Lens hoods don’t differ all that much. Simply put, they come in two shapes: a petal shape and a cylindrical shape.
Cylindrical Lens Hoods
In general, cylindrical lens hoods are effective in shielding your lens from stray light. They frequently go along with a prime or telephoto lens. Even though they are typically long, there is very little chance that the hood will appear in your frame because the field of view shrinks when you use longer focal lengths. Also available are cylindrical rubber lens hoods that, when not in use, flatten toward the base.
Petal Lens Hoods
To maximize the frame size provided by a wide angle lens and full-frame camera sensors, petal (or tulip) lens hoods are specially made to be shorter and have curved notches that strategically block off light. It normally has four petals, and you must turn them properly to prevent them from falling into your frame.
Fortunately, there’s no need to stress over the kind or design of lens hood to purchase. Each lens hood is often designed to work with a specific range of focal lengths, so you can easily ask or study the best lens hood form for your lens.
Do you prefer a tulip lens hood?
In actuality, a rectangular or tulip “petal” hood is preferable. Both are effective at removing “flare” or unwanted light that can come from the edges of your lens. The diagrams in the link provide a much better explanation.
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The purpose of using a lens hood
A lens hood’s primary function is to shade the front of your lens, preventing light from shining over it and creating undesired flares and a washed-out, low contrast appearance. A lens cowl blocks light from reaching the camera, producing a crisp image that is free of glare.
Lens flares can be artistic and produce unique effects in photographs, but they can also be annoying, particularly if they end up obscuring your subject or the majority of your scene. A lens hood is advised for professional images, such as headshots or school pictures, to provide a clear image.
Should I use a lens hood at all times?
A lens hood is a piece of plastic or metal that is attached to the front of your camera lens to give it a more polished appearance. It is one of the most popular photographic accessories. But lens hoods serve purposes beyond aesthetics. They can significantly improve the image quality of a picture, to mention one advantage. Everything you need to know about utilizing lens hoods to take the greatest images is covered in this article.
Why You Should Use a Lens Hood
A lens hood, often referred to as a lens shade, fastens to the front of your lens and prevents flare from appearing in your pictures. Additionally, it aids in shielding the lens from harm if you run into something.
That’s quite remarkable. You may instantly enhance the quality of your images and lens longevity by simply mounting a small attachment to your camera lens. For this reason, most photographers always use lens hoods.
I’ll go over some more detailed information regarding the advantages of lens hoods down below, along with some examples of images shot both with and without one. The most crucial thing to remember is to always use a lens hood to increase durability and flare resistance.
It Minimizes Flare
A hood’s primary function is to lessen the amount of lens flare that manifests itself in an image. There’s a good likelihood that you’ve experienced lens flare before if you’ve ever taken photos with bright lights in them, especially the sun. Or perhaps you’ve seen a J.J. Abrams film! Lens flare is typically something you want to avoid in ordinary photography, even though it can look good from the spaceship Enterprise.
Flare has the unfortunate tendency to occasionally appear even when the light source is outside of your shot, which is a major problem. You might not even notice this issue in the field, only to open the photo on your computer and discover that it contains strong reflections and glare. This is especially true if your lens has less sophisticated anti-glare coatings or if you’re using a low-quality filter. Different lenses have different flare propensities.
The good news is that lens hoods can help—though admittedly only when the light source is outside of your field of vision. Here are two examples of images taken, one on the left without a lens hood and one on the right (on the right). There ought to be a discernible difference. The dark region at the bottom of the first image has a reddish flare, but it’s gone in the second. Additionally corrected is the orange, hazy area in the upper right:
Therefore, it is a good idea to wear a lens hood wherever feasible to lessen flare in your photographs.
Lens Hoods Add Contrast
Not just for preventing huge areas of lens flare and discolouration. They also enhance a photo’s overall color and contrast.
Personally, I do this because of lens hoods (more on the “almost below). They never degrade your image quality when used properly. Even when you are not under direct sunlight, this is still true. Any stray light sources that hit your front element could result in a loss of contrast in an image.
The second shot in the above comparison doesn’t just have less flare; it also differs in other ways. See how much more contrast there is in the image with the lens hood on the grass in the bottom right corner of the frame? Remember that the exposure settings in the two pictures are the same. Because the shadows in the second image aren’t washed out, they appear darker.
These distinctions can appear even more pronounced depending on your lens. For the aforementioned comparison, I utilized the rather flare-resistant Nikon 35mm f/1.8 FX. Bring a lens hood along, especially if you have older glass or less expensive coatings. In the past, I’ve taken a lot of washed-out photos due to not using one. Avoid making the same error!
They Protect Your Lens from Damage
A lens hood’s primary function is to assist shield your lens from damage caused by bumps, scratches, fingerprints, and other factors aside from improving image quality. A lens hood won’t always save the day if you drop your lens, but using one is still much preferable to none at all. A cracked lens hood is preferable to a cracked front element, in my opinion.
For my own protection, I no longer use UV filters (clear filters) on my lenses; I now only use the lens hood. I’m not advocating that you do this as well—some people, particularly those who use higher-quality UV filters—but it is a possibility.
Beyond major damage, this also applies. When taking images in the rain or snow, lens hoods can help keep debris off the front of your camera lens. I constantly double-check and never leave home without a lens hood if I’m going to be outdoors in inclement weather.
When Not to Use Lens Hoods
Despite this, there are a few particular situations where using a lens hood for photography may not be possible or desirable. There are three main circumstances:
- Actually, you want a flare effect in the picture—that much is obvious.
- You are using a lens that is designed for a smaller sensor, and your photographs include some of the lens hood.
- You can’t attach a lens hood because of specific filters or accessories you have on your lens.
- Your pictures are fuzzy as a result of the lens hood catching in the wind.
To begin with, it won’t frequently be the case, but there may be occasions when you want to take a picture of flare. The photo below, which was captured using an infrared camera, has a ton of flare, but it gives the picture some personality. In situations like this, you should probably remove the lens hood:
Other times, you might have to take off the lens hood to prevent getting it in your picture. When utilizing a lens designed for smaller-sensor cameras, such a Nikon DX lens on an FX camera, this is most frequently the case. Some lenses, such as the Nikon 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5 fisheye, will, however, only partially obscure the lens hood at the widest apertures, so you’ll need to take it off to see the entire scene.
A more frequent scenario is when you have a lens attachment on, like a filter kit or ring light, which can prohibit you from initially installing a hood. Use the item if it’s essential to getting the shot you want; provided you’re careful, there’s a decent chance flare won’t destroy your pictures. Personally, I can’t use a lens hood because of the graded neutral density filter package I occasionally use for landscape photography. (There are other dedicated hoods for filter kits like this one, but they are typically way too expensive; the Lee Filters hood costs $200.)
In addition to those three primary motives, some photographers take off their lens hood to create more specialized images. You should take the hood off because it can show up in your images if you use the on-camera flash. For street photography, you might prefer to forgo the lens hood to appear less frightening. For lengthy camping journeys, I’ve even seen individuals forego their lens hoods in favor of using their hand to shade the sun in order to reduce weight and bulk.
Last but not least, removing the lens hood can help reduce vibrations in photos when taking them in windy situations. In particular, if you’re using a telephoto lens, this is valid. Personally, I sometimes forget to use a lens hood when taking landscape photos in blustery conditions without bright sunlight. The same is true when shooting photos through an open window in an aircraft or helicopter, in which case a lens hood is not necessary.
Depending on the style of photography you perform, there can be more exceptional circumstances as well, which is to be expected. By default, use a lens hood, but you are the best person to determine when it will actually hinder your photos.
Round vs Tulip Hoods
Tulip hoods and round hoods are the two most common styles of lens hoods on the market today. How do they compare side by side?
The shape of tulip hoods, also known as petal or flower hoods, makes them appear more intriguing. The straightforward explanation is that they are made to completely hide ambient light. The petal hood design is perfect since camera sensors are rectangular; its notches give the four corners of a picture the most space feasible. This also implies that you must carefully put on a tulip hood. You’ll probably wind up with a portion of the hood in your picture if it’s oriented incorrectly:
Despite having a more straightforward form, round hoods typically aren’t quite as effective. A petal hood is actually just a spherical hood with extensions to increase its coverage area, which explains why.
Not that I think rounded hoods are a bad thing. Many telephoto lenses, particularly primes, employ a round hood as opposed to a tulip shape, and they function just fine—better than nothing, in fact. Use the lens hood that came with your lens in the end; you won’t likely be dissatisfied.
Also keep in mind that zoom lens hoods are only designed to fit the lens’s widest focal length (for the most part). Otherwise, every time you zoomed out, you’d capture the edge of the hood. Therefore, pay close attention to flare at the longer focal lengths while using a zoom—whether it has a round or tulip cover. If the lens hood is insufficient, you might have to use your hand to block the sun.
Storage and Transportation
You should probably pack the lens hood so that it takes up the least amount of room when you travel. Hoods can be quite bulky if you merely place them in a pocket of your luggage, despite the fact that they are often lightweight.
Remove all of your lens hoods and put them inside of one another. Even though it doesn’t always work, this method makes things considerably more compact and is possible with some lens setups. Since all of these lens hoods fit together nicely, I do this when I travel with my 20mm f/1.8, 35mm f/1.8, and 70-200mm f/4 Nikon lenses.
A different option is to simply turn the lens hood backwards. Nearly every hood on the market, with the exception of some wide angle lenses where it is built in, may be turned around for storage or transportation, giving it the appearance of:
Even though that is a little bit heavier than the lens alone, it’s still not awful. Personally, I just flip my lens hoods around to save some room if I can’t stack them when traveling.
What If You Don’t Have a Hood?
Not every lens has a hood included. Particularly, many kit lenses, like the 18-55mm zooms from Canon and Nikon, lack one. Is it worthwhile for you to invest money on a lens hood if that is the case?
On the one hand, the price of a lens manufacturer’s own hoods can be unexpectedly high. Hoods for less expensive lenses typically sell for around $25, while some are significantly more expensive (particularly for high-end supertelephoto lenses). I sincerely hope you don’t misplace the lens hood on your Nikon 800mm f/5.6 lens. The alternative costs $1000!
On the other hand, you can spend around $10 on cheap off-brand hoods for lenses with more affordable prices. These might not attach to your lens as easily, but they usually function well. Even while making your own hoods out of paper or cardboard is the cheapest alternative, don’t count on them to offer much, if any, protection for your front element.
One Last Tip
Although it may seem funny, avoid taking photos with your lens hood in the reverse position! You would be surprised at how many people engage in such behavior due to a lack of knowledge. However, there isn’t much of a benefit to snapping shots with the hood on backwards. This method doesn’t block any light and offers very little protection for the lens’s front element. Additionally, it’s possible that the hood will partially obscure your focus or zoom rings, making it more difficult to use the lens.
Reversing your lens hood is only necessary for storage and transportation. You’ll appear clueless if you actually take photos with the camera facing the wrong way.
Conclusion
This article should have helped you understand when and how to use a lens hood for your photography. Although using a lens hood is incredibly easy, it can dramatically improve the quality of your images and may even prevent damage to your lens in the future.
Read our article on lens flare and our paradoxical trick for reducing flare when the sun is in your shot if you want to learn more about this subject. Do you have any queries or advice on how to correctly use a lens hood? Tell us in the comments section below!
About Spencer Cox
I’m Spencer Cox, a Denver-based macro and landscape photographer. The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, as well as shows in London, Malta, Siena, and Beijing, have all included my photographs. I’m now active on YouTube and Instagram.
I noticed a lens hood that looked like a tube with tulip-shaped ends. Hence, a lengthy tulip shape?
How about inside? Would wearing it for a shot inside be advantageous or unnecessary?
The retractable 15mm was integrated. There are pinch points in the metal hood where you can draw this out as needed. Lens was also WR. The design’s one flaw was that it made using the filter challenging. Therefore, I broke the glass off of an old UV filter that had been scratched and used it as a step ring. Good work!
The 70mm hood must be fastened on but is still made of metal. However, because of its telescopic form, it has a relatively low profile when in use. I never once removed it.
Fuji, on the other hand, packs several that are typically terrible. The metal, square-shaped 35mm has a rubber lens cap that frequently comes off. It only needed to be replaced once, which surprises me. For various Fuji lenses, there are square metal lens hoods available. Even though they are pricey, I always use them unless I wish to utilize filters. It would have been fascinating to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of square lens hoods in the essay.
I agree with everything here, with the exception of one thing. If I’m using the niffty fifty and it begins to sprinkle or lightly rain and I can’t put the camera in a bag, I’ll flip the hood over, which will cover the majority of the lens and keep any moisture off. Note that I only do that temporarily since, despite having a weather-resistant camera, I’m still hesitant to shoot pictures outside in the rain.
Just recently, I tripped and fell. My camera was in my hand on the final day of my vacation, and of course I dropped it. Fortunately, my lens hood was on when the camera dropped on it. Nothing else broke, only the hood! I was initially upset about it, but I eventually understood that if the hood was off, the lens had likely broken. It was raining, but I still believed the hood should be on. Additionally, the hood is properly fixed and remains functional.
Excellent Spencer Cox! I sincerely appreciate it. Good information, especially regarding the hoods’ petal shape.
Spencer, great essay; I concur with everything. In the beginning of my photography career, I never used a UV filter. And I can vouch for how strong the lens coatings are—I’d say they’re practically scratch-resistant. Therefore, if one chooses not to use one, there shouldn’t be any shame.
My Nikkor 20mm f/1.8 lens showed some vignetting from a loose lens shade. Of course, the shade has a tulip shape. It rotated imperceptibly and slightly while being shot. I would then view it after processing. I used some thin tape to provide some friction.
Yes, the hood of this excellent 200-500mm zoom camera catches the wind. It was annoying to be shooting in a light breeze with a small tripod and head. I took the hood off. Since then, I’ve updated to a Manfrotto with a sturdy Sirui head that can hold 77 pounds. It completely alters everything.