Lens hood, for what?

[sincere]

So i read about lense hoods on wiki but i still dont get its purpose. So it doesnt let light come in from the sides? For what? Why would i want that? Just to have a vignetting effect?

Somebody please school me. Thanks!

 

[ann]

reduces the possibilities of light flare from stray light boucing across the lens.

 

[sincere]

Can someon post a before/ after pic? I couldnt find any.

 

[Funky]

They dont have a huge effect, but if your shooting in harsh sunlight and the suns to your left or right your not going to have the sun flare.

 

[sincere]

Sorry but i am having a very hard time taking any advice from you :mrgreen:

 

[kundalini]

Okay, maybe in addition to what the others are saying, how about protecting the front element of your lens from accidents.

 

[(Ghastly) Krueger]

Sorry but i am having a very hard time taking any advice from you :mrgreen:

Here are some examples of Lense flare and more about hoods.

 

[table1349]

So i read about lense hoods on wiki but i still dont get its purpose. So it doesnt let light come in from the sides? For what? Why would i want that? Just to have a vignetting effect?

Somebody please school me. Thanks!

A lens hood protects the lens from many different things. As mentioned above, from stray light causing unwanted effects in your photos. Do you drive a car? Have you ever driven towards a rising or setting sun? Do you ever put the visor down to cut down on the glare? What was the glare effecting? The lenses you call eyes. Same thing.

Also have you ever bumped anything before that was in your hands? A good lens hood from the manufacturer will protect the front of the lens. I don't use a lens without a lens hood on it. I have a real dislike for scrapping a $1300 lens because I was A. Clumsy and B. to lazy or too cheap to put a lens hood on the front. Kind of like buying a Lamborghini and putting $30.00 Wal-Mart tires on the thing.

 

[sabbath999]

It also makes your lens look longer and more impressive.

 

[keith204]

Just another application I use it for..

At the race track, at night time, the lights around it are super bright...just the bulbs. Without the hood, I often get extra spots caused by the lights. With the hood, I don't get near as many spots.

 

[Mike Jordan]

It sounds like Sincere wants to use his lens without a hood. I think we should all incourage him to try it for a week of shooting in situations where there is lots of daylight and strong side front side lighting. Then when he has experienced it himself, he will more appreciate what others have been saying. Real life experience does make the best teacher.


Mike

 

[Garbz]

Sincere go outside and satisfy yourself with an easy example. Go out in early afternoon when the sun is not directly overhead but at an angle and frame a shot so the sun is just out of view, yet still pointing the lens in the sun's direction. See the loss of contrast? Perhaps even a ghost of the sun in the picture? Now keeping the angle exactly the same stand in the shade. Volah contrast improved and the ghosts are gone.

If you can't find some shade just grab your hand and cast a shadow over the lens front element without having it in the picture.

/EDIT: Hard work done for you. The sun is off the frame in the top left corner. One image without hood one with. Shot on Nikon's niftyfifty at f/1.8 (it does flare the worst here to show how bad light hitting the lens really is). I'll let you guess which pic is which:

 

[itoncool]

It also makes your lens look longer and more impressive.

I like this one...

 

[RyanLilly]

It also makes your lens look longer and more impressive.

Think of a lens hood as Viagra for your camera.

 

[sincere]

Thanks Garbz! So what kind do you perfer for what situation? Seems like there´s different shapes.

Mike Jordan, where DIDNT i apprechiate what others where saying? Maybe you didnt want to come across this way but you just sounded like a straight DICK.