ACDC8 From Canada, joined Mar 2005, 7598 posts, RR: 40 Posted (5 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 1964 times:
Hey guys!
Simple question really. In regards to lens hoods for standard DSLR/SLR lenses, is there a difference in picture quality if you use the soft rubber (the kind you can push in and pull out) type or the plastic type that usually come with the lens itself? Most rubber types are perfectly round where as the plastic types seem to have cut out's in them. Are there reasons for the plastic ones to have these designs instead of just being perfectly round?
Sorry for asking such a basic question, however, curiosity has gotten the better of me
CalgaryBill From Canada, joined May 2006, 686 posts, RR: 6 Reply 1, posted (5 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 1961 times:
Wider angle lenses have the cutouts (Nikon calls them "flower petals") because otherwise the corners of the image would be vignetted. As for the rubber hoods, you can actually find both standard and wide angle versions of them. Because they're very generic in design, take your widest camera/lens combo into the store and try before you buy - point at something light coloured, zoom to your widest focal length, and make sure the corners aren't dark.
The cutouts do allow for a bit tighter angle on the flower petal hoods, so they might be better at reducing reflections. It really depends on your lens design; primes tend to get fewer reflections, some pro quality zooms are very reflection resistant. But one thing rubber hoods are great for is window shots. You can push your hood right up against the glass, change camera angles as needed to compose the shot, and get virtually zero reflections (it also helps prevent scratching the plexiglass that airliners use for interior passenger windows - something that metal lenses do too easily if used carelessly).
ACDC8 From Canada, joined Mar 2005, 7598 posts, RR: 40 Reply 2, posted (5 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 1900 times:
Thanks for the info Bill! Very informative. I just have the standard lenses that came with my Rebel kit, so I think the rubber hood way be the way to go. Will try your suggestion though to see if there are any dark spots. Thanks again!
Klintrepid From United States of America, joined May 2005, 124 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (5 years 5 months 3 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 1898 times:
I have the rubber hood for my kit lens too. Works fine and the best part is that it folds semi-flat!
On my dads camera when it is zoomed at 18mm the lens hood gets in the way and all 4 corners are all dark, but we fixed it by rolling the lens hood further back.
BurgerM From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 1 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (5 years 5 months 3 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 1855 times:
Quoting ACDC8 (Reply 2): Thanks for the info Bill! Very informative. I just have the standard lenses that came with my Rebel kit, so I think the rubber hood way be the way to go. Will try your suggestion though to see if there are any dark spots. Thanks again!
the digital rebel comes with a lens hood?
i just got one and i see no lens hood!