uv filter on mpe?

Should I put a filter on it? Or should I leave it as is

Megapixel123 wrote in post #16073624
Should I put a filter on it? Or should I leave it as is

I wouldn't put one on it, but then I have never seen the point in putting a UV filter on any lens with digital photography, unless shooting in certain very extreme conditions.

sandpiper wrote in post #16073633
I wouldn't put one on it, but then I have never seen the point in putting a UV filter on any lens with digital photography, unless shooting in certain very extreme conditions.

I usually keep one on my lenses just as a buffer.. In case I bump into something, the $20 filter breaks and not the front element.

Megapixel123 wrote in post #16074105
I usually keep one on my lenses just as a buffer.. In case I bump into something, the $20 filter breaks and not the front element.

Yeah, each to their own, there is no right or wrong here.

I just feel that a hood provides plenty of protection against bumps, front elements are pretty tough anyway and it takes quite a hard hit to actually damage one, on the other hand, filters break easily (especially cheap ones) and the resulting sharp shards of glass can scratch an element that would have shrugged off the initial impact that broke the filter. I just feel that anything that is going to hit hard enough to damage the element will go clean through a filter and hit the element anyway, but adding sharp glass shards into the impact.

If I was going to use filters I would be paying significantly more than $20 each though. I am happy to accept that high end filters have no significant affect on image quality, except in very specific situations (bright light source in the frame, mainly) but cheap ones can have a distinct impact on IQ.

I do, it is very easy to put a stick up the front of the lens in the field, less of an issue in more controlled situations.

The MPE is a very specialized lens and comes out of the bag in very specific conditions. That said, when using this lens your wanting to get the finest IQ possible so why ruin it by putting a cheap filter over this gem. Shoot nekid.

I highly recommend the MP-E lens hood (Canon brand or generic brand are both fine--I have both). This specialized hood offers unbeatable protection from objects hitting the lens (a common problem with an unprotected MP-E due to short working distance), and it not only does not hurt image quality, but it actually helps it when shooting under certain bright conditions.

Yeah - ditch the cheap filter!

gatorlink wrote in post #16085425
I highly recommend the MP-E lens hood (Canon brand or generic brand are both fine--I have both). This specialized hood offers unbeatable protection from objects hitting the lens (a common problem with an unprotected MP-E due to short working distance), and it not only does not hurt image quality, but it actually helps it when shooting under certain bright conditions.

This.

This hood will make it very difficult for anything to hit the small front lens element. In macro at high mags the diffraction is and problem, so you'll need all the IQ you can get from the lens.