hood orientation

naptime · Dec 9, 2011

i have a question about hood orientation...

i ordered some zeikos tulip or flower type hoods for my daughter and i.

we are new, so go easy on me...

the concept of screwing the hood on is easy enough. we screw on the uv lense, possibly the cpl lense, and then screw on the hood.

what confuses me is the orientation of the hood.

it came with instructions, that say the arrow should be at the top of the lense, essentially, the longer legs of the hood on top and bottom, and the shorter legs on the sides.

it says to screw it on, put the arrow at the top, and then tighten down this collar ring, to keep it from moving.

that's all well and dandy... until i zoom in or zoom out, or try to adjust focus... then obviously, the hood moves also!! so it is no longer long legs on top shorts leg on side.

am i supposed to then, loosen the collar ring, and adjust the hood, and then tighten the ring down again?

do you have to do this for EVERY shot?

if i'm going to constantly tighten and loosen, whats the point of tightening the collar ring?

furthermore, when i go to adjust the hood, isnt that going to adjust my focus as well?

i'm lost.. how do you all do this?

naptime · Dec 9, 2011

one another thing, i have read where several people keep the hood on the lens at all times, in the case as well, as it protects the end of the case..

then i have to forgo using the lens cap?

wouldn't it be better to remove the hood, and apply the lens when packing up?

i don't know why you wouldn't.. but i'm new so maybe someone can shed some light for me.

thanks !!

dxqcanada · Dec 9, 2011

In your case ... you will have to adjust the hood after zooming.
I have lenses that use circular hoods ... or the zoom mechanism does not turn the lens.

It is best to always use a lens hood.

I remove the hood when packing the lens away ... usually reversing it, then putting on the lens cap.

analog.universe · Dec 9, 2011

Aftermarket hoods that mount to the filter threads will have the issues you've described. Often there are hoods available that mount to a different part of the lens, and so are not affected by front element rotation. They also allow you to use the lens cap and hood simultaneously. Usually the hood made by the lens manufacturer has it's own mount, and does not mount to the filter thread. Sometimes cheaper clones of these manufacturer hoods are available that accomplish the same thing. Mounting a hood to the filter is kind of the long way around....

Big Mike · Dec 9, 2011

You're not going to like using those hoods on a lens like that. Bad purchase IMO.

Petal style hoods are really best used on lenses that they were designed to be used on. In in those cases, they usually mount to the lens via a bayonet style twist ring, and not the filter threads. It's especially bad for 'cheaper' lenses that rotate when they focus. Most 'higher quality' lenses have internal focus, so the front of the lens doesn't rotate.

Dao · Dec 9, 2011

Also, if the lens is not a wide angle lens, you can use a non-petal style hood. Just a round hood. My 50mm, 85mm, and 70-200mm all have round hood.

naptime · Dec 10, 2011

so i'm not crazy then. at least that's a good thing

everything you guys are saying is what i was thinking...

yes, these are cheap lenses i assume. two are canon, but i believe they are kit lenses.

we are beginning. our cameras are:

canon eos rebel 2000 film.
lense 1 : canon 28-80 1:3.5-5.6 II
lense 2 : canon 35-80 1:4.0-5.6 III
lense 3 : quantaray 70-300 1:4.0-5.6

i dont know what any of that means yet. except that the lower number is wider and the higher number is more zoom. lol

i bought the tulips because i was told that's what you use now.

if round, is better, or more suited for these lenses, i'm fine with grabbing some.

these are "cheap hoods" i suppose.. they are zeikos.. but they were only 5 bucks each. and yes all three lenses move on the outside when adjusting the focus or the zoom.

no big deal to just grab solid rounds if that will be better?

Buckster · Dec 10, 2011

The primary purpose of the hood is to block stray light from glancing off the front of the lens and causing flare or ghosting, and you can see that when you're looking through the viewfinder, so you'll know. As long as you're not seeing flare or ghosting, no matter what position it's in, you'll be okay.

Now, just to help confuse the issue, there may be times when you want a bit of flare to accent a shot, and that's the other side of the coin on learning to control flare. It's not normally the case that you want it, but it does pop up from time to time. Just have fun with it.