lens hood for use w/polarizer?

twohearted · Apr 11, 2014

I recently purchased a circular polarizing filter. On the good advice of several people on this forum, I bought one for a larger diameter lens than I currently own, and I bought a step up ring to attach it to my smaller lens. So far so good.

It was also suggested to me that I get a lens hood that will thread directly into the front of my filter, rather than one with a bayonet mount. The reason given for this was that, with the hood threaded directly into the filter, I would not have to remove the hood every time I needed to rotate the CPL; I could just rotate the hood and the filter would rotate with it. Excellent advice.

So my question is, which type of hood--solid or tulip-petal--or does it matter? I searched the forums and found a discussion in which several people said that lenses with a rotating front element had to use solid hoods. Does the same apply to my rotating filter?

I'm a little confused, so any help with this would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bryon

480sparky · Apr 11, 2014

Petal hoods only work on lenses that don't rotate during focusing or zooming. If the lens does, it can still use a solid hood, but it will be round. And you will need to re-orient your polarizer every time you adjust the lens.

Don Kondra · Apr 11, 2014

None of my current lenses turn when zooming or focusing so I use off shore collapsable rubber hoods.

To adjust the CP you turn the hood.

Cheers, Don

twohearted · Apr 12, 2014

Okay, so...my front element does rotate during focusing, so that means I should go for a solid hood, not the petal-shaped one. Since I'm going to be threading this hood into a 72mm filter that's in turn threaded (via step-up ring) into my 58mm lens, I have to buy a "universal" (i.e. generic, not lens-specific) hood...that means I'm taking a gamble on getting the right length of hood to prevent flaring while not blocking so much light that vignetting occurs...so, would something like this be a good deal? 72mm 3 Stage Collapsible Rubber Lens Hood Canon Nikon Sony Sigma Pentax Camera | eBay

480sparky · Apr 12, 2014

twohearted said:
Okay, so...my front element does rotate during focusing, so that means I should go for a solid hood, not the petal-shaped one. Since I'm going to be threading this hood into a 72mm filter that's in turn threaded (via step-up ring) into my 58mm lens, I have to buy a "universal" (i.e. generic, not lens-specific) hood...that means I'm taking a gamble on getting the right length of hood to prevent flaring while not blocking so much light that vignetting occurs...so, would something like this be a good deal? 72mm 3 Stage Collapsible Rubber Lens Hood Canon Nikon Sony Sigma Pentax Camera | eBay

What lens do you have?

snowbear · Apr 12, 2014

Try this to get the length?
Use a Coffee Cup Sleeve as a Temporary Lens Hood

Trever1t · Apr 12, 2014

You know, I never thought of that? Trying to turn the CPL with a stupid NIKON lens hood is a set it and hope I got it right ordeal. Interested, is there such a thing as a threaded lens hood and yes, how bout it's length/fit to not vignette?

twohearted · Apr 12, 2014

Sparky, I have the Canon Rebel T3i - it came with an 18-55mm kit lens and I also have a 75-300mm telephoto. Both are 58mm lenses.

480sparky · Apr 12, 2014

I'd buy a hood for each lens.

Derrel · Apr 12, 2014

At some "real camera stores" there is usually a junk bin that has 20,30,40 of the offshore, soft, collapsible rubber lens hoods. Trouble is, "real camera stores" are not very common these days. Keep in mind: the majority of rubber lens hoods were made and specified for "full-frame" angles of view...many of them are OLD now, and if they have been spec'd, they often say "50mm"...but that's for a 50mm lens on 35mm film or FF digitial SLR...so...you can often use a lens designed for a longer lens, if you are shooting on a crop-frame body.

WHat yuo want is the longest, and the narrowest diameter lens hood you can get, so that it gives maximum shading. Buuuuuut, since you went for a 77mm filter size, you have a LARGER diameter lens shade, so it can be kinda' long, and probably still not cause vignetting even with a fairly wide-angle lens length in use. I assuming you have two lenses, with 58mm filter thread on their fronts; and that you use a 58 to 77mm step ring; so...you would want a rubber lens shade with a 77mm thread on it. A rubber hood designed for say, a Nikon 180mm f/2.8 AF-D might be a good choice. Again, the shade is BIG in diameter, so that will help avoid vignetting.

Most 70-300 lenses have a DINKY shade, that is good for the 70-85mm end, but is inadequate for the longer settings....but that's the way a zoom lens hood is designed--it's a compromise!!! I would look for the rubber 77mm screw-in hood for a 300mm f/4 prime lens as the right hood for the 70-300 used on APS-C. Again...the bigger-than-58mm diameter of a 77mm hood is gonna help avoid vignetting.

The idea solution is to go to a place that ctually HAS a bunch of hoods. ORRRRRR--buy yourself a selection of them. There last for a couple decades under normal use, then eventually, they get brittle and the outer ring falls off.

minicoop1985 · Apr 12, 2014

Trever1t said:
You know, I never thought of that? Trying to turn the CPL with a stupid NIKON lens hood is a set it and hope I got it right ordeal. Interested, is there such a thing as a threaded lens hood and yes, how bout it's length/fit to not vignette?

Same here-I've been using a CPL and a Tamron petal hood. It's possible, but it is quite a pain in the ever living rear end. I'm gonna just buy a solid screw in hood. Thanks for asking this-I'd never thought about it.