petal shaped lens hoods...

wcurtiss · 11-05-2010, 04:56 PM

I just purchased a new to me wide angle zoom lens and it has 58mm threads which doesn't fit any of my filters or lens hoods

Do those flower petal shaped lens hoods work better than the standard round metal ones? Is there a specific purpose for the shape other than aesthetics? The online auction sites have pages and pages of them. Thanks.

**ramseybuckeye** · 11-05-2010, 06:47 PM

The petal shaped hoods that come with lenses are designed to work with that specific lens. So those generic petal shaped lens may not do as good a job. I bought one once and it kept falling off the lens. I also have bought a couple of the generic rubber hoods and they have worked fine. Obviously if you can get an original hood for your lens it would be best, but a mismatched hood is usually better than none (as long as it doesn't get in the way). You'll probably get some better and more scientific answers from some more experienced photographers, but thatt's my two cents worth.

Ratmagiclady · 11-06-2010, 05:50 AM - **1 Like**

How wide a lens and on what format will you be using it? (I'm guessing full-frame since we're in the film section.

) The cutouts that make the petal shape do have a function, but as Ramsey said, they're best when actually made for the specific lens.

But they can potentially work better if a round one would have to be very shallow: essentially, if a round one of the same overall depth wouldn't vignette on you, then a petal hood would only be giving you less coverage where there are cuts in the hood.

If a round hood to fit the lens would be shorter than the depth where there are those cutouts, then the parts that stick out further will afford more shading and protection without risking cutting those corners.

Those aftermarket petal hoods tend to be quite shallow indeed, though, so it may be a round one would be better. (If the front element turns while focusing or zooming, then so will the hood when you screw it on: petal hoods aren't for lenses that do this. )

I really prefer round ones, myself, for a number of reasons, among them being convenience and the fact that I'm pretty sure petal hoods can be a bit more imposing to subjects, notably kids and animals. (I haven't made a scientific study of this, but anecdotally, I think it makes a difference: maybe it looks more like 'jaws' or just puts beings off cause there are these parts jutting out at them,) But I'll generally take the extra protection if a petal hood is designed for the lens.

GeneV · 11-06-2010, 06:18 AM

I personally have not found a great deal of use for petal hoods that weren't made for my particular lens. Even some that are made for a particular wide angle zooms seem to help in so few circumstances that it is hard to justify their bulk and tendency to get broken.

Ratmagiclady · 11-06-2010, 07:41 AM

Originally posted by GeneV

I personally have not found a great deal of use for petal hoods that weren't made for my particular lens. Even some that are made for a particular wide angle zooms seem to help in so few circumstances that it is hard to justify their bulk and tendency to get broken.

Well, for some hard to fit zooms, it's better to have that bumper on there than not, even if it won't help much with shading. I've got a really fussy 35-105 for my old Canons that often wears a little narrow one, (Funny how something only as wide as 35 is that way, but so it is) and sometimes I'll put on one of those three-position rubber ones, which is vastly more effective, but happens to be rather huge in that size, thus a pain to leave attached. I call it 'The Front Porch.'

I'd probably have tried a petal hood for that one, (The stock one is kind of hard to find and usually crazy-expensive if you can) but the front threads rotate.

wcurtiss · 11-06-2010, 04:07 PM

The lens is a 35mm - 70mm manual focus zoom. I think will just get a standard metal wide angle hood for it.

noblepa · 11-07-2010, 09:28 PM

Originally posted by wcurtiss

The lens is a 35mm - 70mm manual focus zoom. I think will just get a standard metal wide angle hood for it.

If its not an internal-focusing lens, a petal shaped hood won't work anyway. On an internal-focus lens, the lens barrel does not rotate as you focus. If the front of the lens barrel rotates as you focus, it is not internal-focus. A petal shaped hood would rotate along with the lens and the "leaves" of the petal would interfere with the image.

wcurtiss · 11-08-2010, 04:32 PM

The lens barrel definitely turns as it focuses so that settles that one...a standard round lens hood it is.

11-05-2010, 04:56 PM	#1
wcurtiss Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Georgia Posts: 30	petal shaped lens hoods... I just purchased a new to me wide angle zoom lens and it has 58mm threads which doesn't fit any of my filters or lens hoods Do those flower petal shaped lens hoods work better than the standard round metal ones? Is there a specific purpose for the shape other than aesthetics? The online auction sites have pages and pages of them. Thanks.

11-06-2010, 07:41 AM	#5
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Originally posted by GeneV I personally have not found a great deal of use for petal hoods that weren't made for my particular lens. Even some that are made for a particular wide angle zooms seem to help in so few circumstances that it is hard to justify their bulk and tendency to get broken. Well, for some hard to fit zooms, it's better to have that bumper on there than not, even if it won't help much with shading. I've got a really fussy 35-105 for my old Canons that often wears a little narrow one, (Funny how something only as wide as 35 is that way, but so it is) and sometimes I'll put on one of those three-position rubber ones, which is vastly more effective, but happens to be rather huge in that size, thus a pain to leave attached. I call it 'The Front Porch.' I'd probably have tried a petal hood for that one, (The stock one is kind of hard to find and usually crazy-expensive if you can) but the front threads rotate. Last edited by Ratmagiclady; 11-06-2010 at 07:49 AM.

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11-05-2010, 06:47 PM	#2
ramseybuckeye Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Hampstead, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 17,292	The petal shaped hoods that come with lenses are designed to work with that specific lens. So those generic petal shaped lens may not do as good a job. I bought one once and it kept falling off the lens. I also have bought a couple of the generic rubber hoods and they have worked fine. Obviously if you can get an original hood for your lens it would be best, but a mismatched hood is usually better than none (as long as it doesn't get in the way). You'll probably get some better and more scientific answers from some more experienced photographers, but thatt's my two cents worth.

11-06-2010, 05:50 AM - 1 Like	#3
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	How wide a lens and on what format will you be using it? (I'm guessing full-frame since we're in the film section. ) The cutouts that make the petal shape do have a function, but as Ramsey said, they're best when actually made for the specific lens. But they can potentially work better if a round one would have to be very shallow: essentially, if a round one of the same overall depth wouldn't vignette on you, then a petal hood would only be giving you less coverage where there are cuts in the hood. If a round hood to fit the lens would be shorter than the depth where there are those cutouts, then the parts that stick out further will afford more shading and protection without risking cutting those corners. Those aftermarket petal hoods tend to be quite shallow indeed, though, so it may be a round one would be better. (If the front element turns while focusing or zooming, then so will the hood when you screw it on: petal hoods aren't for lenses that do this. ) I really prefer round ones, myself, for a number of reasons, among them being convenience and the fact that I'm pretty sure petal hoods can be a bit more imposing to subjects, notably kids and animals. (I haven't made a scientific study of this, but anecdotally, I think it makes a difference: maybe it looks more like 'jaws' or just puts beings off cause there are these parts jutting out at them,) But I'll generally take the extra protection if a petal hood is designed for the lens.

11-06-2010, 06:18 AM	#4
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	I personally have not found a great deal of use for petal hoods that weren't made for my particular lens. Even some that are made for a particular wide angle zooms seem to help in so few circumstances that it is hard to justify their bulk and tendency to get broken.

11-06-2010, 04:07 PM	#6
wcurtiss Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Georgia Posts: 30 Original Poster	The lens is a 35mm - 70mm manual focus zoom. I think will just get a standard metal wide angle hood for it.

11-07-2010, 09:28 PM	#7
noblepa Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bay Village, Ohio USA Posts: 1,142	Originally posted by wcurtiss The lens is a 35mm - 70mm manual focus zoom. I think will just get a standard metal wide angle hood for it. If its not an internal-focusing lens, a petal shaped hood won't work anyway. On an internal-focus lens, the lens barrel does not rotate as you focus. If the front of the lens barrel rotates as you focus, it is not internal-focus. A petal shaped hood would rotate along with the lens and the "leaves" of the petal would interfere with the image.

11-08-2010, 04:32 PM	#8
wcurtiss Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Georgia Posts: 30 Original Poster	The lens barrel definitely turns as it focuses so that settles that one...a standard round lens hood it is.