50mm 1.4 - advice on Lens hood and filters

Hi to you all,

I have recently purchased a 50mmeos 1.4 lens for my 20D, i would now like to buy a UV and polariser filter, i would also like to purchase a lens hood, i am having difficulty with direct sunlight in our current british heat wave.

What is the appropriate model for the lens hood, i take it people stick to canon with hoods?

The filters, i have been looking at Hoya filters from www.onestop-digital.com
anyone have any views on this, i am ashamed to ask but what size do i buy, the inside of the lens cap says 58mm, is the size of the filter the lens will take? Stupid question i know, but i would like confirmation before i order the wrong size , lol.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, any comments would be welcome,
o while we are it, i am looking to buy the 70-200 2.8L (non IS)in the next 2 weeks, what uv/polariser filters do people recommend for this lens, also please state size as i will order them together. I am a novice so please forgive my lack of knowledge.
Many thanks again, A.

Yes its 58mm.
No don't have to go for rigid hoods; get a rubber one, they pack well and the Hama brand hoods feature a red stripe ala "L".

Filters. Hoya is cheaper but their coating is hard to clean/wipe. I had one and disliked it for that reason. I went B&W at www.maxsaver.net

I'ld go with the Canon (or other hard) hood over the collabsible rubber ones any day. The hood also gives a bit of mechanical protection.
Do a search on filters; there are a lot of opinions about the subject. I never use one, unless it's for a specific effect (like a polarizer)

Both the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L lenses (the IS and the non-IS) are 77mm. Canon mark their lenses on the front with the filter diameter - it's a o with a stroke through it, followed by a figure in millimetres.

Both these lenses include the hood - I think that's true of all L lenses.


Like Carzee, I use B+W MRC filters - in the UK, they're available from Robert White. For a UV filter, you want 010 UV-Haze MRC, which is the very first line on that page. For polarisers, Robert White stock the Kasemann Circular Polariser MRC. My polariser is a 77mm B+W Kasemann Slim Circular Polariser MRC - the slim mount is because I own an EF 16-35mm f/2.8L and may get a full frame body in the future. If you're not likely to use the filter on a wide angle lens, you can go for standard mount, which means that a standard lens cap fits.

B+W filters are expensive (bear in mind that the Robert White prices don't include VAT; Special Delivery is added at cost unless you spend £75 before VAT), but they're quality products. I'm not likely to buy anything else for round filters apart from if I decide I want an IR filter (where Hoya R72 is probably going to be my choice).

David

The Canon hood is a better choice than the rubber hood from a protection and flare reduction standpoint. Canon's hood was specifically engineered for the lens, while a rubber hood is a compromise at best. One time the rubber hood has an advantage is for those folks taking pictures of aquariums. Buy extending the hood and then placing it directly against the glass...reflections are virtually eliminated.

As for filters, they are not necessary from a protection standpoint and can lead to serious image degradation. If you do purchase a filter...make sure you buy the best that you can afford...and be sure it is multi-coated at the bare minimum. The cheaper the filter, the more likely it is to have a less than desirable effect on your image.

Thank you for your help on that.
Has anyone had experience with graduated filters, or the filters that you slide in to a mouted bracket? i forget the manufacturer but as we are on the subject i would like feedback on all available choices.
Back to the issue of the hoods, if i do go for the canon brand, what model number do i need for the 50mm and the 70-2002.8Lplease, many thanks for your time and patience, A.

The proper lens hood for the 50mm f/1.4 is the ES-71II. That is 71 followed by two capital letter I's.

I will reinforce the comments about using the Canon-designed hood instead of the cheapie collapsible rubber hoods. A well-designed hood is much better for eliminating flare and for mechanical protection than the cheapies. I do believe that the Canon hood fastens to the non-moving outer shell of the lens rather than to the filter threads.

All "L" lenses, including all of the 70-200's are provided with lens hoods.

Argh Skip you look after me, how do you know so much, i hope it doesnt take me 40 years to find my feet.
Ok one more q then i will shut up,lol.
This 70-200 2.8 should come with its own tri pod ring mount, that will be an excuse for me to get a tripod, i am hoping to get into bird photography (the flapping kind) so i think tripod is a better investment than mono pod, what are your thoughts?
Thanks again, and i am going to get the hard canon hood, i have read elsewhere that you can you use a filter with it, which fits with what you have stated that it doesnt screw in.
Thanks, A.

70-200 will be too short for birds in general. You'll find something at around 400 mm just barely getting there. Unless you're planning on setting up aimed at a feeder, a monopod will probably be more flexible than a tripod for birds/sports/nature on a long lens.

Well i did it, i bought the hard canon lens hood, and i am pleased with it. I am sure that no damage will come to the lens. I have also ordered a hoya circular polariser for the 50mm, i will take the advice given and plump for the B&W brass rim variety when i get my L lens.
I will leave warming filters for when i get a wide angle L lens, i would still like to hear if anyone has any experience with Cokin filters.
Thanks again everyone for all your help, A.

Treat me like a tourist wrote:
Hi to you all,

I have recently purchased a 50mmeos 1.4 lens for my 20D, i would now like to buy a UV and polariser filter, i would also like to purchase a lens hood, i am having difficulty with direct sunlight in our current british heat wave.

What is the appropriate model for the lens hood, i take it people stick to canon with hoods?

The filters, i have been looking at Hoya filters from www.onestop-digital.com
anyone have any views on this, i am ashamed to ask but what size do i buy, the inside of the lens cap says 58mm, is the size of the filter the lens will take? Stupid question i know, but i would like confirmation before i order the wrong size , lol.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, any comments would be welcome,
o while we are it, i am looking to buy the 70-200 2.8L (non IS)in the next 2 weeks, what uv/polariser filters do people recommend for this lens, also please state size as i will order them together. I am a novice so please forgive my lack of knowledge.
Many thanks again, A.

For the short term and non professional shooting the lens hood that Canon sells for the 50 would be fine. Canon hoods do not take a filter size like Nikon since the hood bayonettes onto the outside of the lens not on the filter ring. You can use the third part hoods that will attach to the filter ring. The best part of the Canon hood is that you can reverse it and store it that way in you bag.

For a longer term appraoch, and certainly for outside pro work then I encourage everyone to have a look at a bellows lens shade - often known as a pro lens shade. The problem with the dedicated lens hoods or shades is that they are way too short. Goofing around one day I put the shade from my 70-200 f2.8 onto my 16-35 (on a 20D) and that shade didn't vignette until the 16-35 was at about 20mm! So you might ask yourself about how effective that shade would be on the 70-200 at 200mm.

A bellows lens shade is pulled out until it ALMOST vignettes. That assures you that you are gettting the maximum shading possible and that will increase contrast and control flare. I shoot outside groups at weddings with everyones back to the sun so no one squints. But it presents a serious flare issue as the sun is often low in the sky at that time of the day. I extend the bellows lens shade and make sure that there is no direct sunlight on the front element and then I can be assured of a no-flare shot.

When I had a medium format camera I used a Lindahl shade but moved to the much lighter Lee shade for my Canon gear. The Lee is self supporting and won't damage the more delicate (at least compared to Mamiya) lenses. The Lee is also cheaper and in my opinion much better made than the Lindahl.