I never use hoods - am I missing something?

curiousgeorge wrote in post #2131558
I really don't want to attract the type of girl who would be turned on by a lens hood.

I like hood hotties.

05Xrunner wrote in post #2131566
Why not...then that means she probbly is into photography to..and you 2 could have a nice thing in common

I really doubt the lens hood would make any difference!

Hoods on zoom lenses (except the 'monster' on the 24-70L ) are next to useless for protection against flare at anything but the wide end, even worse with lenses designed for full-frame used on a crop body.
I do use them though, purely for a bit of protection and like Dante says - they are a babe-magnet (I wish!)

You can definately tell the difference on my 70-200mm with and without the hood.

Lightstream wrote in post #2131325
The ultrawideangle hoods are *HOPELESS* IMO. They neither provide adequate shielding area against flare, nor physical impact. They make it incredibly difficult to pack a lens in a bag, and they are UGLY. You can probably guess which one I am referring to, the 17-40/16-35/10-22 hood. Useless.

I love this hood, I have it on my 10-22 and my 17-40.

I recently had my 17-40 on my EOS 1nHS and dropped it onto a concrete floor. The lens hood took the full impact and was deeply scratched and went flying off but it absorbed ll of the impact and neither the lens or camera were damaged or marked

There are several reasons to ALWAYS (except when it interferes with the shot) use the lens hood. They are, protection, flare control, protection, flare control and protection.

Wait a minute, you guys are getting lens groupies??? I must be hanging out in the wrong spots.

A01 wrote in post #2131374
That is so the answer to why people use hoods

Next time you see a professional working, look at see if he or she is using a hood. Pros don't buy or use stuff because it looks cool. They will only endure the hassle of a hood if the results are worth the trouble. The price of a Hasselblad compendium shade is several hundred dollars yet most working pros who do portraits with Hasselblads have them. I've never seen a TV cameraman yet not using a hood, and usually a very expensive, very big hood.

You'll never know what lens flare you are experiencing without the hood, until you compare results side by side. Flare exists even without the sun shining on the lens, and a well-designed hood helps even in those cases.

Flare is not the same thing as ghosting, by the way. People miss that point, and think that just because they don't have ghosting that they don't have flare. Again, it may be true in some cases, but you'll never know if you don't try it.

That said, I agree that many of the hoods for short zoom lenses are not helpful, particularly at the long end of the zoom range. I have an older Sigma 28-70/2.8 that mounts the hood behind the front lens cell, which extends and retracts with zooming such that the hood is shallow at the 28 end and deep at the 70 end. Most of the time, however, a hood that avoids vignetting at the wide end is too short to do any good at the long end.

And I still don't know why Canon doesn't come out with specific shades for use on lenses mounted on small-sensor cameras. These lenses need a deeper shade to be fully effective. I am using the shade for a 24/1.4L on my 20-35 zoom when I use it on the 10D, and it is far more effective and not quite as goofy looking.

Rick "who has spent serious money on shades because it makes a difference" Denney

Where feasible, you should always use a hood. It will improve flare control, provide higher contrast and saturation and offer some protection for your lens. Granted, it won't make a difference in every situation - but it's worthwhile to use one nevertheless.

On UWA lenses, I agree - most hoods really are for the most part useless, especially on crop bodies. Sure, it's better than nothing - but they're a real pain in the butt to carry around.

I use hoods in the rain and to attract groupies.

rdenney wrote in post #2132050
Next time you see a professional working, look at see if he or she is using a hood.

I afraid you may had stepped into it here. I use the same point (doing what the pros do) when opposing the routine use of UV filters for "protection". Hope you don't get the "the pros don't know what they are doing" replys.

There's one use that so far has been missed, Hoods also make great rain covers, keeping the front element/filter dry so you don't get those ugly water spots in your photos.

jr_senator wrote in post #2132136
I afraid you may had stepped into it here. I use the same point (doing what the pros do) when opposing the routine use of UV filters for "protection". Hope you don't get the "the pros don't know what they are doing" replys.

I don't use UV filters for protection, either. But that is beside the point. Using such filters is a hassle that most pros won't mess with because it does nothing to improve their productivity. Those who want to use them and don't mind the hassle can be my guest.

Shades are no less a hassle, but pros use them even so. When working photographers who make pictures for money every day are willing to slow themselves down with an extra bit of apparatus, I'm going to ignore that apparatus only after extremely careful consideration. Maybe they are wrong.

But not this time.

Rick "who always uses a shade of some sort" Denney

curiousgeorge wrote in post #2131454
Thanks for your views, but I'm not convinced. I don't want to look cool when taking photos, I want my image to look cool!

In fact, it's a reason not to use hoods. I want to be as discreet as possible, otherwise I feel like people are watching me and I can't concentrate on my shot.

You own a white lens and you say you don't like people watching you?

angryhampster wrote in post #2132642
You own a white lens and you say you don't like people watching you?

There's no hiding when bustin' out the ol' 70-200mm. White, black - hell, even camoflage... It wouldn't matter. It's big and the hood makes it even bigger. For a real thrill, toss on the 2x II TC. People kind of just stop and stare, helplessly offering commentary such as, "wow, you could get the whole town with that in two shots!"

I can't even tell you how many comments I got walking around with the 1D2N and The Brick(TM) in St. Maarten. Every electronics store worker stopped what they were doing and took note. Jewelry store salespeople saw their mark. Bartenders commented. Passers-by cleared out of the way.

You'd think you could part the Red Sea with some of this gear.