Then I would see it in processing. There really is no benefit to taking pictures with the hood on backwards, though. Here are two example photos side by side, taken without a lens hood (on the left) and with one (on the right). Thank you so much! Would it be beneficial or unnecessary to have it on for an indoor shoot? 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,267. Many telephoto lenses, especially primes, use a round hood rather than a tulip design, and they work just fine – far better than nothing. I then wrapped the bulk of the lens body with plastic film, before putting it into a small plastic bag, taping around the top of the bag to attach it to the lens just forward of the aperture ring. See the photo below to see what I mean. Yes, with the great 200-500mm zoom, its hood catches the wind. The second image is free of glare thanks to the lens hood. But that’s the most important thing to know: Use a lens hood whenever possible to get more durability and flare resistance. This is the type of problem you may not even see in the field, only to open the photo on your computer and realize that it has vivid reflections and glare in it. I’ve even seen people leave their lens hoods at home so they can save a bit of weight and bulk for long backpacking trips, opting to block the sun with their hand instead. When you take a photo of something, the light reflecting off of it enters the camera through the front of the lens. And each of these does something to improve the sharpness of the image, eliminate different aberrations, or just ensure your photo is in focus. And I can attest that the lens coatings are very tough, I’ll say virtually scratch resistant. Thank you very much. Or, you may want to leave the lens hood behind for street photography in order to look less intimidating. Below are a few tips and things to consider when you use a lens hood: Join 350,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, comics, trivia, reviews, and more. While lens flares can often be a fun element of a photo, they can also become highly distracting, so if you want to reduce and eliminate lens flare, use a lens hood. the changing pad. The two main types of lens hoods available today are tulip hoods and round hoods. If you’ve ever taken pictures with bright lights in your photo – especially the sun – chances are good that you have seen lens flare before. At the end of the day, just use whatever hood came with your lens, and you’re unlikely to be disappointed. I’d rather have a cracked lens hood than a cracked front element. If you ever drop your lens, a hood isn’t guaranteed to save the day, but it is far better than not using one at all. What about indoors? This is most commonly the case when you’re using a lens meant for smaller-sensor cameras, such as a Nikon DX lens on an FX camera. Canon L Lens series lenses generally ship with the proper lens hood. Best lens hoods I’ve used were on Pentax primes. The same is true when taking pictures from an airplane or helicopter with an open window, in which case you should not use a lens hood. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. While fingerprints can be wiped off, you can feel more at ease while shooting if it is harder for the lens to become dirty in the first place. If you’re not using your lens hood to protect your lens element from more than just bright light, you’re missing out. Aside from some wide angle lenses where it’s built in, nearly every hood on the market can be reversed for transportation, making it look something like this: Although that’s a bit bulkier than the lens on its own, it’s not bad. Keep in mind that the exposure settings are identical in the two photos. Lens hoods are awkward, bulky, and another thing you have to take with you everywhere. The questions I get asked are; What are lens hoods for? It might not save the lens from smashing, but at least the glass front element won’t be the first thing that hits the floor. 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. By simply putting a lightweight accessory on your camera lens, you immediately improve your image quality and lens durability. You would be amazed by how many people do this because they simply don’t know better. The orange, hazy area at the top right is fixed as well: So, to reduce flare in your photos, it is a good idea to use a lens hood whenever possible. If I’m planning to be out in harsh weather conditions, I always triple-check and never leave home without a lens hood. Take another look at the grass at the bottom right of the frame, which has significantly more contrast in the photo with the lens hood. How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. Also, it is nice to have a lens hood for protection of the lens. I agree with all of this except one thing, when using the niffty fifty and it starts to spit or rain lightly and I can’t get my camera into a bag I’ll reverse the hood and that’ll cover most of the lens and keep any water off. But lens hoods are about more than looks. It will both fit the front and provide the optimum amount of shade. But a lot is going on inside the camera. This curve is cut to the zoom range of the lens and allows for the wider field of view afforded smaller focal lengths, while still attempting to block most light at a longer focal length. 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. It’s the same as when you shade your eyes from the sun with your hand when you’re trying to see something. 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