Lens hood protecting the lens?

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connersz

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Jamie
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I've been wondering this for a while and without going into the debate of protecting the lens there are a lot of people who would agree that a lens hood is a good means to some protection. The thing I am wondering though is by protecting the lens could something else break? I mostly use a Tamron 24-70 these days to be honest and it seems that the connection of the hood may somehow break if it was dropped on the hood, would this happen or would it just kind of dislodge itself or something?

The thing that has prompted this question is I did a kids photoshoot a few weeks ago and went to adjust the backdrop or something and one of the kids picked up and dropped the camera onto it's UV filter, denting the edge of it. I've decided since to no longer bother with UV filters because I think they're a bit pointless so I'm wondering how the hood may help protect the lens if I start using it more.
 
I don't use a UV filter. I can understand the view that using one is putting another, arguably lower quality, piece of glass in front of a high quality lens, but do see they would be useful in difficult situations - salt water spray, wind blown sand.

I do use a lens hood. The connection between the hood and lens could easily break if the camera is dropped lens first but I think that is the point. The energy of a dropped camera has to go somewhere when it hits the ground. If that energy snaps a plastic lens hood rather than goes into the lens or camera, that seems a good idea. However, depending on the severity of the fall, I don't know if enough energy would be absorbed by the breaking hood to protect the camera or lens.

Dave
 
Use a lens hood all the time. Not bothered with any uv filters etc unless I'm going somewhere where it adds that bit of extra protection to the front glass - eg at the sea with spray about ...
 
The worry is more to do with whether the hood could break the connection on the lens resulting in the need for expensive repair. If it damages the hood then it's obviously not an issue.
 
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If the lens hood is strong enough to break the lens hood mount then you should weaken the lens hood near the mount so that breaks first.
 
connersz said:
The thing that has prompted this question is I did a kids photoshoot a few weeks ago and went to adjust the backdrop or something and one of the kids picked up and dropped the camera onto it's UV filter, denting the edge of it. I've decided since to no longer bother with UV filters because I think they're a bit pointless so I'm wondering how the hood may help protect the lens if I start using it more.
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Jamie,

The key thing above is that you don't have a hood problem, or a UV filter problem, you have a working practices problem. If you fix that then you wouldn't have got yourself into the situation. When you are working with children then having a safe environment, and protecting equipment is critical. If they hadn't been able to pick up the camera this wouldn't have happened. Next time if you have to adjust something then the cameras go out of reach, stay on your person, or you get the parents/carers to look after the children and prevent them from grabbing anything.

That said:

- I always have a UV filter on when shooting outside, particularly in areas of high dust, or salt spray. It comes off if the conditions/situation means that I'm compromising the image with a low risk of damaging the lens. When I do have a UV filter on it is a quality filter which is likely as expensive as the front element of the lens. Every time I have dropped a lens on the front the UV filter has saved me the inconvenience of a repair to the actual lens - if not saving me the cost of replacing the filter.

- When I'm shooting in the studio then the filter is always off. Very low risk of damage (As I mitigate the issue you faced above), higher risk of image degradation due to lighting and greater depth of field. Use of the hood depends on lighting style as you can sometimes get flare with back-lighting or hair lights depending on the set-up.

- I have bashed plenty of hoods whilst mounted. They occasionally come of the lens but I haven't had a lens hood locking mechanism break, or a lens get damaged as a result. You'll get protection from a hood from impacts, but you won't stop dust or sea spray with one 100% as you would a filter.

As always you assess the environment you are working in and take appropriate action.
 
I never shoot without a lens hood. So many benefits and no drawbacks as far as I'm concerned. From simple things like a barrier to stop fingers accidentally touching the glass, to reducing glare, to protection from scratches. Not to mention if you don't use one it looks like you don't know what you're doing :exit:
 
A correctly fitted lens hood shouldn't break. They are made of very tough plastic and designed to take the weight of the lens and the body in the event of a normal hand height drop.

Be wary however of cheap alternatives on eBay and the like. Some of these are made from very flimsy plastic and while they may prevent certain contact with the front element they most likely won't withstand a drop. Whilst I hate the price of OEM hoods, they are specifically designed for each lens so I try and stick with those.
 
I find that one of these attached with a quick release mount to the tripod helps to protect the camera:
prod.jpg
 
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The only lens hood that really brings something is the flexible rubberized ones!
They will absorb the shocks (to a certain point) and are a lot cheaper.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
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The only lens hood that really brings something is the flexible rubberized ones!
They will absorb the shocks (to a certain point) and are a lot cheaper.
Click to expand...
These are no good in a drop, the weight will always defeat the flexible rubber and pretty much always results in the lens making contact with the floor :/
 
connersz said:
The worry is more to do with whether the hood could break the connection on the lens resulting in the need for expensive repair. If it damages the hood then it's obviously not an issue.
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If there's enough impact to break the lens hood mount/thread on the lens then I'd be more worried the internals of the lens and camera tbh.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
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The only lens hood that really brings something is the flexible rubberized ones!
They will absorb the shocks (to a certain point) and are a lot cheaper.
Click to expand...

But they only ever a basic shape and wouldn't provide the correct level of shielding or indeed cut out areas for wide lenses.

Cheap and a little bit basic for pro-kit.
 
meonshore said:
But they only ever a basic shape and wouldn't provide the correct level of shielding or indeed cut out areas for wide lenses. Cheap and a little bit basic for pro-kit.
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All granted! I don't use them myself… but I did. I recommend them to
my students as beginners are more prone to mishaps than pros (who
are not s totally safe from accidents) like occasional bumps and such.
A mentoree of mine told me one day that J. McNally has only good words
for these and he uses them.

The OP question was: —Lens hood protecting the lens?
I know that the original lens hoods I use on all my glasses are not
there for protection… for sure!
 
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meonshore said:
But they only ever a basic shape and wouldn't provide the correct level of shielding or indeed cut out areas for wide lenses.

Cheap and a little bit basic for pro-kit.
Click to expand...
If you purchase the correct rubber hood for the lens I find they do a great job personally,and if your using a polarising or variable ND you just rotate the hood as they usually screw onto the lens instead of bayoneting on, which can be a bit of a bind when using filters. I know the rubber hoods have done a better job protecting my lenses than the plastic bayonet ones OM or not .
Any lens hood on a zoom is a compromise you can't effectively both ends of the focal length if it covers the wide end it won't effectively cover the longest end even petal shaped hoods.
I find these are ok and do the job ok.
I only use a uv in inclement weather or by the coast. I always tend to remove filters especially in the studio.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Phot-R-52...822560?hash=item3cdc39f120:g:kCcAAOSwo0JWQ0PY
 
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Kodiak Qc said:
All granted! I don't use them myself… but I did. I recommend them to
my students as beginners are more prone to mishaps than pros (who
are not s totally safe from accidents) like occasional bumps and such.
A mentoree of mine told me one day that J. McNally has only good words
for these and he uses them.

The OP question was: —Lens hood protecting the lens?
I know that the original lens hoods I use on all my glasses are not
there for protection… for sure!
Click to expand...
I do the same for newby's tbh honest I see so many people with the hood still reversed on the lens at different events I wonder why they don't just throw them away ?(n)
 
Phiggys said:
If you purchase the correct rubber hood for the lens I find they do a great job personally,and if your using a polarising or variable ND you just rotate the hood as they usually screw onto the lens instead of bayoneting on, which can be a bit of a bind when using filters. I know the rubber hoods have done a better job protecting my lenses than the plastic bayonet ones OM or not …
Click to expand...
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+1
 
I'd always recommend using a lens hood, especially if you're out and about. I'm pretty careful with my equipment but on treks you will end up scuffing lens hoods - so better that then the lens body/glass
 
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