what size/type hood for my lens?

[yangwenli]

Just bought a Sony A200 with DT 18-70mm kit lens. I want to get a bigger lens hood but I'm not sure size/type for it, do I HAVE to buy from Sony? thanks

 

[JimmyO]

Did it come with one? If so then that is the one you should use with it. Using another will probably get in the picture becuase its not the right size.

 

[KhronoS]

As JimmyO said you can't get a hood bigger or smaller... because a hood bigger will ruin part of the photo you are going to take... and a hood smaller will not offer the most protection from the sunlight getting straight into the lens.

So there are strict sizes for different lenses.

 

[yangwenli]

wow i had no idea, awesome info thks. But I took some pics today still there was flare gets into the picture with the stock hood on, how do i aviod it?

and what's up with all those knockoff lens off from ebay claiming that they fit our cameras?

i.e. I found some 55mm (my cap size) hood from ebay, are they fitting on where you screw on your filter? then you cant hv a filter then?? my stock hood screw on the outter rim of focus ring which is way bigger then 55mm.

very confusing!

 

[Helen B]

For zoom lenses that I am going to use mostly at the long end for a particular purpose (eg portraits) I use a longer hood than the general purpose one. With few exceptions, the hood on a zoom is relatively ineffective at the long end. Therefore it may make sense to buy a hood that is more effective at the long end, even though it obscures the field of view at the wide end. It's a personal choice, of course.

You can get screw-in hoods.

You can also get compendium hoods - ie hoods with bellows so you can change the length of them. These usually come with one, two or more filter slots for rectangular filters.

Best,
Helen

 

[JimmyO]

Screw in hoods are made by companys in china who are looking to rip you off. Chances are it will get in the way of the shot. Also remeber that a lens thats focusing ring actually rotates the end of the camera will need a round hood, not a flower pedal type. If you really want to buy a new hood there are rubber one that fold back and forward to make it all store in in a bag. Ive never heard anyone say anything about these so i cant tell you how they work.

 

[Helen B]

Screw in hoods are made by companys in china who are looking to rip you off.

Companies like Nikon, Canon, Heliopan and Schneider?

 

[JimmyO]

haha, no. More like things like these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Flower-Petal-Le...ryZ78999QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Helen B]

Er, the point was that not all screw-in lens hoods are made by Chinese companies. Nikon, Canon, Heliopan and Schneider all make screw-in round hoods. In some situations it does not matter that they obscure the view at the wide end of a zoom - they can do a significantly better job than the dedicated hood at the long end of the zoom range, and that is why some of us use them.

Best,
Helen

 

[JimmyO]

Gotcha :thumbup: