Lens Hoods - An Essential Accessory

Hi Everybody,

A question that comes up regularly in my online classes and in the Forum of BetterPhoto™ concerns lens hoods (AKA lens shades). I use them regularly for all of my lenses ... but not just when it's sunny. Sure, the hood's most notable attribute is to block sun rays from hitting the front of the glass and producing those often-annoying reflections (flare) on images.

But the hood serves not only a creative purpose, but a practical one too: It can help protect your lens's valuable glass. Although no guarantee, a hood can block stray branches or other objects from striking the lens front, although it's always a good idea to have the lens cap on while walking around looking for shots. Last year, during the excitement of photographing running horses - at the annual Triple D California Workshop - my briefly unattended 80-200mm zoom went crashing to the ground. Fortunately, the damage was minimal, since the hood protected the valuable glass - and it also protected the polarizer that was attached to the lens too.

A caution, though: With lens hoods, it's not a one-size-fits-all situation. The shade must be the correct one for your specific lens ... otherwise, vignetting (darkened corners) can result. Also, take extra care when using a hood with a wide-angle, especially when also using a polarizer (which are thicker than regular filters).

That's it for now. Have a great week of photography, and if you celebrate Thanksgiving, have a fantastic holiday!
Best,
Kerry Drager

Comments

[Ren]

I use my lens hood most of the time. However, on my Ultra Wide Angle lens, I notice a bit of vignetting from the hood. So I don't use the hood when I"m shooting extra wide. I do agree, it's worth having the hood on for the extra protection.

[Kerry Drager]

Hi Ren,
Thanks for the comments! Just to confirm, though: Are you using the lens hood specifically recommended by the manufacturer for that particular lens? And are you also using a filter in combination with the hood? The filter/hood combination could be the culprit. Many filter makers now make not only slim-style polarizers, but also thinner-than-usual UV/haze or warming filters. Thanks again!
Kerry