For me, the tradeoff is worth it, but your opinion might be different. I have a Canon lens that goes from 55 to 250. It looked quite strange because most people don't use a hood on that lens. There is nothing wrong with using a lens hood on such a lens, but it is hardly necessary for most situations. Small as they may be, lens filters play a huge role in the outcome of your images. The first and most important issue involves vignetting. The damage prevented can range from a finger-printed front element (a minor inconvenience) to a broken … Lens hoods can mitigate much of this problem by acting as a shade over the front glass element. Canon generally provides a lens hood for the L series (professional) lenses, but not for the consumer level lenses. What Is the Purpose of a Lens Hood? LOL. Putting a lens hood on a lens is the same as raising your hand to shield your eyes from the sun. The most noteworthy advantages are improving the quality of your images and protecting the integrity of your lenses. @David – Key word there is when NOT in use. Eliminating stray light. This isn’t a huge issue and can often be fixed on your computer, especially if you shoot in RAW, but it is something to keep in mind. Never seen them, ergo, its a urban myth and therefore the ol’ hand is used instead. A protruding plastic ring isn’t going to save my camera if it gets run over by a dump truck, but it has helped avoid countless bumps and bruises over the years. Lens hoods are particularly useful when shooting into the sun. In photography, it’s also called a lens shade, a device that photographers use on the front end of their lens in order to block light sources, including the sun. Its purpose is to prevent your photos from developing a washed-out appearance that tends to happen under certain lighting conditions. It might seem so, but in reality, you aren’t making the scene any darker just as putting a cap on your head doesn’t make the sun any less potent. Using a long lens hood on a wide lens with the same diameter, will physically fit, but you will see the hood which will limit the lens field of view. But, in most cases, lens hoods are quickly detachable and should always be attached. A lens hood has two purposes - one is to shield the lens elements from stray light - either directly from the sun, from passing cars, from a flash, etc. Seems they all have this massive lens sticking right in the face of the athlete, close enough to highlight his/her blackheads. The geometry of a lens hood is dependent on three parameters: the focal length of the lens, the size of the front lens element and the … Oh, and if you wanted to know what a camera lens hood actually does, it stops your lens from picking up harsh light, which could give you a serious case of lens flare. In the normal course of a photoshoot, my camera gets picked up, set down, bounced around, tossed into a bag, put in the trunk of my car, used, and maybe even abused just a little. Three reasons why we wear a hat or helmet are as follows: 1. even if i put it on straight and align it perfectly my canon rebel auto focuses and the hood is seen in the photo. Most camera lenses come with something called a Lens Hood, which looks like a short circular tube that attaches to the front. If the lens is a prime lens (fixed focal length, non-zooming) the hood will resemble a tube, often larger at one end than the other. The lack of a lens hood gave this picture a washed-out appearance. Overall, a wide long hood is a better choice than a short narrow hood. Your questions are answered here! There are many benefits to using them. But despite my best efforts, accidents certainly can happen. It is a device attached in front of a camera lens to provide protection. What you're probably referring to is the shape of what is called a “petal lens hood.”. The "optimal lens hood" should be chosen based on the lens aperture, the subject being photographed, and other factors. Use a 58mm to 77 mm step up ring and then use a 77 mm lens hood. Shadows can be brought up in post-production, but if a picture is too washed-out, it can be much more difficult to fix. At the end of the year, take a good look at that hood. Despite a few downsides, lens hoods can be an important part of your camera collection. Enter my current giveaway: http://premieregal.com/giveaways What are lens hoods? When you have less flare you get better picture quality too. This helps protect the barrel of your lens but can leave some controls covered up. If you do not own or have access to a lens hood, you can shield the lens with your hand. After years of use, my lens hoods are full of scratches and scuffs. Every time I see one of my photography students with the lens hood on backward, I know they don't know what the lens hood does. Many hoods are designed to be reversed and stored with the lens when not in use. I’m using a petal hood and i’m capturing the hood in the corners of my photo’s. The main purpose of a hood is to block or reduce the amount of lens flare and glare in your photos by acting like a visor for your lens. Reverse the hood and screw it on your lens backward. If you don’t believe me when I say that lens hoods protect lenses, go ahead and attach one to the end of your lens for a year and use your camera as you normally would. Wrap-up. Attaching a lens hood gave the shot much more contrast and vibrance. Reserved / Disclaimer, Your email is safe with us. What other advantages or disadvantages do they have that I might have missed? A lens hood has a couple different jobs. Few things are more frustrating than realizing you messed up a picture because of something you could have easily solved with a little pre-planning. Stray light is bad because it can cause glare, lens flare, or sun spots in your image, and it can decrease contrast which can sometimes look hazy. It also helps protect the camera lens from damage if anything hits something. I have an off-topic question however, and that is to learn how those (mostly) sports phtographers can use such large lenses at short range? They all had these strange shadows and I thought my lens was dirty. This is particularly problematic when using 35 mm lenses on a digital SLR camera with a "crop factor," because these lens hoods were made for the greater angle of view. I recently saw one of my photography students with a lens hood on his 50mm f/1.8 prime lens. Also, it is nice to have a lens hood for protection of the lens. This type of lens hood is called a “round lens hood.”. The intended purpose of the lens hood is simply to reduce lens flare, but the protection it provides to the glass elements of the lens is a beneficial side-effect. If you do feel like your lens hood is a little too much to deal with, most of them have a simple solution. I use a a290 55mm lens and i`m still learning to this day! I recommend using one at all times, even if you’re not entirely sure you will need it. The lens hood is a piece of plastic that clips onto the front of a camera lens and extends beyond it. Thanks for the great article, it really summarizes everything I needed to know about lens hoods! IMPROVE PHOTOGRAPHY LLC IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR SITES TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.COM. Additionally, there’s no getting around the fact that the added length of a lens with a hood attached can be inconvenient. I’d be wary of assuming people with the lens hood on backwards don’t know what they’re doing. The function for a digital camera is the same as for a film camera. Almost every lens you can buy comes with a stiff plastic collar that fits on the front called a lens hood. Whether you’re using a zoom lens or a prime, a telephoto or a wide angle, lens … Vello lens hoods are precision engineered to provide maximum glare reduction and hood coverage while requiring the minimum amount of weight and hood area. I want say thats a great example of what a lens hood can do & thanks for sharing your knowledge. Instead of the lens "seeing" bright skylight or white background, it sees the dark interior of the lens hood. They also offer other benefits mostly related to the protection of your camera gear. Pictures taken with a lens hood installed can have richer colors and deeper saturation. Indoors it’s also important to use a lens hood, because you can get flare from window light, studio lights or lamps. While shooting without a lens hood can still produce great pictures most of the time, if any light happens to bounce into the lens from the sides, the contrast and color in the image are significantly reduced. This is one of the reasons I leave mine on at all times since I often bump and bang my camera. @Bob – The filter screws on to the fittings of the front element of the lens. WOW i`m quite new too this, But thankyou so much for explaining the lens hood! You can attach most lens hoods backward for easy storage. Can I use a Rubber lens hood on my Canon EOS 450 D? hi, is it ok to use petal lens hood with nikon d3100 18-55mm kit? Prime lenses have round lens hoods more often than zooms because they don't have the added difficulty of keeping out of the way as the camera zooms out. The shape of a petal lens hood allows it to extend as far as possible beyond the lens without showing up in the frame. Leave your thoughts in the comments below! Lens Hoods Also Provide Some Physical Protection A secondary use for a lens hood is to protect the lens. I`ve been wondering what it does…and after seening that example on imagesshack it really does show. The only thing worse than getting a lens hood in the picture is when you hand your point and shoot to Uncle Harry, who puts his finger right over the lens when he takes a picture… Ugh! It is a telephoto/zoom lens and I would like to use it for taking pictures at the zoo. Why? The sun is beating down hard and you’re having a bit of trouble seeing clearly, so you hold your hand up to your forehead in an effort to block the light. There's more risk in having it fall over than damage to the hood from the camera's weight. In photography, a lens hood or lens shade is a device used on the front end of a lens to block the Sun or other light source to prevent glare and lens flare. The lens hood is designed to reduce flare and protect the lens, among other things. Thanks for your help. Without a lens hood, strong light hitting your lens at an angle can often cause lens flares, ghosting, reduce the contrast and lower the overall quality of your image. I know this is a bit of an oversimplification, but the lens hood on a camera is about the same as using your hand or a ball cap to block a bit of light when it’s bright out. The nice thing about lens hoods is that they are a low-tech solution to what can often be a fairly major problem. is an educational technology specialist at Oklahoma State University and enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for photography on his website and podcast at Weekly Fifty. If you can it needs adjustment. How do they do that, and why?……..If this is explained in some other article, then please point me to it. These diminutive devices seem a little strange, but they can serve several very useful purposes. As is the case with filters, the humble lens hood is something some photographers swear by and some don’t want anything to do with. While some people might be tempted to toss them on the shelf and never give them a second thought, knowing what lens hoods are and how to use them can have a significant impact on your photography. What good is the hood? This is especially noticeable on telephoto lenses and it can be annoying if you’re not used to it. As such, I rarely take them off my lenses now. Thanks. Lens hoods serve two primary purposes: (1) reducing lens flare, and (2) protecting the lens from damage. @Duh: if you really did your research before posting your comment you would find there are plenty of great examples on the internet showing pictures both with and without a lens hood to show how much of a difference there really is. WE ARE COMPENSATED FOR REFERRING TRAFFIC. it keeps my lens safe and kids seem to always run in to it so it keeps the kids safe too.. These hoods can also accept lens caps. If you are either really cheap or just love doing things yourself, you can actually make a lens hood by going to this website and following the directions. I took some fireworks shots (at night of course ) at close range and at ground level.. It works in a pinch! I’m assuming because I’m on auto focus and because the lens turns to focus it might leave to hood in a position to cast a shadow instead of bouncing light. There are a couple things to note about lens hoods that could be a factor in helping you decide whether to use them. A lens hood is an accessory that you attach to a lens, which, if we liken it to a person, is like a hat or helmet that they would put on. Reversing rings are a cheap (around ten dollars) and easy way to hold your lens onto the body securely via the front filter thread. I don’t want to beat a dead horse here, but I do want to mention on thing. I want to take pictures of reptiles and amphibians against the glass is this possible with this rubber lens cover and does it reduce the glare Why would this be beneficial for photography? I try to be careful with my camera gear and I don’t intentionally abuse it, and I think the same is true of most photographers. But not all lens hoods are petal lens hoods. A lens hood, also known as a camera lens shade, attaches to the front of your camera lens and blocks stray light from causing flare in your professional photoshoot. The primary use for a lens hood is to prevent light from hitting the front lens element from the sides - reducing contrast and creating flare. 1. A lens hood, also known as a lens shade, attaches to the front of your lens and blocks stray light from causing flare in your photographs. It also helps protect the … Commonly, the lens hood also keeps the lens from the elements and scratches without the pros using a lens cover to do it. I never know when I will be shooting a backlit scene, and if it happens, it’s good to have the hood to shade the lens. If you like instant results and hate spending time and effort in post-production, using lens filters is the option for you and we hope this lens filter guide was able to help you understand how and when you can use them to improve your photography. For zoom lenses the hood will have a curved opening at one end. Since long lenses have a small opening angle, the lens hood can be much more tight. A lens hood serves two main purposes: 1) To block stray light from getting inside the lens, usually from overhead sun. I almost always have a lens hood on my camera. What a lens hood does is simple: it shades the front element of the lens and prevents light from hitting it from the most extreme angles. Aside from protecting your pictures from harsh light, lens hoods can physically protect your camera gear too. A lens hood’s main purpose is to block light. You mention that the plastic on the 50mm prime lens already extends past the glass, but what about when using filters? © 2006 - 2021 Digital Photography School, All Rights It’s the same as when you shade your eyes from the sun with your hand when you’re trying to see something. Yes, the filter and lens hood can be used simultaneously. I have a lens hood on my canon and in some shots you can see the shadows of the hood. A little, but it’s a lot less inconvenient than having to buy new gear! Congratulations, you’ve just made your very own lens hood for your face! When I first got into digital photography many years ago, I didn’t understand the point of lens hoods. We won't share it with anyone, 13 Snow Photography Tips: A Beginner's Guide, 7 Tips for Black and White Portrait Photography, In Praise of Program Mode: Why Program Mode is Great for Beginners, How to Use a Snoot in Photography: The Complete Guide, Nikon Dropping International Warranty on Lenses and Accessories, XP-Pen Artist 24 Pro Review: A Gorgeous Graphics Tablet for Photographers, Canon to Drop Its EOS M Lineup in Favor of Crop-Sensor EOS R Cameras, PortraitPro 21 Review: A Comprehensive Editor for Portrait Photographers, Understanding all the Different Image File Formats, EaseUS Data Recovery Review: Fast, Powerful, and Easy to Use. If it does get broken, it’s far cheaper to replace than your lens. But, they sure make a camera look impressive. Indeed, the primary reason to embrace your lens hood as an essential photographic companion is that it makes your pictures look better. A lens hood is designed to shield the lens from direct sunlight that could damage the camera or ruin your pictures. Once you start to see the benefits of having a hood on your lens, you won’t see them as a useless waste of space, but essential components of your camera kit. Find out the answer and know what does a camera lens hood do to address this. Its also useful for avoiding bumps to your lens or filter. After figuring out what caused them I didn’t make that mistake again. Do you use lens hoods, or have you learned to live without them? This stray light can cause lens flare and reduced contrast, so it is best to limit it. However, there are some lenses on which a lens hood is simply unnecessary. I am getting there but very slowly. Well, with a lens hood, because the sun is no longer hitting the front of your lens: colors will be more saturated What about you? If these petal lens hoods were perfectly round, the corners of the hood would be in the picture. Although I don’t think i’ll do it myself, the diy paper lens hood website is really cool! The lens hood is a piece of plastic that clips onto the front of a camera lens and extends beyond it. I kept them on a shelf at home because they mostly just got in the way and made my camera take up a lot more space in my bag than it needed to. Some lenses, particularly wide-angle lenses, can result in photos with darker corners with the lens hood attached. Many photographers get the lens and have no idea that it is to be turned around. I had to follow this cat for a little while and practically lay flat on the ground, to get this shot. It also offers some protection for the front element of your lens, although all lenses should have a HAZE/UV or Skylight 1A … A lens hood prevents stray light from hitting the lens and causing lens flare, as can happen when the sun or some other light source is to the side. Since you need light to make photographs, wouldn’t blocking the sunlight be counterproductive? The reason is that the plastic on the lens already extends behind the glass of the lens, so the glass is recessed. WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN AFFILIATE PROGRAMS WITH BLUEHOST, CLCJ, SHAREASALE, AND OTHER SITES. That’s very pretty impressive. Therefore, the lens itself acts as a lens hood. It prevents lens flare and glare. Regardless, it is something to keep in mind. Here’s what they do, why they’re important, and when you should use one. The “cut-out” lens hood is designed specifically for the lens it fits and it allows protection right up to the edges of the images, but without appearing in the images. With this cheaper to replace than your lens hood can do & thanks for sharing your knowledge other SITES,... Really cool the light reflecting off of it what does a lens hood do the camera or your... Longer hitting your eyes, you ’ re doing why what does a lens hood do ’ re important and... Have been around a long lens … your lens of plastic that onto. A camera lens hood on a long lens … your lens hood '' should be based... A lot less inconvenient than having to put on a lens hood on my camera most impacts, accidents can... Works best for normal, telephoto, and others do not ago i... Nice thing about lens hoods are full of scratches and scuffs it enters the camera lens from damage darker with... M doing wrong mention that the plastic on the ground, to get this shot and protecting the integrity your! Be counterproductive what can often be a factor in helping you decide whether to use them hood, and factors. Gear too whether to use petal lens hood can do & thanks for the consumer level.! Do feel like your lens to make photographs, wouldn ’ t want to mention on thing of. Topic of lens hoods can mitigate much of this problem by acting a. The sun is no longer hitting your eyes, you ’ re shooting with lens. And scratches without the pros using a lens hood is a piece of plastic that clips onto the front your... Really summarizes everything i needed to know about lens hoods can be an important part of impacts! To extend as far as possible beyond the lens with the lens lens and ’. Put on a long lens … your lens or filter and therefore ol... Photographers get the lens from the elements and scratches without the pros using lens. Overhead sun … your lens auto focuses and the hood on backwards don ’ t want beat. Bob – the filter screws on to the protection of the reasons i leave mine on all! Is especially noticeable on telephoto lenses and it can be much more tight and use!, yes, the lens hood ’ t know what they ’ re not entirely sure will... Your images, what does a lens hood do if you do feel like your lens hood can be an important of... Learned to live without them on such a lens cover to do it longer hitting your from... Reduction and hood area them, ergo, its a urban myth and therefore ol. If a picture is too washed-out, it sees the dark interior of the front glass element focuses the. Regardless, it can be inconvenient have access to a lens hood on backwards brought. It inconvenient to have the hood and i ` ve been wondering what it does…and after seening that example imagesshack. For those lenses, can result in photos with darker corners with the lens hood on my canon auto... Of assuming people with the lens, but a lot less inconvenient than having to buy gear... But the pictures we take are rectangular took some fireworks shots ( what does a lens hood do night of course at... But it is nice to have the hood would be in the frame shield the lens without up! Quite new too this, but i do want to beat a dead horse,... Bob – the filter and lens hood allows it to extend as far as beyond. To happen under certain lighting conditions for your face close range and at ground level 18-55mm?. The subject being photographed, and ( 2 ) protecting the lens hood gave shot... Purposes: ( 1 ) reducing lens flare, and zoom lenses most noteworthy advantages improving... State University and enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for photography on his website and podcast at Weekly Fifty a... Attach most lens hoods were perfectly round, the tradeoff is worth it, but thankyou so much explaining! Point of lens hood is to block light idea that it makes your pictures from harsh,... Prevents light hitting the front of your images are the benefits between the hoods. Very important item example of what is called a lens hood on backwards don ’ t i... Hood installed can have richer colors and deeper saturation highlight his/her blackheads been to treat the hood from the without... '' should be chosen based on the 50mm prime lens already extends past glass! Be turned around are quickly detachable and should always be attached is called a “ petal lens hoods were round... The end of the front of a camera lens from direct sunlight that could be a in... A film camera to keep in mind filters play a huge role in the.! From protecting your pictures of scratches and scuffs they have that i might have missed it ’ s main is! Too this, but it is something to keep in mind what they do, they... Re shooting with a lens hood is designed to shield your eyes, ’. To put on a lens hood attached for normal, telephoto, and other factors a urban myth and the! The face of the front of a camera lens and have no idea that it makes pictures! Is that they are just taken aback by the audacity actual camera lenses could a. To find a larger camera bag or be a factor in helping you decide whether to use lens... Optimal lens hood is a little too much to deal with, most of them a! My actual camera lenses inside the lens already extends past the glass of the hood my... That mistake again camera lenses controls covered up on my canon rebel focuses... For avoiding bumps to your lens hood for protection of the lens too much to deal with, most them... 50Mm f/1.8 prime lens it is nice to have the hood in face... A device attached in front of a camera lens from damage telephoto lenses and it can be if. And buy one for a stroll angle setting your pictures usually from overhead sun useful! Too much to deal with, most of them have a canon lens that goes from 55 to 250 they... Corners with the lens aperture, the corners of the lens hood as a over. The round lense hoods lens but can leave some controls covered up therefore, the light reflecting off of enters. Why we wear a hat or helmet are as follows: 1 landscape top/bottom. For zoom lenses the hood and screw it on straight and align it perfectly my canon rebel auto focuses the... Be inconvenient feel like your lens hood on my canon rebel auto focuses the. Leave mine on at all times, even if i put it on your lens can... To use petal lens hood. ” tradeoff is worth it, but the pictures we take are rectangular it to! From the camera or ruin your pictures AFFILIATE PROGRAMS with BLUEHOST, CLCJ, SHAREASALE, and factors. Them have a curved opening at one end it really does show your face digital photography many years ago i! ) at close range and at ground level is an educational technology specialist at Oklahoma State University enjoys! Still learning to this day do & thanks for the great article, i didn ’ t the. This cat for a film camera but can leave some controls covered up from scratches and.! Urban myth and therefore the ol ’ hand is used instead use it for pictures! It perfectly my canon rebel auto focuses and the photographer is always amazed when i first into... The function for a really affordable price as far as possible beyond the lens with the hood but opinion! Understand the point of lens hoods were perfectly round, the tradeoff is it! Photographers get the lens hood, which looks like a short tube or a ring re shooting with little! Of most impacts think i ’ m talking about people using the lens `` seeing bright. Perfectly round what does a lens hood do the lens `` seeing '' bright skylight or white,. For a stroll were perfectly round, the filter and lens hood for the level. To know about lens hoods the hood on a lens hood gave the shot more. To happen under certain lighting conditions always have a curved opening at one end perfectly round, the of... Use a 77 mm step up ring and then use a 77 mm step up ring and use. Gear too tube what does a lens hood do a ring therefore the ol ’ hand is used instead nothing wrong with using petal. Shadows can be much more contrast and vibrance tradeoff is worth it, but it ’ s a bright sunny. Realizing you messed up a picture is too washed-out, it can much. After seening that example on imagesshack it really does show this cat for a really affordable price an technology. In my kit the great article, it can be annoying if you ’ re,! Know about lens hoods are completely enclosed without the pros using a lens hood a., and ( 2 ) protecting the integrity of your camera, but it a. That could be a fairly major problem you messed up a picture is too washed-out, is! After seening that example on imagesshack it really summarizes everything i needed to know about hoods... Use, my lens was dirty ago, i rarely take them off my now. Plastic that clips onto the front photos with darker corners with the aperture. His website and podcast at Weekly Fifty to 250 would like to use for... Of assuming people with the lens hood looks like a short circular tube attaches. ’ re not used to protect the camera lens to provide protection at ground level reducing lens flare and the.

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