[PentaxianValley]

I would like to purchase a lens hood for an Asahi Pentax Super Takumar M42 50mm f/1.4 lens. Can someone recommend a lens hood? Specifically, should it be "standard" or flower shape? Can you confirm that I need a screw mount hood? And, do you recommend metal? I thank you in advance for your assistance.

[Lowell Goudge]

I have bought several hoods in the past for my older lenses, The best metal hoods come from germany but are not cheap, costing about $20 each, and remember the lens when mounted o n a dslr is like a telephoto, so go for a longer hood circular is ok, because M42 lenses don't usually go on the camera perfectly straight.

if you do a search on the web there is a spreadsheet called hoodcalc that lets you calculate the hood you need for the lens. I think I have posted a link before in the forum with it.

[Marc Sabatella]

Since this question is about lenses and their hoods and not about cameras, I'm moving it to the proper forum (the lens forum).

[Steinback]

The original hood is nice if you can find one. A plastic clip-on 49mm hood is another option; I think that they were originally sold mainly with M and A series lenses. I have also used empty filter rings and an unmarked 3rd party 49mm screw on hood with my Super Tak 50mm. As Lowell mentioned you can get away with using a relatively long circular hood if you are using the lens on a DSLR.

[hangu]

I have bought several hoods in the past for my older lenses, The best metal hoods come from germany but are not cheap, costing about $20 each.

Is their a particular brand such as B+W I should be going for? I've been purchasing my hoods from Heavystar and they're all Chinese made ones....

[Just1MoreDave]

Is their a particular brand such as B+W I should be going for? I've been purchasing my hoods from Heavystar and they're all Chinese made ones....

The primary job is pretty simple: mount to lens, block light. I don't see how a $50 hood is going to do better than a $5 hood here. What I would pay extra for is convenience, like reversability, ability to use a cap, installation ease, etc. (Which is also available on the cheap end...)

[Lowell Goudge]

Is their a particular brand such as B+W I should be going for? I've been purchasing my hoods from Heavystar and they're all Chinese made ones....

B+W are very nice hoods but as I mentioned expensive (about $20 at B&H for a 49mm hood) There are DCE hoods available on line for $5 but they are really not good for a medium tele, they would be fine for the 50mm on film but you can do better on ASP-c with a longer hood. The CDE hoods are close but not ecactly the same dimensions as the origonal takumar hoods.

also depending on where you are, you can look at hoods in a camera outlet store where they dump all the trade ins.

Henrys has one in toronto, and I got several long 52 & 55 mm snap on cylindrical hoods for $3 each (including an origonal SMC tak 85 F1.8 hood oops not quite right on my 85F1.9 but not bad either)

[hangu]

The primary job is pretty simple: mount to lens, block light. I don't see how a $50 hood is going to do better than a $5 hood here. What I would pay extra for is convenience, like reversability, ability to use a cap, installation ease, etc. (Which is also available on the cheap end...)

I'm all about how my camera looks and having the right hood is pretty important. I'm doing photography for all the chicks.

[Just1MoreDave]

I'm all about how my camera looks and having the right hood is pretty important. I'm doing photography for all the chicks.

Oh, like handbrake turns*.

For your purposes, how they take paint is important.


*Top Gear Series 13, episode 2:

http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/teenage-kicks-part-3?VideoBrowserMode=categ...ory=Challenges

[Mike Cash]

How I do hate the word "best" in thread titles.

Hoods only need to be "adequate" anyway. On my 50/1.4, 55/1.8, 35/3.5, 35/2, 105/2.8, and 135/3.5 I use an old collabsible rubber Vivitar branded hood I bought used off KEH for a buck or two. Works fine. I also sometimes use my hand or my hat.

[Blue]

I have a Pentax hood that Pentax rated for the M, A, and FA 50mm f1.4 but it also works on my Super Tak 50mm and S-M-C 50mm f1.4 lenses. It is black and has Pentax on it. It has 49mm threads. I got it for the FA but it works on the others. BH don't have it anymore. However, if you want Pentax 'bling' here you go.

PentaxWebstore 49mm Lens Hood MH-RA

[Lowell Goudge]

One thing to consider for all older lenses is that the hoods are based on the FOV on full frame. You can get longer hoods that will allow you to shoot closer to the sun without glare