Lens hoods - do they make any difference?

[toastboy]

I was just wondering what value I'm going to get from a £29 piece of plastic attached to the end of my nice new Canon 10-22mm lens. £29!!! For a plastic ring that probably cost 5p to make.

OK compared to the lens, 29 quid isn't a fortune but is it going to make any difference to the pictures I take?

[FunkyNige]

They make a big difference for me, I get nice black splodges in all 4 corners

[flat-planedCrank]

They help to prevent lens flare, plus they provide a bit of protection for the front of the lens. I generally use them.

(that said, for a wide angle it might not protrude that far from the front of the lens. I'd take a closer look and decide if it was worth it )

[flat-planedCrank]

FunkyNige said:

They make a big difference for me, I get nice black splodges in all 4 corners

Is that with a manufactures-own lens hood ? Needless to say, thats not meant to happen

[2jamesl]

IMO they are crap! The lens hood i have seems to have no effect what so ever and i have those purple spots over the image no matter what, also if you leave it on and use flash (for example if you are in a rush to take something and have no time to take the hood off) then it ruins the image.

29 quid is a joke!

[bramley]

I use them most of the time instead of a uv filter so I've got some protection in case I knock the lens, plus it does apparently reduce flare but I can't say i've really ever had a problem with flare.

[FunkyNige]

flat-planedCrank said:

Is that with a manufactures-own lens hood ? Needless to say, thats not meant to happen

It's a EW-63 attached to a 28-105mm 3.5-4.5, so they should fit together. Doesn't happen all the time which is a bit odd.

[Altrezia]

I always use one on my 75-300, never had any lens flare with it on, but get quite a bit at night without it.

[_dobbo_]

Do lens hoods make a difference? In certain situations, abso-ing-lutely.

I use the hoods all the time on all my lenses. It's a bit rich that the lens didn't come with a hood though - second hand or new?

[Byker28i]

FunkyNige said:

flat-planedCrank said:

Is that with a manufactures-own lens hood ? Needless to say, thats not meant to happen

It's a EW-63 attached to a 28-105mm 3.5-4.5, so they should fit together. Doesn't happen all the time which is a bit odd.

My ef-s 10-22mm does this on 10mm if I have a circular polarising filter attached

[RobDickinson]

Which is more likely the CPL...

If you get it in shot its not right, and mosly likely goint to be at the wide end and wide open.

As for hoods in general, if I have one I use it, makes a huge difference, cuts down ambient light, flare and realy gives more contrast.

[beano500]

toastboy said:

... is it going to make any difference to the pictures I take?

You know when it's a bit sunny and you cover your eyes with a shielding hand? Well, why do you do that?

Do you wear glasses or sunglasses ever (I used to have to wear glasses for being very short sighted and it was always a bugbear for me) and find you can see patterns of light because of them until you put on a baseball cap?

With the crudest, cheapest lens hood you can find you will find an increase in contrast and a decrease in ghosting flare. So if you don't want that sort of result don't use a lens hood

[Gemm]

toastboy said:

For a plastic ring that probably cost 5p to make.

Canon hoods are not just a plastic ring.

[Elderly]

If you don't want to spend as much as 5 pence try here: http://www.lenshoods.co.uk:80/

And YES flagging off extranious light falling on your front element can make a
big difference to picture quality.

[toastboy]

Gemm said:

toastboy said:

For a plastic ring that probably cost 5p to make.

Canon hoods are not just a plastic ring.

Of course, you're right. For your £29 you get some black furry mould on the inside.

FWIW Even at 10mm with a circ pl I'm not seeing any black splodges in the corners.

Edited by toastboy on Thursday 13th September 11:07

[Fordo]

I work as a video cameraman, and they're defiantly worth having. As already mentioned, they do increase contract- on a sunny day, blacks look blacker. And they also can keep rain of the lens, when it starts to rain.

[MonkeyHanger]

Gemm said:

toastboy said:

For a plastic ring that probably cost 5p to make.

Canon hoods are not just a plastic ring.

Very true, but they are hugely over-priced. £40+ for a replacement hood for a 100-400L being a good example.

If you're lucky enough to own a 600 F4L, you'd better employ an armed guard to look after the hood

[RobDickinson]

MonkeyHanger said:

If you're lucky enough to own a 600 F4L, you'd better employ an armed guard to look after the hood

400 quid is a bit steep for a lens hood , but it is carbon fiber....

[franv8]

It's nice that the third party lenses seem to have the decency to come with their hoods, and in some cases carrying cases too!

[Gemm]

franv8 said:

It's nice that the third party lenses seem to have the decency to come with their hoods, and in some cases carrying cases too!

And L lenses.