What is an appropriate set of filters for a Canon PowerShot SX30 IS?

Question

I'm buying a Canon PowerShot SX30 IS camera, and also would like to buy a filter to protect its lens. I would like to have complete set of filters ranging from polarized, starburst, UV, and red for sun shots. However I've learned that they can be expensive.

There appears to be two choices: 67mm ring and 58mm ring. Which fits and is suited for this camera?

Also, I would like to know whether the lens cap still works after fitting the filter on top of the lens? Or, is it that I have to put on the filter afterwards each time I remove the lens cap?

Answer 1

I think you need an adapter, like the one from lensmateonline.com, first (I got one for my SX10IS and was very happy with it). There is a FAQ on that page that should answer most of your questions.

You'll probably need a new lens cap and lens hood.

Personally, I'm not a fan of leaving a filter on the lens all the time to protect it; there are a lot of opinions either way on this subject, you could probably waste a lot of time reading about the pros and cons. A circular polarizer and an ND filter (probably a 3-stop (sometimes called 8x)) are my two favorite filters.

You do NOT need a circular polarizer for your camera. A linear polarizer will work fine. You only need a circular polarizer if you have a DSLR (since the DSLR has a different light path to the viewfinder than to the sensor). Learn from my mistake, where I spent an extra $20 to get the circular polarizer when I didn't need it :) (Of course, now that I have a DSLR, it is useful).

Answer 2

Protection: If you want to protect your lens¹, get an UV-filter. That only makes another pane of glass, not really filtering anything away that would not be filtered away in camera later anyway. Get a good one: every filter is also a pane of glass eating your light and adding refraction (you wouldn't take all your family photos through a window, would you?)

Colour-filters: For a digital camera they are more or less useless². You don't need to raise contrast like in BW-photography, you can play with the colour-channels later in any decent program. As it is a Canon, look in the menus, you can already adjust colours in camera AFAIK. If you really want to use colour-filters - set whitebalance on manual.

Polarized: look for CPL (circular polarized filters) [edit: drewbenn is right, a CPL might be necessary if your camera has dedicated focussing/light-measuring systems, as the SX30 should not have]. Dire warning: the effect isn't always really noticable on an electric viewfinder.

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Where to buy? If you know that it has to be Hoya (Kenko), B+W or some other brand: use a trustworthy online-shop. If you do not really care, use Ebay ;)

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On a decent lens of a SLR you can but the lens-cap on the filter. Don't know for the SX30. Aynone else?

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¹ Protecting your lens only makes sense if you work in extreme conditions, for example in a desert with hard blowing sand or beside a car-race with small flying stones. The lens itself is coated and at least as hard/durable as any filter can be. If you want to protect against letting the camera fall: get a lens hood, that might save the lens then.

²Except if you know that the colour X is so extreme, that it better be filtered out.