[phuey]

Hey guys, So since my Pentax K-x arrived. I noticed that there wasn't going to be any lens hood on the 18-55mm and the 50-200mm. So my question is, does it matter what type of lens hood I buy? Regardless if it's Nikon, Pentax, Canon or Generic brand lens hood? How would I choose what size would fit? Just by the numbering? Thanks!

[wlachan]

If you are buying the bayonet hoods, you will have to buy the exact same models state in the manual, or any generic copies. Or you can use any screw-in hoods. Bayonet hoods made for other lenses or brands won't fit. The truth is, the hoods serve as physical protection most of the time. In some case, the sun or some light source might hit from an angle and causing flare or ghost image, the hoods might help a little. You can always shield it with your left palm when needed.

[Ben_Edict]

As some recent threads, discussing the merrits of lens hoods, clearly show with a fair numer of example and comparisson images, a proper lens hood will increase image quality in most shooting conditions. Thus, you should consider it an essential part of your kit.

What brand is printed on the lens hood is irrelevant, but it should have the proper dimensions for your lens: not too wide, because it gets ineffective and not too narrow, because it will vignette (= cause darkening) the corners of your image. Thus, you should buy a hood especially made for the lens you use.

Ben

[ptwist61]

"PH-RBA 52mm Lens Hood for Pentax K200D K20D K10D K-M KM" Put this on ebay search. I got it and it works like a charm, Its pretty cheap compared to the pentax brand.
Happy Shooting
~ptwist61

[subeeds]

I just got this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UDJVAQ/ref=oss_product last week
week because my kit lens didn't come with a hood, either. It's a 52mm generic one and works just fine on the 18-55 lens. Edited to add: Buy the same size hood that you would if you were buying a filter for the lens.

[tibbitts]

I think the filter-thread screw-in hoods are substantially inferior to the bayonet variety, for several reasons. Most importantly they don't play well with filters, and are much more difficult and time consuming to remove and replace.

One of my Pentax lenses doesn't seem to have bayonet capability. But then I think some of my Takumars had a kind of twist-lock OEM hood.

Is there a list of lenses + hoods somewhere?

Also, my Canon bayonet hoods seem to have lost their grip (after fifteen years or so), despite rarely being removed from their lenses. Has anyone had this experience with Pentax bayonet hoods? I suppose that might be the only advantage of screw-thread hoods.

Paul

[noblepa]

Is there a list of lenses + hoods somewhere?

For k-mount lenses, there is. Bojidar Dimitrov has a great website, with pictures and specs of most, if not all, Pentax-made k-mount lenses. His information includes the Pentax part numbers for the matching lens hoods.

Now, finding the right hood, especially for older models, can be difficult. For the kit lens from your K-x, that should not be a problem.

... or maybe it is. I just checked B & H's website. The carry the PH-RBA 52mm bayonet lens hood that is correct for your DA L 18-55mm AL lens. However they show it as "temporarily unavailable". WHen they have it, they sell it for $21.95.

[Ben_Edict]

One of my Pentax lenses doesn't seem to have bayonet capability. But then I think some of my Takumars had a kind of twist-lock OEM hood.

Is there a list of lenses + hoods somewhere?

Also, my Canon bayonet hoods seem to have lost their grip (after fifteen years or so), despite rarely being removed from their lenses. Has anyone had this experience with Pentax bayonet hoods? I suppose that might be the only advantage of screw-thread hoods.

Paul

I have my Pentax bayonet on the 85/1.4, the 28-75/2.8 and the 24/2.0 for about 15 years now and they still work and grip to the lens without any problem. The Pentax bayonets are really elaborate and the reason, why especially these hoods are so expensive.
But I also have some Sigma EX lenses with bayonett hoods and they also still work fine, so I take them on and off continously.

I used to have this grip-lock hoods for my M 50/1.4 and other old lenses, but the "mechanism" was exceedingly suspect to break and I finally gave up to replace them - just too expensive for the fragile built.

Ben

[cloudphreak]

I just bought this one from Amazon:

Amazon.com: Fotodiox Lens Hood for Pentax Ph-Rba SMC DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL II Zoom Lens as 38741: Camera & Photo

Haven't gotten it yet, but it has supposedly shipped. It claims to be a bayonet mount, hopefully this is true because I tried a 52mm screw mount and hated it.

Strangely, the Fotodiox website does not list this product. Maybe it is discontinued and Amazon just had some in stock.

UPDATE: Just got this hood yesterday. The bayonet mount works fine, maybe a little looser than the Pentax-brand hood for my 55-300, but shouldn't be a problem. Even has the slide-out cover to access filters, just like the Pentax brand. And it was less than $9.

[reeftool]

I have used the collapsible rubber lens hoods on some of my lenses for years. They are inexpensive and you can leave them on all the time. Even the slip on cap on my Taks still work with them.