Misha:

You beat me with your responce - my last responce was directed towards Alpha - but you make several good points. LENS HOODS!!! To me, they provide more protection to the lens than any filter - kinda like a bumper against trees, walls, etc. (The one thing almost as bad as a scratched lens is a dinged rim that won't allow you to screw a filter on!)

BTW - Verify this if possible - I have heard (read in Petersons YEARS ago) that an old dollar bill is the closest thing you can get to lens tissue....?