Cir polarizer and lens hood

[Overread]

is there a way to use a circular polarizer with a lens hood?
only my experiences are that you can only really use one or the other - if you have the hood on turning the polarizer is a trick and painfull process which also blocks your view of what your looking at - whilst if you have the hood off you then run all the risks of hitting things with the front of the lens (well the polarizer).
I would like to use both - specifically for macro work. So is there a way?

 

[Steph]

You could try a rubber lenshood screwed to the front thread of the polariser. That way you just have to turn the lenshood to turn the polariser. Would that work?

 

[Overread]

hmm would depend how hard the rubber is I think. I have heard of the rubber hoods, but never had a chance of holding one so I often wonder if they have any guts to them or if they will give way at the slightest push or deform over time.
Last thing I want is for a twig or some such to push my hood into the way of the viewfinder.
Although being screwed into the filter would solf the problem yes

 

[LaFoto]

My circular polariser has a little "handle" which sticks out ... and therefore excludes the use of both, polariser AND lens hood. So yes. That has been my experience, too. I never thought any further about it, but took it as a given fact ... but now that you're mentioning it, I wonder: should I not?

 

[Warren_G]

I use a rubber hood on my 50mm 1.8. The rubber hoods are fine, they are not so flimsy that they flop around, and because they simply pop in and out, you can almost leave them on the lens all the time. It works fine to turn the CP, and for $11 it was a very low-risk investment that has turned out to be ok.

 

[kundalini]

I have a slim version and have a couple methods.

1. In a hurray...... or just not thinking

2. When I think about fingerprints (actual field trials have the microfiber tightly wrapped around finger...... 10 second timer :er:

I have intention for a method 3, but haven't bought a finger condom yet....

 

[Overread]

yah I have done number 1 in a zoo with my 70-200mm - it was a pain but possible - but in the end I just took the hood off - making quick changes is just not doable and now I want to experiment with my macro and I just know its going to involve a lot of twisting - sticking my hand infront will most likey just spook my subject

 

[Do'Urden's Eyes]

LaFoto gave me an idea. you could probably use a little tape and tape a tooth pick to the edge of the filter so that it sticks out a little bit. it would make it a little easier but you might need to have some seriously strong tape. ive had to make this trade off with my 100mm a few times, its impossible to adjust the filter because the hood is so deep. maybe we can brainstorm off of that idea...

 

[Overread]

it still involves putting your hand near the front of the lens - and the rod could cause problems if it shifts. Some metalic assembly which connects to the filter and then runs out of the hood - folds back and then runs back along the hood thus allowing you to turn the filter from the outside of the hood could work, but you would need some seriously strong metal and also a very good bond with the filter for that to work - would probably prove too hard in practise to be worth.

But as the rubber hoods appear to screw into the filter are there not regular screwin hoods? I say regular since the rubber ones appear to all span outwards at the end which is something I would like to avoid with my macro lens (I am looking at alternative lighting and have found an idea that might work very well, but could cause hood shading problems - these would be extra worse if the hood spans outwards)

 

[Dao]

I bought a hood for my 50mm lens and it is a screw on hood. So I put the CPL first and then the hood on the CPL. And I can turn the CPL by turning the hood.

 

[kundalini]

^^ Yes, but that doesn't work with petal style hoods.

 

[Josh66]

I would like to use both - specifically for macro work. So is there a way?

For macro work, it shouldn't be too much of a problem - just a little more prep work (assuming you're shooting a stationary object from a tripod).

Set the CP the way you want it, then put the hood on.

 

[Overread]

ahh but I do my macro handheld and on the move
which tends to mean chasing things round fields - I never get up early enough for the sleepy lot

 

[250Gimp]

I have wondered on this question before to!

I heard of one guy cutting a thin slot in his hood with a dremel tool so that when he pressed his finger against it he could exert enough pressure on the CPL to rotate it.

The only down side is that you potentially ruin your hood.

By the way he said that he did not have any problems with light hitting the lense even though he had the slot because it was so close to the filter.

 

[Overread]

I can see that working - if I had tools and training
Actually I am not really sure what my sigma hood is made of - its nice but I have no idea what it would react to me taking a cutter to it!

And I know there must be some product outhere that does this - heck sigma seem to make a specific hood just for this use but for the 105mm only (which is way too small a head to fit as well)