Louis the lens seems to be completely impervious to flare. It should not be fiddly to put on or take off. I have a standard B+W MRC UV filter on the front of mine and and the hood goes on and off although it is a bit of a tight fit. I leave my hood on all the time - for protection. Same with all my lenses, all with UV filters & hoods. No accidents yet but better to be safe than sorry...
Fantastic lens BTW. You will love it.
