Iīve been attracted to "pancake" or small lenses from the day I started taking photographs. They look great and are easy to carry, manipulate... Until you need to attach a hood to them. Be it for protecting them against flare, weather, bumps, etc. hoods are generally big, ugly and big.
I donīt care about that when hiking, travelling, etc. But when doing some kinds of photography, placing the camera+lens+hood in a bag...
Now, whatīs going on with the hood designed for the DA21 or DA40 limiteds? They seem to work fine and are small. The DA21 specially which takes advantage of a rectangular opening which is known to be more efficient than a circular (one like on the DA40).
Are there any restrictions for designing hoods like the one on the DA21 for any other lens?
For example the classic Pentax 28/2.8 35/2.8-2.4-2.0 or 50/1.7-1.4-1.8 in either M, A, F, FA or DA versions are really small and I think a hood of this type would make help show this quality. Even the DA40XS would benefit from a hood like that.
What about the popular F35-70. Great little sharp lens but definetely needs a hood and then the little part kind of vanishes.
I have tried step-down adapters but they are hard to find and donīt offer the best flare protection.
Hoods like this could replace lens caps, protection filters and save space in the bag. Also, draw less attention, make the camera-lens system easier to manipulate.
What do you think?
Added info: The most effective hood is the one that accounts the format being used and the specific lens. For example, thereīs little advantage in using original hoods for Pentax legacy glass, as they are calculated for a larger sensor than those on DSLRs.
Last edited by carrrlangas; 08-27-2013 at 03:20 PM.