UV Filters: Are They Essential?

Kenko Zeta Protector (W) 52mm

  So what are these "UV filters and what are these for?" lots of people ask this question when they first step into the world of photography and I have to admit I really didnt know about it. Simply put, a "UV filter" is a filter/glass you put in front of your dslr lens to prevent it from scratches and dirt coming into the lens. It can also block UV light coming to the camera itself, but nowadays UV light doesnt affect much in terms of optics of lens. 

  People who argue against using this point out an extra piece of glass will cripple the photo quality, while people support the use say its better to scratch the filter then scratching a $1,000 lens. 

 I actually support the latter, since once the lens is scratched once, there is a possibility of it being unusable in future. I always ask myself, "would you want to walk bare naked in a bush?" NO! Same thing applies to taking photo's in wild, higher chances you might scratch the expensive lens outside. 

For those who are considering a new lens, it might be a worth to consider buying a UV filter. Not just for protection but for investing for the future. The higher end lens tend to be used relatively long period so it would be wise to know there is some form of protection. As always, these UV filters range from cheap to expensive, (in my experience about 15-100USD) and I wont advise buying the most expensive ones. I have been using a 20-30$ for my Nikon 35mm  1.8G and 55-200mm 4-5.6G lens and it has actually held up quite well. 

I hope this clears up some questions for many of you.