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02-11-2010, 05:44 PM   #1
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Third party hood for FA 31mm?

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I just bought a new (used) FA 31mm.

For the people who have this, who uses a straight metal hood that goes past the petals? Like a heliopan here:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/33808-heliopan...ed-lenses.html

or maybe this generic one:

58mm Metal Standard Screw Mount Lens Hood - eBay (item 220530120988 end time Feb-19-10 17:03:27 PST)

Do you think it helps with image quality or do you think it's fine without an extended hood?

Thanks
Alfred

02-11-2010, 05:55 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by alfdog Quote
I just bought a new (used) FA 31mm.

For the people who have this, who uses a straight metal hood that goes past the petals? Like a heliopan here:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/33808-heliopan...ed-lenses.html

or maybe this generic one:

58mm Metal Standard Screw Mount Lens Hood - eBay (item 220530120988 end time Feb-19-10 17:03:27 PST)

Do you think it helps with image quality or do you think it's fine without an extended hood?

Thanks
Alfred
A cheap way is to get a couple of 58mm filters and knock out the glass. Then you can ditch (stash away) the cumbersome cap and replace it with a generic pinch kind.
02-11-2010, 06:05 PM   #3
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I'm kinda ruling that out, as personally just don't like the look of it.
02-12-2010, 09:04 AM   #4
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Use the heliopan hood. Without it you are inviting flare.

12-13-2010, 03:22 PM   #5
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much cheaper than Heliopan and just as good

The item below, listed on Amazon, does exactly what the Heliopan hood evidently does, but at less than 1/4 the cost:

Amazon.com: Janco 58MM Diameter lens adapter tube for Panasonic DMC-FZ18, DMC-FZ28, DMC-FZ35 and DMC-FZ38 to accept 58MM Filter, Lens caps, adapters & auxiliary lens: Electronics

(or Google "Janco 58mm adapter tube Panasonic")

This is an extension tube made for a Panasonic camera (apparently) that comes in 2 parts, both well made, of black-anodized aluminum. The bottom part (which is narrower) has a thread that is smaller than 58mm and is useless as regards the 31mm lens. The top part, however, has a 58mm thread on its inner end and grooves on the inside of its outer end so that it perfectly fits the lens and accepts a standard snap-in 58mm lens cap.

If you use this top part as a hood (from which it is indistinguishable), its outer diameter is also perfect for a Kaiser 60mm push-on cap. This is what I use, but it works only because I also have a uv-filter between the hood and the lens, so that the hood projects about 8 mm beyond the built-in hood. Without the extra 5 mm provided by the filter, this would not work, but on the other hand, in that case you can still use the Pentax lens cap that comes with the lens.

All in all, a perfect solution, I think, for the otherwise perfect 31mm limited!
12-13-2010, 05:39 PM   #6
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I like the Heliopan hood solution if you can swallow the price tag. I bought some generic metal hoods on eBay but soon found out the threads would wear the metal on the lenses, no good. Also, most 58mm screw-in hoods are too wide to fit the FA31. The workaround is to buy a smaller hood, maybe 55mm or 52mm, and fit it via a step-down ring.
12-13-2010, 06:12 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by wlachan Quote
Also, most 58mm screw-in hoods are too wide to fit the FA31. The workaround is to buy a smaller hood, maybe 55mm or 52mm, and fit it via a step-down ring.
This is my Vivitar 135mm Close-Focusing. The lens hood is an old 49mm Pentax, attached to the lens via a 62-49mm step-down adapter ring.



12-14-2010, 11:54 AM   #8
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I hope you're right JGraham, cause I just ordered one of those hoods based on your recommendation =)
01-11-2011, 05:29 PM   #9
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I just received the one JGraham recommended, and it works like a charm with a regular snap-in 58mm cap. Thanks JG!

I've adopted SOLDbear's stop-down hood method for lenses over 40mm in focal length, getting down to a 37.5mm level and using a film canister cap on that, too. Works great on the 43mm, for instance, and on a Takumar 135/3.5. Thanks SB!
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