I have this lens and use it quite often when travelling when I don't want to haul my big heavy telephotos. It is an amazing lens considering the price and it has a UD element which is usually only found on Canon L series lenses. My only advice to you at this time is to ditch the UV filter unless you bought one of very high quality that is multi coated. Cheaper filters will degrade your image and non coated ones will create a problem with lens flare. You will get all the protection you need from your lens hood. The only time I put a UV filter on a lens is when I am shooting in a wind blown sandy area.

lowbone,

Thank you for this very valuable information! What is the UD element?

As for the UV filter, Amazon was offering a special, I buy the lens, the filter is free ($6.99) so no it is not a high quality filter. I also bought a UV filter for my XSi lens when I bought the camera, to protect the lens from scratches. Perhaps I should ditch this filter as well and get the Canon EW-60C lens hood for this lens? The EW-60C seems so shallow, I am not as sure it would protect the lens like a longer hood would for a telephoto. I understand, for the 18-55 I can not use a deep hood as it would cut the corners off of the photos. Would a lens hood for the 18-55 lens help my photos? Or should I get one of the multi-coated filters for the 18-55 lens? (or both?) If you think I should, could you provide me with what type of filter, and possibly a link to the filter?

Thank you very much

A lens hood will not only protect the lens but it will help keep stray light from bouncing around inside the lens causing faded color and lens flare. Since you like to shop at Amazon I did a search there for a 58mm B&W UV multi coated filter. I was surprised that they had one for only $28. B&W is a very good brand of filter. My preference is still to use no UV filter on a lens as I feel that any extra glass in front of a lens will degrade the image. Also as you noted in your post, the 18-55mm lens hood is shallow and having a flat piece of glass on a wide agle lens with a shallow hood is a recipe for flare. If you are dead set on using a UV filter the B&W would be a good choice. The lens hood on the 70-300 is quite deep and there is no need for a filter on this lens

Sorry I forgot to answer your question about a UD element Better lenses have elements made from special very expensive glass with names like ED UD and LD which stands for Extra Dispersion, Ultra Dispersion and Low Dispersion. These types of glass serve diffferent purposes in spreading the light evenly inside the lens.
The choice of glass in an individual lens element is dependemt of the type of lens and what type of correction is being made

Yes, by more saturated I did mean richer color. Every lens I have has a hood, even the 20mm. I always use them.

Lowbone and Linda,

Thank you for clarifying everything so well. I just got brave and took the filters off of all my lenses! Now to see if I notice any difference in the color on my photos. (and I hope no scratches get on any of my lenses)

Yes, by more saturated I did mean richer color. Every lens I have has a hood, even the 20mm. I always use them.

But doesn't it cut down on light a lot? If I have normal lenses, not those that cost you your firstborn, can I still use them on a cloudy day???

PS: Just found this interesting link. Don't buy your hoods, DOWNLOAD THEM!
http://www.lenshoods.co.uk/

Reka, Lens hoods don't cut the amount of light going to the sensor in the manner of say a polarizer or neutral density as they don't have anything in the front, just block out side light which degrades the picture. Anything that shades the front of the lens will work- so go ahead and download. In a pinch I've even shaded the front of the lens by holding a hat so the shadow fell over the lens. I use them on cloudy days as well.

I just got my new lens in the last hour, the Canon EF 70-300 IS USM lens.

This is the first time I have actually been able to see the effects of Image Stabilization, and I was absolutely amazed at how well it works!

I have not yet taken any pictures, just playing with it inside the house.

IS is pretty amazing. When I got that lens the 1st thing I did was a test shot to see if I REALLY could get a sharp hand-held image at 1/30th sec. It passed.

IS is pretty amazing. When I got that lens the 1st thing I did was a test shot to see if I REALLY could get a sharp hand-held image at 1/30th sec. It passed.

That is really cool to know! Thank you