dont UV filters help with contrast?

[SkipD]

dont UV filters help with contrast?If anything, they make it worse under most conditions. That's due to the extra reflective surfaces you add by putting a filter on a lens. I agree with Dante that a hood will provide better physical protection for a lens without degrading the image and will also keep stray light from impinging on the lens, further improving the image quality.