Lens hoods?

matsui255 · 11-27-2010, 07:32 PM

Hi i was wondering if a tulip lens hood or just a round lens hood is better?

Adam · 11-27-2010, 07:41 PM

Tulips are usually better for zooms, as they're fitted for each particular lens. They're easier to put on and offer more shade, but are harder to get your hands on.

With primes, you'll oftentimes still see round hoods as the focal length is fixed and the whole thing can be as long as needed.

Ananta Androscoggin · 11-27-2010, 08:55 PM

I've personally discovered that bayonet-mount tulip lens hoods don't spin around as you change focus, which the screw-in-the-filter-thread tulips do. Unless you have a lens which doesn't rotate the 'business-end' of the lens barrel as you focus (I don't).

snostorm · 11-27-2010, 09:32 PM

Hi matsui,

Tulip hoods are designed to prevent or at least decrease corner vignetting, which is more relevant to shorter FL lenses. They do probably protect a bit more against stray light, but only in some instances and certain situations.

For tele lenses, the petals probably serve no significant function other than allowing a design that is deeper yet more cylindrical than conical.

The petaled ones are cooler looking though. . .

Scott

cats_five · 11-28-2010, 01:14 AM

I suspect it's that a lens hood for a wide angle lens has to be a tulip and for a longer lens can be round, hence a hood for a zoom that goes from wide to longer (like the 18-135) will have a tulip hood that won't be so effective at the long end - an optimal hood for the long end would cause problems at the short end.

Manel Brand · 11-28-2010, 04:44 AM

Originally posted by matsui255

Hi i was wondering if a tulip lens hood or just a round lens hood is better?

Just to add that tulip hoods are more effective than the more conventional cylindrical because they are designed to mimic the best shape for the sensor/film plane which is the rectangular; a tulip (or petal) shape is, in simple terms, a projection of a rectangle on a spherical space; if you look at a professional movie/video camera generally you will not see a circular hood but rather a rectangular. On a photographic camera they look kind of awkward but they were and still are used in some old cameras.

fotaki · 11-28-2010, 10:32 AM

Originally posted by cats_five

I suspect it's that a lens hood for a wide angle lens has to be a tulip and for a longer lens can be round, hence a hood for a zoom that goes from wide to longer (like the 18-135) will have a tulip hood that won't be so effective at the long end - an optimal hood for the long end would cause problems at the short end.

Not in every case. I have a tamron SP 60-300mm for which I use a 3-stage round rubber hood. I use the same on a few other of my manual zooms to good effect. In the case of the 60-300, the third party hood is far more effective and easier to use than the original (covering as it does all FL's).

Some 'petal' hoods I've seen rotate and have a locking screw - so one can use them on rotating lens barrels. Not really sure that's much advantage in the end.

Last edited by fotaki; 11-28-2010 at 10:39 AM.

matsui255 · 11-28-2010, 11:37 AM

So do you think I should even buy the hood I am kind of confused. I have the Pentax 18-55 and 55-300.

Manel Brand · 11-28-2010, 11:48 AM

Originally posted by fotaki

Not really sure that's much advantage in the end.

Right. No practical use, IMO.

Manel Brand · 11-28-2010, 11:50 AM

Originally posted by matsui255

So do you think I should even buy the hood I am kind of confused. I have the Pentax 18-55 and 55-300.

What happened to the standard hood of the lens? Didn't come with one?

TaoMaas · 11-28-2010, 12:01 PM

Originally posted by matsui255

So do you think I should even buy the hood I am kind of confused. I have the Pentax 18-55 and 55-300.

You should invest in a hood of some kind for your lenses. If you don't have the factory hoods, pick up an after-market hood. After-market hoods may not have been designed specifically for your lens, but even a modest amount of protection is better than none at all.

Jodokast96 · 11-28-2010, 01:08 PM

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 for the kit lens anyway.

fotaki · 11-28-2010, 01:21 PM

In theory the 'petal' hood with locking screw can be used with a PL filter viz. to adjust the filter and hood to give normal cover. However, in practice.......?

IMO it's not absolutely necessary to use the original hood. If your lens comes without it, there are plenty of third party alternatives that work effectively.

As already said above, all lenses will benefit from the use of an appropriate hood.

matsui255 · 11-28-2010, 05:58 PM

Originally posted by Manel Brand

What happened to the standard hood of the lens? Didn't come with one?

No the new ones do not come with them anymore I guess.

Manel Brand · 11-29-2010, 02:09 AM

Originally posted by matsui255

No the new ones do not come with them anymore I guess.

That's a shame but you can buy them cheap and you should do so. A lens hood is an important accessory to photography for reasons already mentioned.

Jodokast has already pointed out a cheap lens hood replacement for your lenses, so no big deal, buy one and your problem is solved.

11-27-2010, 07:32 PM	#1
matsui255 Inactive Account Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 25	Lens hoods? Hi i was wondering if a tulip lens hood or just a round lens hood is better?

11-28-2010, 04:44 AM	#6
Manel Brand Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Porto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 853	Originally posted by matsui255 Hi i was wondering if a tulip lens hood or just a round lens hood is better? Just to add that tulip hoods are more effective than the more conventional cylindrical because they are designed to mimic the best shape for the sensor/film plane which is the rectangular; a tulip (or petal) shape is, in simple terms, a projection of a rectangle on a spherical space; if you look at a professional movie/video camera generally you will not see a circular hood but rather a rectangular. On a photographic camera they look kind of awkward but they were and still are used in some old cameras. Last edited by Manel Brand; 01-18-2011 at 02:20 PM.

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11-27-2010, 07:41 PM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,594	Tulips are usually better for zooms, as they're fitted for each particular lens. They're easier to put on and offer more shade, but are harder to get your hands on. With primes, you'll oftentimes still see round hoods as the focal length is fixed and the whole thing can be as long as needed.

11-27-2010, 08:55 PM	#3
Ananta Androscoggin Guest	I've personally discovered that bayonet-mount tulip lens hoods don't spin around as you change focus, which the screw-in-the-filter-thread tulips do. Unless you have a lens which doesn't rotate the 'business-end' of the lens barrel as you focus (I don't).

11-27-2010, 09:32 PM	#4
snostorm Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chicago suburb, IL, USA Posts: 1,535	Hi matsui, Tulip hoods are designed to prevent or at least decrease corner vignetting, which is more relevant to shorter FL lenses. They do probably protect a bit more against stray light, but only in some instances and certain situations. For tele lenses, the petals probably serve no significant function other than allowing a design that is deeper yet more cylindrical than conical. The petaled ones are cooler looking though. . . Scott

11-28-2010, 01:14 AM	#5
cats_five Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Fife, Scotland Posts: 835	I suspect it's that a lens hood for a wide angle lens has to be a tulip and for a longer lens can be round, hence a hood for a zoom that goes from wide to longer (like the 18-135) will have a tulip hood that won't be so effective at the long end - an optimal hood for the long end would cause problems at the short end.

11-28-2010, 10:32 AM	#7
fotaki Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Greece and UK Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 309	Originally posted by cats_five I suspect it's that a lens hood for a wide angle lens has to be a tulip and for a longer lens can be round, hence a hood for a zoom that goes from wide to longer (like the 18-135) will have a tulip hood that won't be so effective at the long end - an optimal hood for the long end would cause problems at the short end. Not in every case. I have a tamron SP 60-300mm for which I use a 3-stage round rubber hood. I use the same on a few other of my manual zooms to good effect. In the case of the 60-300, the third party hood is far more effective and easier to use than the original (covering as it does all FL's). Some 'petal' hoods I've seen rotate and have a locking screw - so one can use them on rotating lens barrels. Not really sure that's much advantage in the end. Last edited by fotaki; 11-28-2010 at 10:39 AM.

11-28-2010, 11:37 AM	#8
matsui255 Inactive Account Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 25 Original Poster	So do you think I should even buy the hood I am kind of confused. I have the Pentax 18-55 and 55-300.

11-28-2010, 11:48 AM	#9
Manel Brand Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Porto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 853	Originally posted by fotaki Not really sure that's much advantage in the end. Right. No practical use, IMO.

11-28-2010, 11:50 AM	#10
Manel Brand Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Porto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 853	Originally posted by matsui255 So do you think I should even buy the hood I am kind of confused. I have the Pentax 18-55 and 55-300. What happened to the standard hood of the lens? Didn't come with one?

11-28-2010, 12:01 PM	#11
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	Originally posted by matsui255 So do you think I should even buy the hood I am kind of confused. I have the Pentax 18-55 and 55-300. You should invest in a hood of some kind for your lenses. If you don't have the factory hoods, pick up an after-market hood. After-market hoods may not have been designed specifically for your lens, but even a modest amount of protection is better than none at all.

11-28-2010, 01:08 PM	#12
Jodokast96 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Erial, NJ USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,134	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 for the kit lens anyway.

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11-28-2010, 01:21 PM	#13
fotaki Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Greece and UK Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 309	In theory the 'petal' hood with locking screw can be used with a PL filter viz. to adjust the filter and hood to give normal cover. However, in practice.......? IMO it's not absolutely necessary to use the original hood. If your lens comes without it, there are plenty of third party alternatives that work effectively. As already said above, all lenses will benefit from the use of an appropriate hood.

11-28-2010, 05:58 PM	#14
matsui255 Inactive Account Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 25 Original Poster	Originally posted by Manel Brand What happened to the standard hood of the lens? Didn't come with one? No the new ones do not come with them anymore I guess.

11-29-2010, 02:09 AM	#15
Manel Brand Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Porto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 853	Originally posted by matsui255 No the new ones do not come with them anymore I guess. That's a shame but you can buy them cheap and you should do so. A lens hood is an important accessory to photography for reasons already mentioned. Jodokast has already pointed out a cheap lens hood replacement for your lenses, so no big deal, buy one and your problem is solved.