I'm currently saving for a Sony HDR-FX1E and was looking over lens accessories. The thing is, I'd like to be able to use filters, but from what I've read, you tend to need a matte box for what I want to do. I want one of those nice filters that makes the sky look blue, and one that darkens the sky and lessens the contrast between sky and land, but I'm guessing you can't just use one that attaches to the lens, since the horizon won't always be in the same place? I read a website that recommends a clear filter to protect the lens too, which I assume would be one of those little round ones attached to the lens itself. Is it possible to have a matte box with filters on, in addition to having a filter attached to the lens?

If so, my next question is, is it possible to have all of this, with a wide angle convertor attached? I realise the likelyhood of me shooting in a really tight room that needs the wide angle lens, and still requires all these filters is slim, but it's nice to know how far you can go.

My final question then is what should I look for in filters/a matte box. Is there anything which will produce better results, or make my life easier, or are they just a pretty standard accessory?

In my expirience the filter effects you describe are best added in the editing.

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Nah, I've found that slows the computer down to a crawl if you do it for every shot in a scene when you could just use a filter. I'd rather get a decent image to start with, then do minimal editing. I've done too many films with a 'oh, we'll just fix it in editing' attitude, and then found out it's not as good as you want.