Lens Hood

Do you really need to use these? I'd like to hear everyones take on these. Do they make a difference? If they do, when do you use them?

I use one all the time both to help eliminate flare from bright light sources like the sun and to protect the front element of the lens.

Bob_A wrote in post #15441630
I use one all the time both to help eliminate flare from bright light sources like the sun and to protect the front element of the lens.

Exactly. They live on every one of my lenses all the time.

Most of the time, but not always!

Lens hoods all the time. Reduces flare/extra unwanted light. I use mostly for that added protection.

You don't want the perfect shot to be ruined!

The only time I'll omit a hood is with ultra wides, mostly because the hoods seem sort of pointless and are a pain in the ass to carry around, and when I'm shooting macro, to avoid the shadows. Otherwise, hoods live on my lenses.

Yes, I use them. When? Pretty much any time the lens is on the camera; the one time I omitted it, I managed to overbalance my tripod and augured the lens right down on my CPL

I use lens hood all the time. Except when I shoot macro.

Bob_A wrote in post #15441630
I use one all the time both to help eliminate flare from bright light sources like the sun and to protect the front element of the lens.

+1

I see the hood investment as added insurance to protect lens.

Bob_A wrote in post #15441630
I use one all the time both to help eliminate flare from bright light sources like the sun and to protect the front element of the lens.

This is exactly what I was going to say.

Christina.DazzleByDesi​gn wrote in post #15441745
Lens hoods all the time. Reduces flare/extra unwanted light. I use mostly for that added protection.

+1

Only other time I take it off is when I have my flash on-camera because it can cast an unwanted shadow.

I virtually always use a hood...

Lenses that didn't come with them, I bought them separately.

I'd feel lazy, not using a hood. It takes a couple seconds to install one on a lens.

Most for Canon are bayonet or clip-on, so they store neatly reversed on the lens and take up minimal space in the camera bag.

They are the best possible physical protection for the lens during use (short of one of those rigid, underwater housings for camera and lens), as well as potentially helping make better photos.

Something I generally don't do is use a filter for "protection". I have them available for all my lenses that can be fitted with a filter and will install one in certain, riskier situations. But I don't put one on and leave it on all the time. Anyway, the thing is, if using a filter it's even more important to also use a lens hood... both to protect the filter from physical damage and to keep oblique light off it as best possible. It's a bit of a hassle using a filter such a polarizer that requires rotating to adjust it, along with a lens hood. But since it's a dual layer filter, it's more critical than most to keep oblique light off of a polarizer, to minimize flare effects.

Occasions when I might not use a hood... with a macro lens when working in really close, or when shooting through a fence or screen and trying to get super close to it, so that it disappears. There are few other times I wouldn't use one.

mike3767 wrote in post #15441621
Do you really need to use these? I'd like to hear everyones take on these. Do they make a difference? If they do, when do you use them?

Always use one. As much for lens protection as glare.

Hoods are a must. They protect the front lens element and improve contrast and color saturation (by reducing the amount of stray light inside the lens from light sources outside of the frame).