Lens hood

[wet]

Naive question, need expert advise.
Do you guys use lens hood all the time for outdoor photography? Should I start using it all the time too? I never use it for outdoor portrait picture because some kids look at the humongous lens hood & were freaking out. If that will enhance my picture, I will definitely use it again.
Thanks.

 

[choudhrysaab]

Naive question, need expert advise.

i shudn't be here then :blushing:

 

[Big Mike]

Here is just fine.

Yes, I use a lens hood almost all the time.
The main reason for a lens hood is to block stray light from getting into the lens. For example, if you are shooting someone and the sun is above you, the sun's rays might hit the front of the lens which can cause lens flare and/or a loss of contrast.
As an experiment, go outdoors when it's sunny. Look around, then use your hand (or the brim of a hat) to block the sun from hitting your face.

Also, a good solid lens hood will offer protection for the front of your lens.

 

[robertwsimpson]

I love pictures of kids freaking out. they're the best.

 

[chammer]

yea, i use mine all the time as well - indoors and outdoors.

 

[Dao]

I want to make myself looks like I know what I am doing, so I use the lens hood.

 

[musicaleCA]

I use mine all the time, the notable exception being what I like to call "stealth mode". For any street photography, I use my 50mm (it's short and doesn't draw attention), body, and that's it. Small body, small lens, no hood; people don't take me seriously, and I can get better images like that.

At all other times I use a hood though. It does no harm to your image being there; it can only improve it. Though whenever I have my 24-70mm and the hood on, people keep asking me if I'm a professional.

 

[EleanorW]

Also, a good solid lens hood will offer protection for the front of your lens.

Someone should invent case hoods then to protect cameras from owners who tip tripods over but hey, at least my lens didn't get hurt lol

 

[EhJsNe]

I prefer to use one on my 50mm f/1.8, mainly because its a small lens and the lens hood makes it bigger...but it also protect my lens...not so much bllcoks stray light on the Nikon 50mm (The lens element is recessed a good bit. But the hood doesnt hurt!)

 

[Josh66]

I don't have one for every lens, but the ones I do have are on all the time - no matter where I am.

There is no reason not to use a hood...
(Assuming, of course, that you are using the correct hood for the lens.)

 

[musicaleCA]

There is no reason not to use a hood...
(Assuming, of course, that you are using the correct hood for the lens.)

Except for when there's a reason of course. :greenpbl: (Mainly just when you don't want to scare children, like above, or in my case, when I want to be unassuming. Being tricky is good; sometimes it's great to have people think that you're just an un-skilled amateur who probably doesn't know what buttons to press :lmao: .)

 

[Josh66]

Except for when there's a reason of course. :greenpbl:

Yeah, except for that.

I don't use one with my 100mm macro a lot of times (it just get's in the way).


Optically, there is no reason not to use one though.

 

[lvcrtrs]

I have mine pretty much all the time. I hardly ever use my flash so I found out the hard way on a family getaway that using the hood with flash and the wide angle of my lens consistantly caused a dark shadow in the lower middle of the picture. Unfortunate since I don't see family too often. Could crop out some of it but alas it was a lesson learned. That's the only time I had a problem with it on though. I like that it plain old protects the end of the lens when i set it about and don't want to keep putting the lens cap on.

 

[Dao]

In some situation, such as big long hood with CPL. I would rather not using the hood.

 

[vd853]

On my zoom lens, I only take it off indoors, or rather, just reverse it. On my prime, I leave it on all the time.