Who uses UV/Protection filters or not?

Almost by habit I buy UV/Protection filters for my lenses. I always think that they offer protection from the elements, maybe someone aggresive (street photography) or just a coming together acciodent in the camera bag. However the UV filter part isn't actually required, the sensor already does this, and some people will argue that the filter glass will cause some degradation of image and extra flare.

I occasionally take mine off, sort of when I know I am in a 'safe' environment and i am concious of getting the best from the lens.

What do you folks do? Do you have filters or not? Amazingly looking in my filter collection there is a healthy £300-400 quid maybe more without even realising!

You're right - a digital sensor doesn't actually require a UV filter as such but for protecting the front element - If I'm honest - no

I used to use one because I had a few lenses with the same thread size but I got fed up with having to keep getting different sizes.

To use or not to use is always a popular debate and opinion seems divided as it seems to be catch 22

It's understandable that people want to protect the front element by sticking a bit of glass on the front but on the best lenses (which tend to be the ones you want to protect) it can have quite an effect on IQ even if you go for a £100 job.

If I was shooting in sea spray or perhaps a car rally where stones were flying then I'd probably go for one but I tend to subscribe to the view that the lens hood prevents the odd knock.

Each to their own I guess based on what they shoot - I've never damaged a protective filter or an unprotected front element so I'm away to touch some wood

With you Phil.

I do not degrade the image quality by sticking extra glass in front of the the lenses that I have saved hard and long for. And I have never damaged the front lens optic of any of my lenses, which considering how negligent of protecting them I am (using them on the beach, in wet conditions etc.) is remarkable.

So basically what I am saying is, don't bother

Steve

I used to religiously, but after upgrading some of my lenses, use the same reasoning as Steve, if you've spent a fair bit on decent glass to go and put another layer of glass in front makes no sense.

I keep a Hoya HMC 77mm skylight (Ib) on my Canon 400mm f5.6 L. I have shot test images with and without filter and have not noticed any differance in IQ or focusing.
When I'm taking images at the beach of Loki, I'm usually standing in the water and of course there are always some splashes and sand blowing about as well, so I like the extra protection.

My Canon 17-40mm f4.0 L usually has either my Hoya polariser or one of my ND's or GND's in front of it when taking landscape images so I don't bother with a UV for this lens.

My Canon 70-200 f4.0 L has a cheap filter that I don't use very often now unless absolutely necessary as I have noticed there is a difference in IQ and reflections on this one. I will probablly buy a Hoya HD for this one.

And finally my nifty fifty, what do you think?
a hood is recommended for this lens

Thanks for the responses so far, great to hear your take on it. I've seen a few marks on my filters which has made me a bit nervous of not having it on as protection. Hmmm... off to a 'support the forces' event today...might go naked...(er, filterless!).

My reason for ditching the filters too.
I do use a lens hood though to offer some protection.

I always have a filter on my lenses, be they UV or Skylight. I would rather replace a filter then have a lens wrecked. There is no degregation if a skylight filter is used .

Bazza

I use Hoya filters as a form of protection too - like Grant I did tests with/without and couldn't notice a difference.

This is an age old debate and one that has been tossed around in YO a few times. I keep a skylite filter on all my lenses, replacing it with a circular polorizer for the sky or when a body of water is involved. I do shoot on occasion without a filter as fumbling through my camera bag for the right size can lose you the shot.

I can understand both sides of the debate since there are dangers of vignetting with certain lens/filter combinations. I avoid this by buying quality thin filters and never having more than one on the end of my lens. I go to the beach a lot and protection is needed in that environment but with street photography a few experts say it can detract. To each his own.