Hoya confussion

I want to protect my 100-400mm lens, first and foremost. I want the least resistance to blocking light in and probably just a UV filter, right? Hoya has many. Can anyone tell me which one I should buy. I see them ranging from a few dollars right up to 70 80 90 US. What gives? Do I want the Super coated? Is more coatings better for providing less distortion?
Thanks for responding.

Right, just a UV. The less expensive filters are 1) less tightly controlled in manufacture (glass may not be as plane) and 2) un-or single coated.

I prefer the Super-multi coated. More coatings don't mean (directly) less distortion. What multi-coating does is reduce reflections and flare. The use of multicoating on a filter is an indication that the manufacturer was careful in making the glass, so the glass will be less likely to have irregularities which would lead to distortion.

>>Hoya has many. Can anyone tell me which one I should buy<<

Avoid the 'blue box' and the 'green box' filters... single coating or the entry level multicoat.

HMC is Hoya Multicoat and Super HMC is super multicoated. Get one of the SHMC. There are also 'Pro digital' but I cannot understand what these do better than SHMC. And there are very thin filters for use with wide angle lenses to prevent vignetting

I use the SHMC Pro1 on my 100-400. No problems here.

Thx Wilt and Snafu, that's what I needed.

Use the proper lens hood.

Don't use a filter.

I use the pro 1 on my 100-400 with no problems.Never had it flare yet.

Use only HOYA (black label) PRO 1 .... remember the chain is so strong as the weakest part of it ... ...

Really? that lens hood is rather bulky. That is what you use to "protect the lens"?

Yes!

Filter vs. lens hood is a religious issue. There's absolutely no conclusive evidence that one or the other is beeter or worse in all cases for lens protection. Short of conducting controlled drop tests, any opinion on filter vs. lens for protection is just that - opinion. Hood proponents can point to extreme cases where filters may cause more flare than the uncovered lens, but filter proponents can point to operating conditions where failing to use a filter would be lens suicide. It is worthy of note that many of Canon's weather-sealed L lenses require a filter for the front to be really weather-sealed.