[tahoejeepmom]

Do you use a hood? Does it help that much? Where and when do you need one?

[JinDesu]

I always use a hood. It helps protect my lens, it makes the lens look cooler, and it helps improve the contrast/flare resistance of my lens.

[lmd91343]

Always, always, always. Never does harm. Always does good.

Storage is rarely an issue. Almost all factory hoods mount backwards or slide out.

I even use one on my Canon 17mm lens.

The only time I ever remove a hood is for clearance on very close macro shots.

[audiobomber]

Always, always, always. Never does harm. Always does good.

Storage is rarely an issue. Almost all factory hoods mount backwards or slide out.

The only I ever remove a hood is for clearance on very close macro shots.

Yep, nothing to add here.

A strange thing I've noticed. Pentax shooters use a hood. Canon shooters usually don't have a hood mounted, or they have it stored on the camera, achieving nothing.

[p38arover]

A strange thing I've noticed. Pentax shooters use a hood. Canon shooters usually don't have a hood mounted, or they have it stored on the camera, achieving nothing.

That's ços our cameras aren't as good as Canons so we need all the help we can get......

[pacerr]

If you've ever noticed hazy windows/auto windshields when the sun strikes 'em at a glancing angle you know why hoods are a necessary inconvenience. A hood doesn't affect flare from within the field of view of the lens, it handles incident light from the sides. The way to convince yourself is to do some serious comparison shots.

H2

[Eulogy]

Other. I'll use it, provided I'm not using the onboard flash with my 16-50.

[Not a Number]

I use a hood if I have one handy and need it. Otherwise a hand or booklet held up like flag to block the light from striking the lens.

[excanonfd]

Always. I buy aftermarket metal lens hoods if the lenses are missing their original lens hoods or were never equipped with one. Besides the primary protection against incidental flare, the lens hoods provide protection for the front element from accidental knocks.

[NKK]

i always use the Hood :-)
As a bonus it protects the front element.

[Kona]

Rarely. If I take my camera outside, I generally will throw a hood on, but I'm not really that fussed. And my FA50's hood is really loose and falls off all the time so it annoys me a great deal, almost never put it on.

[SOldBear]

i always use the Hood :-)
As a bonus it protects the front element.

Absolutely, especially a hood like this, protecting the front lens element very well.

[SOldBear]

... my FA50's hood is really loose and falls off all the time so it annoys me a great deal, almost never put it on.

My FA50 hood is solid. It doesn't come loose unless I tell it to.

[steve1307]

Yes always excpet for inside when I might have to use the built in flash.

I've found that using a hood outdoors at night is even more effective since there can be many stray light sources (eg street lights, signs) instead of just one in the daylight (ie the sun)

[Tanzer]

To clarify what some others have said, with most larger lenses, you often must remove the lens hood when using a flash indoors, otherwise it will leave a telltale crescent-shaped shadow on the bottom of your image. See, it might not be obvious at all focal lengths (with a zoom), at the edge of your image, by just chimping away on the little screen. But it will becomes blatantly obvious after you get home and download your photos onto a larger monitor. A lesson that I learned the hard way.

Of course, this does not apply when using an external flash remotely, say in wireless mode. Nor does it apply when bouncing the flash off the ceiling. But sometimes you can't do those things, and you need to shoot directly.

So I always use a hood, unless I am using a flash mounted on-camera in certain modes, with certain lenses.