Lens Hood

My 70-200 f/4 L came with hood, when to use, what situation should require a hood? Sorry to be so simple and straight too the point.

I'd use the hood all of the time. The main purpose is to keep stray light from getting in your way, hence the term "lens shade".

The hood also acts as a level of protection for the front of the lens. Many people will tell you that their lens hoods have saved the glass when their lens was dropped.

I'm really sad that companies stopped making metal hoods because those offered much more protection. I dropped a lens in a stream years ago right on top of some rocks and all I got was a small dent in the metal shade. The lens was and still is in perfect shape! I wonder if a plastic shade would have been as sturdy.

Lou

I dropped my Sigma lense at one time, the lens survived but the plastic lens hood did not. I wish it had been metal, replacing even a plastic one can be expensive.

I add another voice saying that you should use the hood at all times. Like the others above, I have had a lens saved by the hood after dropping the camera on a sidewalk. The lens is fine. The metal lens hood (circa 1967) folded in and required replacement (it would never have looked right even if I had tried to repair it).