[jpyykonen]

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I don't like the "slide-out" lens hood of this lens and I'm going to buy new lens hood for this lens. I like to keep the lens without a lens cap in the camera bag when attached to camera, so it would be much quicker to operate. So is there any advantages of longer lens hood (for example like this) over shorter lens hood (like this)? Would longer lens hood give any better flare resistance than the shorter lens hood? The slide-out lens hood of the lens is itself quite short, maybe 2-3cm. What do you think?

[demp10]

I use several of the Sonia metal hoods and they work fine. A longer hood, assuming that will not produce vignetting, theoretically will give you better contrast and more resistance to flares since it blocks more outside light. The original build-in hoods for all Pentax lenses were designed for full frame, where the lens' FOV was wider. You can use a longer hood on APS-C sensors without vignetting.

[jpyykonen]

Ok, thanks. I'm just wondering if shorter lens hood would be just as good. Shorter the lens, better it fits in the camera bag.

[Kerrowdown]

Longer is definitely better at doing the job that lens hoods do, you'll just have to make more room in bag.

The Heliopan Long metal lens hood model 10270 (77mm straight sided, 47mm deep approx) works well on this lens and you can still use original lens cap if you wish.

Got it on-line from Teamwork Digital in London (teamworkphoto.com) who were fast & efficient and not expensive.

[pacerr]

The secret to understanding lens hoods is that the purpose they serve is to eliminate incident light that isn't apparent in the view finder. If you choose to include a a light source in the frame you can judge the flare effect yourself.

Incident light that strikes the objective lens from an angle outside the direct VF screen image has the potential to seriously degrade contrast, especially noticeable in the out of focus areas. Night club/theater/entertainment venues with lots of incident light sources are a common example of this effect -- and the very place most people shun a hood to avoid attention. (That's when you make lemonade and call the resulting flare and muddy contrast an "artistic moody ambiance", eh?.)

Modern coatings help a lot but using a too short lens hood's about like holding a napkin over your head in the rain instead of an umbrella. Short hoods that are designed for full frame zoom lenses at their widest FL are fig leafs at best.

Inconvenience is the price of crisp, contrasty images -- you make your own compromises there. Integral, sliding lens hoods attempt to help solve the problem with variable extension.

Some options discussed here:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/do-yourself/135542-diy-lens-hoods-no-math-required.html


H2

[Lowell Goudge]

Look at metal hoods from B&K out of Germany they make deep metal screw in hoods that are quite nice (but expensive). For a lens like yours it is worth it

[demp10]

Another thing about the Sonia metal hoods, is that they are shaped as cylinders (same diameter on both ends) and have female threads on the front so you can use the original lens cap on the hood and also attach filters if needed.

[jpyykonen]

Ok, thanks everybody. You got me connvinced it's better to look for the longer one Sonia lens hood looks good quality and is also pretty cheap, so I'm going to order this. Thanks again.

[audiobomber]

Ok, thanks everybody. You got me connvinced it's better to look for the longer one Sonia lens hood looks good quality and is also pretty cheap, so I'm going to order this. Thanks again.

I can assure you that the Sonia works really well on the A*300 f/4.