rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

The configuration of the lens shade to which you are referring prevents vignetting of the image by preventing the lens shade from obscuring light at the corners of the image. These are usually used on zoom lenses. The solid versions work well on lenses for which they are designed and which are fixed focus lenses, such as your 50mm.
--Bob

BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan

I have lens hoods for one main purpose: lens protection. I'd rather crack the hood than the lens if I drop either the lens or camera. Hasn't happened to me yet, but I can't afford new lenses but I can afford a new hood.

h2odog Loc: Brooklyn NY

I have the screw on vented metal hood with my M4+50/2 Summicron. Having vents, I believe improves the view when looking through the viewfinder. This is an explanation I found, (Some hoods are for rangefinder cameras, where viewfinder windows look out from the top part of the camera body. A solid lens hood would partly block the viewfinder image, but one with "vent" holes cut out reduces this obscuring effect.)

fourg1b2006 Loc: Long Island New York

Are their lens hoods specially designed for the camera your using. The reason i ask is, when i'm shooting with my 24-105, when i have it opened at the largest aperture the lens hood appears in the corners of the image.

mleuck

3 pages to answer this question! Really?

h2odog Loc: Brooklyn NY

Perhaps you are using the wrong hood for that lens? Is your hood OEM branded for the 24-105 or is it an aftermarket hood? The correct hood should not affect the final image and certainly should not be part of it.

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

You have an incorrect hood for that lens. Vented hoods are designed and made for rangefinder cameras. TheY serve no purpose on SLR’s or DSLR’s

SVP

Nikonman44

vERY CORRECT except if they are using the built in flash that is close to the camera and lens and then it can cause the thing to be seen ,usually in one or two areas.

Red eye is also caused by a built in flash because it is too close to the lens and subject. On camera flashes ( not built in) typically do not cause the vignettes.

Point is not the flash and red eye but just stating another situation caused by the same issue.

Just have fun and shoot more.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

As someone already noted....

With rangefinder cameras, vented hoods are often used when a solid one will partially obstruct the camera's built in viewfinder.

Earlier Summicron use #12585 metal or #12538 plastic hood. Both of those are larger diameter than the lens itself and are vented.

From 1994 onward Summicron 50mm f/2 have a built in hood, low profile and unvented, but rather wimpy.

I don't have either that particular lens or camera, so am not sure if an unvented, standard hood for Summicron 50mm f/2 on an M3 presents very much problem obstructing the camera's VF or not. But some wide angle/larger diameter lenses, the "vents" are necessary. And in some cases, if you install a filter between the hood and the lens... moving the hood rather forward... that also increases the chance of obstruction. However, I think the OEM vented hoods for the Summicron 50mm f/2 are clip on, so would go over any installed filter (not screw into it).

OEM #12585 metal or #12538 plastic hoods are expensive, though. Many of the less expensive knock-off hoods screw into the filter threads (rather than clip on). So if you buy one of those instead of OEM, using it with a filter will increase any obstruction of the viewfinder and you'd be more likely to want vented.

Besides... the vented hoods also look pretty cool!

And, as someone else mentioned, another way around the problem with an unvented hood is to use an accessory, brightline viewfinder that mounts in the hot/cold shoe on the top of the camera.

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Either you have the wrong hood on the lens or you have it installed incorrectly.

Presumably, your 24-105mm is a Canon lens (you didn't specify, but I don't know of any other manufacturer offering a 24-105).

There are three different Canon lenses, using two different hoods:

- Original EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM uses EW-83H hood (supplied with lens).
- EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM uses EW-83M hood (not included, sold separately).
- EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM "II" uses EW-83M hood (included w/lens).

The original 24-105mm tends to have some pretty heavy optical vignetting wide open at 24mm setting... upwards of 3 stops worth of light fall off at the corners versus the center of the image, on a full frame camera. Don't confuse this with vignetting caused by the hood. (I don't know if the other two lenses have similar optical vignetting).

Finally, some of the bayonet mount, "tulip" shaped hoods are possible to mount askew on the lens. If that's done, even the "correct" hood will intrude on the image area.

jackinkc Loc: Kansas City

The replies about “vented” vs.”solid” lens hoods look pretty good to me. However, there is at least one other benefit for using a lens hood - one that should argue for using a lens hood all of the time: a lens hood offers excellent protection for your lens, protecting the lens barrel against dings and the front element from accidental scratching.

Nikonman44

Ues but I think we solved the problem now, I hope I hope I hope.

charles tabb Loc: Richmond VA.

Put a solid Hood on and depending on your lens that you are using you might find the 4 corners of your pictures cut off.
Hope this helps.

Nikon1201

I use solid hoods. They not only block the sun they are necessary for protecting your lens from breakage.