Lens hood question? I'm getting a lot of conflicting info on when to use a lens hood, should I use a solid hood or a "tulip" shaped hood. I know some people use them for protection...

Mr.Ft Loc: Central New Jersey

I'm getting a lot of conflicting info on when to use a lens hood, should I use a solid hood or a "tulip" shaped hood. I know some people use them for protection, but I want to know when and how they effect your photo's.

Thanks

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Tulip models will tend to be for wider angle lenses (mostly less than 35mm focal length, but not always). The tulip versions will provide virtually no "protection", many times hardly having any extended length from where they connect to the lens. They shade the surface of the lens from random light hitting the lens from an angle causing a glare, reflections, flare, and / or loss of contrast in the resulting image. The hood should always be properly mounted whenever you are capturing images, or whenever you mount the lens to the camera. The standard hood designed and sold by the lens manufacturer is the proper model to use, and the manufacturer will determine if that model is tulip or solid.

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

It's a good idea to have a lens hood. For the most part it is good protection for the occasional bump. Tulip shaped hood are designed for short focal length lenses. While they will block out sun glare the lens hood may make it seem as if you are shooting in a tunnel. The tulip shape prevents that blackish triangles on the corners. This is also vignetting.
Some photographers opt for a foldable or bendable rubber hood. This will prevent the little octagonal glare spots caused by the sun. But on a short zoom lens like a 28-135mm you will gwt the effect of shooting from within a cave. I keep my hard plastic hood on for the wayward bumps. When I want to block out some sunlight I will use the soft rubber hood instead.

Happy Shooting!

User ID

CHG_CANON wrote:

Tulip models will tend to be for wider angle lense... (show quote)

It's a simple as that !

Except when using a FF lens on an APSC body :-(

But given the level of experience expressed by the
OP, maybe mixed formats should just be avoided.

OTOH when using a lens from a larger format on a
body with a smaller format sensor, the OEM hood
never intrudes on the image ... it's simply reduced
in its effectiveness, often to near zero. If it offers
some physical protection, use it. If not, it's just an
unnecessary extra bulky item in your kit bag.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Mr.Ft wrote:

I'm getting a lot of conflicting info on when to use a lens hood, should I use a solid hood or a "tulip" shaped hood. I know some people use them for protection, but I want to know when and how they effect your photo's.

Thanks

Buy the hood made for your lens, and there is a hood made for each lens, and use it always, I can't think of any reason not to use a hood, if you don't like putting it on and taking it off just reverse it onto the lens and leave it there then use it when lighting demands. Most of the lenses I buy come with hoods but if I buy a lens that is missing a hood I immediately purchase the correct hood.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

Every lens I have bought new or used came with a hood from the manufacturer. The reason they come with hoods is to block light entering the lens at an angle, which can cause flare and reduce contrast. I always use them unless I am using a long zoom (long hood) in a high wind situation when they can act like a sail.

Yes they protect the front element and that's enough for many. I also use Hoya HD Protector "filters" on all of my glass, except the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 (my landscape lens), where the front element extends in front of the barrel, so you can't attach a screw in. In that case, using the lens hood is an imperative.

CO

The tulip shaped hoods are designed to block as much light as possible entering from outside the frame without causing vignetting. I made this sketch once for an article I wrote. Get the lens hood that was specifically designed for your lens.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

OEM plastic Tulip shades are optimized for wide zooms. I leave them ON in the taking position and cap them with an expandable "hoodie" - for the sake of protection and always being READY.

Normal to tele hoods I like round metal (shorter aftermarket ones) and cap them also.

For me, protection and always being ready takes precedence over maximum efficiency for blocking stray light !
.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Hoods are designed for specific lenses. Personally, I use them all the time. Instead of asking your question here on the UHH, where you will get a whole lot of opinion, why don't you use Bing or Google to find a far, far less opinionated answer.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Always use the lens hood the manufacturer of the lens made for it.
I always use a lens hood.

khorinek

I leave the hood on my RF 24-105 lens as it doesnt take up much space in my camera bag. I do not use a hood on my 70-200. Haven't seen a need.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Mr.Ft wrote:

I'm getting a lot of conflicting info on when to use a lens hood, should I use a solid hood or a "tulip" shaped hood. I know some people use them for protection, but I want to know when and how they effect your photo's.

Thanks

When Canon, Nikon, Sony, and many others, manufacture a lens, it usually comes with a lens hood. That lens hood, be it tulip shaped, or solid, was designed to be used with that particular lens.
I have been a professional photographer for over 40 years. I made it a rule to always have my lens hood attached properly on my lenses. Besides providing protection to the front element it also provides the proper amount of protection against stray light entering the lens which can cause flares in your images.
Now, when the lens hood is on and you aim the lens into the sun, even some hoods won't help.
So, proper use of the lens is important.
Sony even has a small window that open on some of their lens hoods so that when you have a polarizer filter attached you can rotate it with the hood attached.
Many of my new Nikon lens hoods have a spring type of mechanism built in to help absorb a shock if dropped, the hood takes all the shock and leaves the lens better protected.
SO, ALWAYS LIVE IN THE HOOD.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Mr.Ft wrote:

I'm getting a lot of conflicting info on when to use a lens hood, should I use a solid hood or a "tulip" shaped hood. I know some people use them for protection, but I want to know when and how they effect your photo's.

Thanks

OEM hoods are designed for the lenses that require them, and for the most part, are not interchangeable. Tulip-shaped hoods are usually found on wider angle lenses, and many zooms, like the 70-200.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

Mr.Ft wrote:

I'm getting a lot of conflicting info on when to use a lens hood, should I use a solid hood or a "tulip" shaped hood. I know some people use them for protection, but I want to know when and how they effect your photo's.

Thanks

Use your lens hood whenever possible regardless of type for two reasons. First, it prevents any side glare from decreasing the contrast of your pictures and second, it does provide protection. In fact, it provides better protection than clear or uv filters without adding glass that can needlessly introduce internal reflections.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Read them all. The answers here say always use (the proper) lens hood. Ask yourself one question: Can you think of a GOOD reason not to?