To filter or not to filter?

I share my camera with my wife.... therefore I have UV filter on. One day... just ONE day I left filter off and now I got a tiny tiny nick in the tamron glass...

...never again.

Only time I used a UV filter is when I shot B&W film and needed a UV filer (for ... UV). I've never damaged a lens in 36+ years, so I'll continue to rely on a hood for protection.

I don't use "protection" filters anymore, but used to. When I got my first DSLR a few years ago, a few of my relatives would get all touchy-feely and poke at my lenses.

Since my equipment is relatively new, i use filters for when i know conditions my not be safe. Maybe down the line i'll become more confident & work without a filter.

When I'm done with my sandwich, I just throw a plastic baggy over the lens when I'm out shooting. It keeps the dirt/dust out and it's waterproof too. The bags I use are pretty clear, so image quality isn't affected.

Naturalist wrote in post #14296077
The only filters I own are circular polarizer and neutral density. You do not NEED any other filters!
...

I doubt.

If I would take photographs of for instance a sandstorm or someone grinding with the sparks flying in the lens direction the additional filter would be helpful as protection. Even it is only a UV filter or something.

If someone takes photos under very different light temperature and would like to filter them neutral, I would guess filtering is the best option to get it roughly in the right direction, and only fine tuning it with the WB. Just because the color depth of 12 or 14 bit could not bear all filtering - or you get much noise in one of the color channels.

For large format wide angle lenses there are circular gradient filters -to compensate the vignetting of the lens. Without that you would have to brighten up the edges - and with it the noise will be more.

You could even optimize the sharpness of a lens with filters that take a bit of the ~ 400 nm or ~ 700 nm light away - the color correction will be better.

And have you ever heard about didymium filters? Also called color enhancing filters - the reduce a portion of the spectrum - you could not make that with the RGB filtered image with photoshop.

I have a rare micro lens - and I think about a good filter for that - possibly not a consumer filter. To get a bit more protection for the front lens while working in ~30 mm distance to the object. Because I am not sure whether I could get a replacement for this > 40 years old lens. The last 3 months I saw not one sold on Ebay.

There are still some good reasons for me to use filters at my photography.
Even as R&D optics engineer at a camera manufacturer in charge of the filters there.

But to answer the thread-opener: The UV filter - or worse skylight filter - I would not recommend as a filter everyone needs.
I own some because I got them with the used lenses I bought - but on my >100 lenses are no UV or skylight filters screwed on. Only in the big telephoto lenses are the filters in the tray.

Thanks for the responses, I feel much reassured. Great to hear most of you are filterless, I guess part of me second guessing my knowledge was the fact on my other lenses I get tired of hearing why dont you have a filter on that, your going to ruin your lens, about every freakin time im out shooting somewhere.

No filter. Just keep on the lens hood

ND filter- yes- when needed. CPL- when needed. UV filter- - I might if worried about salt/water spray or a very dusty conditions ( but that ain't gonna work for the other areas where dust can get in anyhow. ).

If you have an infant or young kids-and you get close enough for them to be touching the lens- I might put on a "better" quality UV filter. but beyond that- nope.

I like to support my local mom and pop camera store, so I use filters.

Hoya protective filters for me and the Lee system for ND filters, CPL filters etc...

my vote goes to the hood !

I got 6 UV filters for my L glass but have been thinking of selling them for a long time now.
I stopped using one on my 70-200 when I still had that lens and can't even use one for my 200 f2 and 8-15 so I think I will remove them all

For some lenses (generally "L") adding a filter effectively completes the weather sealing. There is also a rumor that having a filter on the 17-55 f2.8 IS helps to limit the dust from getting under the front element (not sure how true, but that's the rumor). I have a good Hoya UV on my 17-55 most of the time. It doesn't handle flare well anyway, so adding a good multicoated filter doesn't hurt anything. I don't use them on any other lens I own.

I have CP and ND filters which I use only when needed for the photograph.

I use them now but I won't purchase any more.