Lens hood fundamentals and a recommendation

Joseph Bell · Jan 23, 2021

Hello there!

I bought this lens hood and accompanying cap

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1295107-REG/voigtlander_bd276a_lh_58s_lens_hood.html

for my Voigtlander 58mm before realizing that the filter thread was wrong, and so now I happily use this marvelously designed hood and cap on my 105mm 2.5, and it works perfectly.

Here is my question, and I hope you'll forgive my dimness: can I use this same hood on my Nikon 35mm f2 or will I experience vignetting? Can a hood designed for a 58mm lens also be used on a 35mm lens with the same 52mm thread? I realize that I don't quite understand the nature of lens hoods and vignetting, and I'm hoping you can set me straight.

sincere thanks for your help!

P.S. This Voigtlander metal hood and cap is a lovely piece of engineering, and it looks and feels terrific, and I recommend it highly!

Sirius Glass · Jan 23, 2021

Joseph Bell said:
Hello there!

I bought this lens hood and accompanying cap

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1295107-REG/voigtlander_bd276a_lh_58s_lens_hood.html

for my Voigtlander 58mm before realizing that the filter thread was wrong, and so now I happily use this marvelously designed hood and cap on my 105mm 2.5, and it works perfectly.

Here is my question, and I hope you'll forgive my dimness: can I use this same hood on my Nikon 35mm f2 or will I experience vignetting? Can a hood designed for a 58mm lens also be used on a 35mm lens with the same 52mm thread? I realize that I don't quite understand the nature of lens hoods and vignetting, and I'm hoping you can set me straight.

sincere thanks for your help!

My experience has told me that each lens needs a lens hood for its focal length or a lens hood for a range of focal lengths, such as for 28mm to 45mm.

Paul Howell · Jan 23, 2021

In terms of vignetting you can used a hood designed for a lens of a shorter focal lengthen on a lens that is longer, not the other way around. So in your case, a 50mm lens hood on a 100 will work, but is not as efficient in preventing flare as a lens hoods designed for a 100. But a 100 lens hood on a 50 will cause vigenting. I use a lens hood designed for a 200 on my 300 and 400. I also have an adjustable lens hood, it can pulled into and out to fit a 50, 100 and 135mm lens. Came for Porter a mail order company no longer in business.

Joseph Bell · Jan 23, 2021

Sirius Glass said:
My experience has told me that each lens needs a lens hood for its focal length or a lens hood for a range of focal lengths, such as for 28mm to 45mm.

I value your experience and I thank you!

Joseph Bell · Jan 23, 2021

Paul Howell said:
In terms of vignetting you can used a hood designed for a lens of a shorter focal lengthen on a lens that is longer, not the other way around. So in your case, a 50mm lens hood on a 100 will work, but is not as efficient in preventing flare as a lens hoods designed for a 100. But a 100 lens hood on a 50 will cause vigenting. I use a lens hood designed for a 200 on my 300 and 400. I also have an adjustable lens hood, it can pulled into and out to fit a 50, 100 and 135mm lens. Came for Porter a mail order company no longer in business.

I understand! Thank you very much.

AgX · Jan 23, 2021

Joseph Bell said:
I happily use this marvelously designed hood and cap on my 105mm 2.5, and it works perfectly.

How can it be marvelous, being round?

Joseph Bell · Jan 23, 2021

AgX said:
How can it be marvelous, being round?

I don't understand your question, but as I've already confessed: I don't understand lens hoods either. What is marvelous about this design is the way the hood and push-on cap fit together and form a seal, as well as the general look and feel of both pieces. As to its efficacy and performance VS non-round hoods, I must plead ignorance!

Sirius Glass · Jan 23, 2021

Ask, none of us was born with this knowledge.

AgX · Jan 23, 2021

Joseph Bell said:
I don't understand your question, but as I've already confessed: I don't understand lens hoods either. What is marvelous about this design is the way the hood and push-on cap fit together and form a seal, as well as the general look and feel of both pieces. As to its efficacy and performance VS non-round hoods, I must plead ignorance!

The idea of a lens hood is to only let rays into the lens that form the intended image.
To do this the hood must

-) have the same image aspect ratio and orientation as the image
(for 24x36mm that means an rectangular, not round, opening with an edges length ratio of1:1.5)

-) its frontal opening extracted that much from the front lens, that the image edges are just not darkened

-) must form a cone, base on the angles established from the above, that is as long as possible without hampering handling of the camera too much

Really good lens shades are typically applied in cinematography. Have a look there.

I hope that was more helpful.

Arthurwg · Jan 23, 2021

While we are on the subject, does anyone use the Hasselblad Professional Lens Shade? If so, how and when?

btaylor · Jan 23, 2021

The ability to use a rectangular lens hood has everything to do with whether the front of the lens rotated or not. I remember this being a big deal in my Super 8 days.
I agree with Agx, cinema lens shades are probably the best. It is referred to as a matte box, similar to the Hasselblad Professional Lens Shade, but the opening towards the subject has a flat with an opening specific to the focal length of the lens in use. Very effective, but cumbersome (it helps to have a crew to handle it!).

AgX · Jan 23, 2021

btaylor said:
The ability to use a rectangular lens hood has everything to do with whether the front of the lens rotated or not. I remember this being a big deal in my Super 8 days.

Yes, but round shades were already the standard in still photography when a non-rotating filter-thread was typical.
The reason was, that with a rectangular shade/shade with rectangular opening the orientation of the shade had to be adjustable, making the shade a bit more complex.

btaylor · Jan 23, 2021

Arthurwg said:
While we are on the subject, does anyone use the Hasselblad Professional Lens Shade? If so, how and when?

I have one but never used it! I stick with the rectangular bayonet shades- so easy to use.

btaylor · Jan 23, 2021

AgX said:
Yes, but round shades were already the standard in still photography when a non-rotating filter-thread was typical.
The reason was, that with a rectangular shade/shade with rectangular opening the orientation of the shade had to be adjustable, making the shade a bit more complex.

In cinema matte boxes are attached to the camera, not the lenses. The still camera compendium shades often have the ability to rotate- so yea- more complex

Pieter12 · Jan 23, 2021

I have a compendium shade and it seems to me it is only practical for landscape photography on a tripod. Otherwise, it is just too cumbersome. Maybe useful in the studio, but you can use flags to shield the lens if necessary. It is also nice for using gels.

Sirius Glass · Jan 23, 2021

I only have the square plastic bayonet lens hoods. I have never needed anything more advanced. Generally the photons innately know what to do without consulting multi volume books and tables. They are smart little buggers who like to stress light shields and barriers.

ic-racer · Jan 23, 2021

will I experience vignetting?

Does not look too different from the HN-3, so try it and see. Stop the lens down as far as it will go and check the corners through the viewfinder.

Sirius Glass · Jan 23, 2021

ic-racer said:
Try it and see. Stop the lens down as far as it will go and check the corners through the viewfinder.

Better yet, since view finders on some cameras do not show the complete field of view, open the back of the camera and look with the lens fully opened and closed down.

Joseph Bell · Jan 23, 2021

AgX said:
The idea of a lens hood is to only let rays into the lens that form the intended image.
To do this the hood must

-) have the same image aspect ratio and orientation as the image
(for 24x36mm that means an rectangular, not round, opening with an edges length ratio of1:1.5)

-) its frontal opening extracted that much from the front lens, that the image edges are just not darkened

-) must form a cone, base on the angles established from the above, that is as long as possible without hampering handling of the camera too much

Really good lens shades are typically applied in cinematography. Have a look there.

I hope that was more helpful.

very helpful indeed, and I certainly appreciate it. I think I understand! Many thanks.

Joseph Bell · Jan 23, 2021

Sincere thanks to all! I am most grateful for your time and erudition!

Joseph Bell · Jan 23, 2021

Sirius Glass said:
Better yet, since view finders on some cameras do not show the complete field of view, open the back of the camera and look with the lens fully opened and closed down.

Very clever! I will do that!

Joseph Bell · Jan 23, 2021

ic-racer said:
Does not look too different from the HN-3, so try it and see. Stop the lens down as far as it will go and check the corners through the viewfinder.

Yes, they are very similar indeed - interestingly, the HN-3 can be used on the 35 as well as the 55...

AgX · Jan 23, 2021

Well, the "practice" lies samewhere between what I and Sirius wrote. As any shade of any kind used is far more effect than the perfect one left home for unpracticality. Even amongst the round ones there are various versions. Some are elastic and ca be folded back, even kept on within an everready case. Some can be turned by 180° and screwd on again, covering the lens and no longer protruding:
http://www.seeing1.de/bilder/fotos/cameras/Werra4_Kappe.jpg

Joseph Bell · Jan 23, 2021

AgX said:
Well, the "practice" lies samewhere between what I and Sirius wrote. As any shade of any kind used is far more effect than the perfect one left home for unpracticality. Even amongst the round ones there are various versions. Some are elastic and ca be folded back, even kept on within an everready case. Some can be turned by 180° and screwd on again, covering the lens and no longer protruding:
http://www.seeing1.de/bilder/fotos/cameras/Werra4_Kappe.jpg

Holy moly! Now that is some marvelous design!

Paul Howell · Jan 23, 2021

Of the different Japanese lens hoods I've owned for Nikon, Pentax, Miranda, Minolta, the only rectangles were for wide lens which used a set screw to rotate the shade depending on how it fitted the threads. I've seen Contaxt and Leica rectangular lens shades for longer lens like 90 and 100, don't recall what shape was used for very long lens.

Lens hood fundamentals and a recommendation

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