[stevebrot]

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Cheers. So what's the deal with square hoods vs I guess... circular regular hoods?

You get the pleasure taking extra time to line it up without the benefit of reference marks. I personally have been using a collapsible rubber hood intended for 50mm lenses on my film cameras for the last 35 years. I also use round metal hoods from heavystar on eBay. They are inexpensive and also accept a 58mm pinch cap if so desired. His come in three sizes: wide, normal, and tele.

Heavystar has his store closed until the Aug 30th, but does business at the URL below:

Heavy2stars Photo Gear | eBay Stores


Steve

[stevebrot]

Regarding hoods and filters...

• Rigid hoods that fit to the filter threads are attached to the filter and must be removed before a filter is added.
• Rectangular hoods that attach to filter threads don't work well with polarizers
• Rubber hoods generally have both male and female threads and can accept a filter and/or lens cap
• Round rigid hoods will often accept pinch-type lens caps
• A screw-on rigid hood provides excellent front element protection, with snap-on and rubber hoods providing somewhat less.

Steve

[abruzzi]

If you're using the FA50 1.4 on the K-1 I'd defer to others, but on a crop sensor (your sig lists a K-50), I use the DA40 type lens hood--basically a 49->30.5 step down ring. I use it on my F50 1.4, F50 1.7, F28 2.8, and DA40.

[Biff]

Another vote for the collapsible Pentax rubber lens hood. I had one for my F 50 1.4 and liked it very much.

[mikesbike]

I've had the rubber hood for many years. One advantage of this type is you can leave the hood on for storage, but instead of its being reversible for this, it can be rolled back even with the front of the lens, making it more shallow in your bag. There are advantages for both types.

[BruceBanner]

So... if the FA 50mm 1.4 benefits as much as some might say (from using a hood), that a lot of users keep a hood on indefinitely with the FA 50... then when considering I am a 'lens swapper'... and I take my lenses off and put in my belt pouches... and I use ND filters occasionally... then which hood do you think is more practical for quick toggling of filters and also lens replacement/swapping?

You see... the plastic rectangular looking ones look like they might have a 'release' clip for the hood, leaving the screw filter component behind? That might make it very easy to add a filter rather than 'fighting rubber', or indeed put the lens away, because from the videos I've seen thus far, the rubber hood flares out quite a lot and I'm thinking it might be super annoying (after a while) trying to pack it into a belt pouch (which aren't that wider than a lens itself).

I'll have to see if i can find some vids on the plastic hoods, surely there is a screw component but also a quick release clip?

[BrianR]

The Pentax rubber hood adds very little to the overall size when collapsed, about 3 or 4mm to the radius and maybe 1cm to the overall length. It pops up and down quite easily.



Do note that any filters you stick on after the hood will be offset a smidge more than necessary. Most likely it won't be an issue but I think you usually want them as close as possible to the front element (but not touching).

This is probably obvious, but if you are using step up rings to attach filters to your FA50, the rubber hood won't possibly won't extend past them.

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Last edited by BrianR; 08-24-2017 at 05:51 AM.

[BruceBanner]

The Pentax rubber hood adds very little to the overall size when collapsed, about 3 or 4mm to the radius and maybe 1cm to the overall length. It pops up and down quite easily.



Do note that any filters you stick on after the hood will be offset a smidge more than necessary. Most likely it won't be an issue but I think you usually want them as close as possible to the front element (but not touching).

This is probably obvious, but if you are using step up rings to attach filters to your FA50, the rubber hood won't extend past them.

My filters are actually 52mm, one step up, do you think they'll fit?

EDIT: Oh and also thanks for the indepth pics and opinion!

[BrianR]

My filters are actually 52mm, one step up, do you think they'll fit?

I tracked down my 49-52mm step up ring with a 52mm polarizer on the end. It's pretty snug but the hood still extends. I guess I haven't used this combo in ages.

[jlstrawman]

The B+W line of hoods, such as, B+W 49mm #900 Rubber Lens Hood 65-069598 B&H Photo Video are
excellent IMHO. I have several sizes.

[BruceBanner]

I tracked down my 49-52mm step up ring with a 52mm polarizer on the end. It's pretty snug but the hood still extends. I guess I haven't used this combo in ages.

Ah! Thanks for that, good to know

The B+W line of hoods, such as, B+W 49mm #900 Rubber Lens Hood 65-069598 B&H Photo Video are
excellent IMHO. I have several sizes.

B+W seem to get good ratings indeed, ta.

So, these style hoods;



I have two, a kit 18-55 and a 100mm macro (very long hood), Pentax never made an 'adapter ring' that you could install on a lens and therefore take these style hoods on different lenses (than intended)? They certainly click on and off very easily (I'm basically addicted to the satisfying click when installing or removing the hood hehehe).

EDIT: Something like this;

You Tube

You Tube

[BruceBanner]

I typed a lengthy thank you reply but my token was expired <sigh> and no reply changes saved, so I'll just attach this;


Thanks everyone for the help and suggestions, was really helpful (once again)!

Cheers,

Bruce

[danielchtong]

I heard the FA 50mm 1.4 benefits from a hood. I will admit.. I rarely use a hood, I'm not even entirely sure the correct scenarios of when to apply a hood! (I shall need to study and read up on this). My immediate thought is when on those odd occasions you have to shoot into the sun, and the hood kinda acts like a baseball cap on a persons head lol.. but yeh... kinda clueless.

What's a good hood for the FA 50mm 1.4? Are hoods screwed on like filter caps? I have a DFA 100mm F2.8 Macro that came with a hood that kinda twists on and off easy (same with 18-55mm kit lens), I see no way to apply one like this on the FA 50mm tho..

Cheers,

Bruce

Ari above gave you the official hood at over $45 a piece.
49mm is not difficult to get. This is a modified form of hood for lens protection




Basically I use 3 junk filters (brownish greenish stuff back in the film days) , break the glass and mount the rim on the lens (multiple of them) . I bought all these junk around $1-2 a piece and I am not kidding. They are absolute useless nowadays.
49mm is a very common filter to find.
The image above shows I had 3 crap filter rims (67mm) mounted on a fisheye lens

[BruceBanner]

Ari above gave you the official hood at over $45 a piece.
49mm is not difficult to get. This is a modified form of hood for lens protection




Basically I use 3 junk filters (brownish greenish stuff back in the film days) , break the glass and mount the rim on the lens (multiple of them) . I bought all these junk around $1-2 a piece and I am not kidding. They are absolute useless nowadays.
49mm is a very common filter to find.
The image above shows I had 3 crap filter rims (67mm) mounted on a fisheye lens

Wow... i love this! What a clever idea. So basically yer just using step up rings to get something to flare out from the initial 49mm thread? I don't know the common step up ring jumps, but something like 49>52 then a 52>55, then a 55-58mm etc? Then you can fit an actual ND filter on the end of the lens hood (if you wanted), or just clear glass protector as you have. Neat!

[monochrome]

The square (and round) plastic hoods for K, M and A lenses (also used on most F and FA) are clip-on using a spring-grip assembly similar to the lens caps. If you mount a filter you just attach the hood to the filter, but the hood isn't really reversible - and if you think the collapsible rubber hood will be tight in your belt holster, a hard plastic hood (whether round or square) will probably be a no-go. If you use step-up rings you'll need to find a clip-on Hood with a diameter to match - say a 52mm for K50/1.4 - and experiment to ensure it isn't too deep.

I use the OEM plastic ones, but I bought them 15 or more (40?) years ago when they were cheap