what do ya think about hood attachments?

Dew · Jul 14, 2003

i just bought a hood attachment for my camera on ebay (basically because my hubby has one for his cam

) ... im not quite sure what would be the ideal shooting situation for this attachment ... what do u think this sort of thing is best used for? ... what differences can i expect with this hood versus without?

*i dont have it yet, its being shipped*

e_ · Jul 14, 2003

Good morning Dew

...let me answer your question like this: i *always* use one - even in the studio

Their function is to prevent flare or side light spilling into the lens

Nothing more frustrating than the perfect shot ruined by that tell tale ghosting from the lens' elements

The flare may not always appear as a white spot, or a series of them: sometimes it may simply leave a strange haze (blue, white, red or yellow) over the image and generally degrade it

Flare is not always visible to the eye when looking through the lens and some lenses are more prone to this than others

In some situations - even with a hood - i use my hand to give additional shade to the lens when i suspect there is/might be some light spill. With experience, you'll learn to recognise those occasions

Value for money, they are one of the cheapest accessories one can purchase to improve their images

HTH!

e_

John A · Jul 14, 2003

The only lens I don't use a lens hood on is my 24mm wide angle. I do the same as e_ when using this lens .... shade it with my hand, or stand in a position so that a shadow is across the lens.
In all other cases a lens hood is a MUST!