Lens Hoods?

[Overread]

Lens Hoods - great for helping to stop stray light sneaking into a shot and help reduce flaring when you shoot toward a bright light source (lamps, windows and the sun). However they are also a fantastic deterant for:

Dirty little lemur paws!

On shorter lenses hoods tend to be a lot smaller and often don't feel worth it - however I have to say the number of times the hood has hit or pushed something out of the way that would otherwise have been the front of my lens is too many to count. When you get to long glass hoods are essential for this added protection.
Flares are annoying, but no one wants scratches and marks on their glass. Even if you use a "protection" filter those degradations are not what you want on the front. The hood is light, easy to pack (on most lenses it easily slips over when reversed for easy packing) and a saving wonder

 

[Iron Flatline]

I use the hoods all the time. I don't use filters, and I bang my gear against walls all the time. It provides a spacer between the front element and sheet rock.

 

[Plato]

Does anybody shoot with these on all the time when out on locations if so why? reason is all my lenses have hoods but take up so much room in the bag unless I take them off ...and putting them back on I tend to leave them off again ...may mean the difference between a big bag and one that is nice and neat.

cheers
Jak

Always. I don't like lens flare.

 

[Fusion]

Always on, they are a good protection from damage and allow the lens to do the best job it can without flair. :thumbup::thumbup: