I think V8burble not expanding upon his comment may have given the wrong impression.
There is a view, and I subscribe to it, that current multicoating does away with the need for a UV or skylight filter, and in most cases using a filter for protection can degrade an image. I always fit a lens hood, this stops the front element getting knocked. If I was walking with the camera out of its bag in an area where the lens might get poked by hedge branches, I'd simply put the lens cap on. Not using a filter to protect also makes it easier to fit a polarising filter when needed, less fiddling about removing one filter to fit another. The only time I'd consider using a uv filter for protection is in adverse conditions, for extreme dust or saltwater spray. The last filters I bought were Hoya, I've always found them good, but I've also heard good things about the kenko pro 1 range.