Hmm, I’ve had a different experience… I actually *do* think a “protective” filter can be worth it, but only if it’s genuinely high-end glass (otherwise yeah, flare city).

**Option A (protection + convenience):** Zeiss T* UV Filter 77mm or Nikon NC Filter 77mm — pricey (~$80–$140) but coatings are solid.
**Option B (CPL):** NiSi True Color CPL 77mm vs Kenko ZX CPL 77mm — NiSi tends to reduce warm shift, Kenko is a nice value.
**Option C (ND):** NiSi ND-VARIO Pro Nano 1.5-5 Stop 77mm for portraits/video flexibility, but watch wide-angle vignetting.

Hoods: I’d honestly go OEM if you can, fit/lockup is just less annoying. cheers!

Ok so I get it… filters are a rabbit hole and Canon’s hood naming doesnt help lol. You might find this useful: the big filter brands all have “lens finder” tools that tell you ur exact filter thread size and show the right product line. Check out the selector pages from Hoya, Tiffen, and K&F Concept (just google “Hoya filter selector” etc). Saves you from buying the wrong diameter and then stacking step-up rings everywhere.

Budget/value move imo: buy filters in ONE large size (like 77mm or 82mm) and use step-up rings on smaller lenses. Step-up rings are like $5–$12 each, and you avoid rebuying a $60–$200 filter per lens. For CPLs, look at Hoya HD3 Circular Polarizer Filter 77mm or Marumi DHG Super Circular P.L.D. 77mm — usually ~$70–$140 depending on sales, and they’re solid without going full boutique.

For ND, if you want cheap-but-usable, K&F Concept Nano-X Variable ND Filter 77mm (ND2-ND32) is often ~$60–$90. Not perfect (wide-angle + variable ND can band), but decent option if you’re learning.

Hoods: honestly third-party is fine. I’ve used JJC LH Series Lens Hood (Canon-compatible), typically ~$10–$20, and it works. Pro tip: use The-Digital-Picture’s lens reviews + sample images to see flare/vignetting behavior before spending money, you know?

good luck!

Oh man same lol… TL;DR: folks here say skip UV “protectors” unless you’re in sand/salt, and spend on ONE good CPL + ONE ND to avoid flare/vignetting. For budget+safe, I’d grab a slim-ring Marumi DHG Super Circular Polarizer 77mm (~$60–$90) and a K&F Concept Nano-X ND64 77mm (~$40–$70), plus a $10–$25 third‑party hood—hoods are low-risk savings.

Story time: I did the whole “UV on every lens” thing and it bit me… extra flare at sunset, and my wide shots had weird dark corners. Sooo now I’m way pickier.

- CPL: I stick to Hoya or Breakthrough and only use it when I need it (water/foliage), otherwise it just eats light
- ND: a decent NiSi or Haida variable ND is handy, but cheap ones went magenta on me
- Hoods: honestly third‑party like JJC has been fine for me, just make sure it’s the right petal shape

Anyway… spend on the glass, not the UV “protector,” imo. cheers

I totally agree that the hoods are where you can save a bit of cash compared to the glass parts. Honestly, I’ve been shooting for years and I used to be so SCARED of scratching my lenses that I’d buy the most expensive protectors for everything. But after dropping my gear a few times - which was basically soul-crushing - I realized the plastic hood actually did more to save my lens than the glass filter ever did. One time I bumped my camera against a rock while hiking and the hood I had just snapped off, but the lens was totally fine. It kind of made me wonder if I'd been overthinking the whole 'protection' thing from the start? Tbh, now I mostly just keep a hood on all the time and only bring out the filters when I'm specifically trying to get that smooth water look or fix reflections. Does it really make a huge difference if the hood is a bit loose as long as it stays on? I'm still learning the tech side of things, but it's saved me a lot of stress lately just focusing on the shot instead of worrying about every little speck of dust on a filter.

For your situation, I’d keep it simple: buy *one good CPL*, *one good ND*, and skip UV unless you’re in sand/salt spray. After ~10 years shooting Canon outdoors, cheap filters were honestly not as good as expected… had issues with flare + mushy corners.

- CPL: B+W XS-Pro Kaesemann HTC MRC Nano Circular Polarizer 77mm or Hoya HD3 Circular Polarizer 77mm (get the slim version on wides to avoid vignetting).
- ND: Hoya PROND 64 Neutral Density 6-Stop 77mm or B+W 106 ND 1.8 6-Stop 77mm.
- Hoods: I’d go OEM if you can; 3rd-party bayonet hoods can be loose and annoying, but JJC LH Series Lens Hood is usually fine on a budget.

So yeah… spend on glass, not “protector” hype. gl!

Finally someone says it. Ive been thinking this for a while but wasnt sure.