Lens hoods

[Mark L]

So what are they good for?
Are they more useful for certain situations, or should be used all the time?
Are they more useful on shorter or longer lenses?

ATM I'm fairly specific in the photos I'm taking, but thought I'd make the questions more general for the sake of discussion.
Cheers.

[Hawthy]

As I learned in Photography 101 (aka the InterWeb), lens hoods are designed to reduce lens flare and to make the contrast in images higher. So provided you use the lens hood designed for that particular lens, it won't adversely affect your photos. Indeed, it should improve them. Unless, of course, you are looking for lens flare and washed out colours for an arty effect. But isn't that what PhotoShop is for? It also prevents accidental damage to the front of the lens if you bang it in to something. My verdict? Thumbs up!

[ameerat42]

Wide lenses are harder to correct optically than longer ones, and a lens hood is [opinion]probably[/opinion] more useful for the wider lenses.

[neil70]

i use a lens hood all the time, mainly for protection. i shoot outside 99% of the time and this helps with accidental damage

[Lance B]

I always use a lens hood and for two purposes: 1) It certainly reduces flare and increases contrast - I have shot a scene with and without a lens hood and the difference can be marked, and I don't just mean when the sun or light source is able to directly get on to the lens. 2) As a form of protection from bumping into things, one of the best ways to protect a lens!

[Sargimuss]

They are also good for aiding in the reduction of fog building on the front of the lens. they don't eliminate it as such, merely hinder the buildup of fog that blows by the front of the lens.

[jjphoto]

As others have said, it's generally best to use them whenever possible. However modern lenses have extremely effective coatings so the improvements in flair control, eg veiling glare, when using hoods is less than when using hoods on older lenses with lesser coatings. Hoods still protect lenses from knocks and dirt so are always useful in this respect.

[Morgo]

I use them all the time, on all my of my lens.

Especially considering my current big white is the 200-400 which has no provision for a front lens filter to protect the front element. Its a costly mistake if something hits the front element or its dropped, hopefully the hood will protect it.

[chappo1]

I do not use any glass in front of the lens (except polariser when waned) so always have the lens hood on for protection of accidental scratching... john

[Mark L]

Great quote in your signature chappo.

[swifty]

I use it for all the reasons everyone has stated above.
I'll add when I won't use it. On wider angle lenses when using on-camera flash.
It will sometimes cast an unreasonable amount of shadow depending on the exact setup.

[arthurking83]

I tend to use them all the time too.

Most times it's mounted in the reversed(lens storage) position, so that if or when I need to refocus/manually focus, or zoom a bit(with a zoom lens obviously), it's a bit of a PITA, in that it then has to be removed and installed the correct way around to access the focus/zoom ring.

On a very few rare occasions I have to remove it to install the filter holder(or something like that).

There have been or are some pretty dismal lens hood designs tho.
Nikon's 105VR lens hood is far too long to use all the time. At close range it's more often than not in the way(can cause light shading on close up subjects).
And then of course there are the old retractable and screw in Nikon lens hood of old, that are totally useless in terms of lens protection(from bumps).

There also seem to be some very clever designs too tho. I remember a very clever recent design from Olympus for the new 40-150/2.8 lens


Note that some lens hoods for superzoom type lenses can cause a bit more vignetting at the wider end of the focal length range.
(I have a vague recollection that the Tamron 18-270mm lens had this issue .. but not 100% sure)

[I @ M]

So what are they good for?

They shade unwanted light from the edges and can prevent flare.
They do provide a certain amount of protection for the front element.
They make your lens look longer -- after all, bigger is better isn't it.

Are they more useful for certain situations, or should be used all the time?

I tend to be in the use them all the time camp, I haven't found reasons not to use them, as AK83 pointed out they can be a hindrance for macro work by blocking light though.

ATM I'm fairly specific in the photos I'm taking, but thought I'd make the questions more general for the sake of discussion.
Cheers.

I reckon they are a valuable addition for most types of photography and the times I see them not being used seem to be when people are using "kit" lenses that probably didn't come with a hood and then with Canon owners who saved long and hard to buy their L lenses and then had to fork out for an expensive hood.

[Mark L]

Thank you for all the replies. Kind of confirmed what i thought and could have googled. But that doesn't help expand the the knowledge available on AP.

They make your lens look longer -- after all, bigger is better isn't it.

Since I'm modest, it was one the reasons i wasn't sure about using a lens hood in public.

[bcys1961]

I use one on my lenses. All above reasons plus:

1) Helps keep the rain off the lens in wet weather
2) Makes you look like a Pro!

[Babu]

I almost always fit the appropriate hood to all my lenses for the reasons outlined above.
As well, it seems unlikely that the lens manufacturers put them in the boxes just for decoration or padding!
Certainly watch out for extra vignetting at the wide end of some zoom lenses.