Lens Hoods

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statonb

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I know what a lens hood is for, but I wonder, as a beginner to SLR photography, do I really need one or should I save myself £20 for the moment?

(I have a Canon D500 with the kit 18-55mm lens, and a Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, both needing an ET-60 lens hood.)

Thanks in advance. I only joined this forum today, and have already received a lot of useful advice. I'm very glad I joined!
 
I'd check that again as it's unlikely the same hood for a 55-250mm lens will be the same as the 18-55mm. I'm sure it would cause major vignetting @ 18mm.

To answer your question you can get by without one. If shooting in strong sunlight a well placed hand can shield the light glaring the lens well enough.
The main reason i use them is for protection on the front element. I'm always bumping into things and the hood just gives that little bit extra safety :)
 
I used an ET-60 (£8.58 delivered from Amazon) for my 55-250mm when I had it. For under a tenner to stop stray light and protect the lens a bit better it was worth it.
 
The EW-60 fits the 18-55. I did try the ET-60 on it but it wobbled and you can see the hood in the pics if I recall correctly. Canon lens hoods are ridiculously ovepriced though. The hood for my 17-55mm I had to buy for about £40 and I hope I never need to buy a hood for the 300 L as they cost almost £400.
 
I use a Cokin filter holder which takes Cokin modular hoods. You simply clip as many hoods onto the filter holder as you need therefore they work for all focal lengths. One A series hood is about £8, Filter Holder about £12, Adapter rings about £7.
A bit dearer than your £20 but you get a filter holder and hoods for all your lenses.
 
statonb said:
I know what a lens hood is for, but I wonder, as a beginner to SLR photography, do I really need one or should I save myself £20 for the moment?

(I have a Canon D500 with the kit 18-55mm lens, and a Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, both needing an ET-60 lens hood.)
Click to expand...

You can get away without a hood, if you're careful/under some circumstances, but they're really not that expensive and it's easier to just use them all the time. They offer quite good protection for the front of the lens too, and I'd buy a hood before any sort of filter. Circular polarising and neutral density filters are useful but good ones are pricy and they can come later, if you want them.
 
things like this makes me really glad I shoot nikon, who include them...

you can get knockoff ones from ebay or dealextreme for most lenses, which are apparently fine (hey, it's a bit of plastic...)

and forget about the flare etc, I mostly use them for protection - weather sealed body, lens hood + uv filter, and if it's really raining, some plastic bags, and you can trust your gear to take some pretty hefty knocks :P
 
I have some pop-out rubber threaded hoods, screw on. Do the job for small lenses.

70-200 has a massive hood with it as said as much for protection when its swinging about.

I agree, worth putting something on them, it only to offer some protection to the front element.
 
Essential kit IMO - likewise as a Nikon user I get them included with the lens - though I've now gone through four 17-35mm f/2.8 hoods by bashing the camera against things - better to sacrifice a £40 hood than a £1500 lens...they absorbed enough of the impact(s) that the UV filters weren't damaged either...
 
As well as the optical benefits (better contrast etc.) the prime feature of hood is the protection of the front element. I use mine indoors or out. There are some very good equivalent hoods on ebay for most of the Canon range. Avoid the screw in ones if you can as they take 3 times as long to put on so you are less likely to use them.

Why Canon cannot include a hood with every lens I do not know. They are an essential part of the lens system. I can only assume that is some half witted marketing decision that decided here was a good way of screwing an extra £20 to £40 (approx. average non L lens) out of each customer for each lens purchased.

The ebay knock offs are just as good and will generally arrive quite quickly so my advice is get one.

John
 
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