Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

Almost always. Manufacturers ship them with the lens for good reason. Helps protect the lens and blocks stray light. I take it off when it acts like a sail in stiff, variable winds.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Only if the sun, or major light source, can impact the lens. Doing landscape photography with a wide-angle lens, I've had to crop/clean up images because the OEM lens hood intrudes into the frame.

As far as protection, you'll better off with a decent U/V filter over the front element.

KankRat Loc: SW Chicago Suburbs

Always. the coolest lenses have them built in and they just slide out. Why can't we have better hoods?

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

With respect, can’t agree with that. If you’re going to use a filter on a digital camera, you want a clear, and while it can save you from blowing sand, fingerprints and water (depending on the lens), a hood is great protection against a lens hitting a solid object from the front (such as dropping it). I mount my hood when I mount the lens. In fairness, I don’t usually shoot ultra wide. I use the OEM hood on my Canon 17-40L on a FF, and I don’t experience any vignetting, even at 17mm

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Saves the filter also....

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

99.995% of the time.

The only time I don't use one is when it's in the way, such as when using a macro lens really close to a subject, for example.

Besides keeping oblique light off the front of the lens, a hood also gives it great physical protection against bumps... better than any thin piece of glass in a "protection" filter ever could do.

A hood might keep rain drops off the glass too, at times. Or messy kids' finger prints. Or wet dog noses.

While the shallower hoods on ultra wide lenses are less effective, they are still effective. A while ago I bought a Canon EF-S 10-22mm. It's often called one of the best ultrawides for resistance to flare. When I saw that it's lens hood was the size of a small Frisbee, I thought maybe I could break my own hard and fast rule of 30+ years and just use this particular lens without the hood. So I did some test shots with and without the hood. Here are two of them...

Without hood...


With hood...


After seeing that and a few other similar test shots.... Yes, the Canon 10-22mm resists flare quite well. But it still can happen. So I carry the hood for that lens too, and use it even though it takes up more space in my camera bag than I'd like.

hoola

Although I do not use a lenshood I instead use a flag which is black on both sides and about 3"x5" . More controllable then a lenshood which is in a fixed position . Film folx use 'em . View camera folx use bellows lenshood . When shooting infrared I prefer no lenshood as I like the effect flare has with infrared .

CO

The tulip shape of most lens hoods coincides with the shape of the sensor. The hood blocks as much light as possible from entering from outside the frame without causing vignetting. I made this sketch once for an article I wrote for my camera club's newsletter. The rounded side petals appear straight when viewed at an angle.

User ID

Seriously ?

Douglas Tharp Loc: Texas

Always, keeps the lens protection, and keeps the finger prints from getting on the lens. Main reason after dropping a lens from a open camera bag, the lens hood was destroyed but the lens still works. Better to pay for a hood then a new lens.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Hard for me to think of a reason NOT to use a lens hood. When it is bright, it cuts down on extraneous light and increases contrast. At all other times, it protects the front element of the lens.

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

Having shot professional photography for over 40 years I always had my lens hoods attached to all of my lenses. They not only provided shade in bright direct sunlight but more importantly they provided protection for the front element in the event of a drop. Which, did happen three times over that 40 years. Two were metal and were bent and one was plastic and survived for another day. In all three instances my lenses were fine.
Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.

RLSprouse Loc: Encinitas CA (near Sandy Eggo)

As others have said, always, unless some specific situation prevents its use. Even if you don't get obvious lens flare, stray light entering the lens from outside of the field of view reduces contrast to some degree. The lens hood helps minimize that. Just make it a habit.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

Always, prevents flare and protects the outer element of the lens.

ejrmaine Loc: South Carolina

Never, use one, the interfere with my CPL.