Lens Hoods ... What do you use?

[raid]

As you know, some lens hoods for Leica cameras can be very expensive and also difficult to locate. Unless you are a collector, it really isn't necessary to use a specific lens hood for a given lens.

I have been recently buying several very old lens hoods that look really cool. They mostly cost around $10-$15.

One particular one I like a lot.
It is a metal lens hood with 39mm thread that comes with an adapter that is 39mm-42mm with a tightening ring. It has on it : "ACTINA London".

Basically, you can either screw the lens hood on lenses with 39mm thread or use the adapter, and then the 42mm fits snugly [after tightening with the ring] over all of my 50mm lenses that have 39mm thread.

With vintage lens hoods, a vintage lens becomes even more ..."vintage looking".😀

I have the barndoor style hoods for the Summicron and the Summarit, but they are bulky.

The hood for the Canon 50mm/1.2 is hugeand costly too.

The ones for Leica are great, but they don't fit many lenses I own. I may have four of those.

 

[Ronald M]

Any straight tube shade, not the funnel variety, takes up the least space and is most efficient except for the square variety.

The one that comes on the new 50 2.8 is a gem and blocks light as well as the vented shades which are too wide as they are designed for 35mm also.

 

[MartinP]

I must admit that my LTM cameras are not Leicas, but this has the side-effect that the original hoods are easy and cheap to find.

The push-on rectangular hood for the standard-lenses are marked 42mm diameter (the filter-thread on the lens is 40,5mm), so you could buy half a dozen of those Industar-61/Jupiter-8 hoods on the bay and be set up for a decade or more ?! They work ok too, although on the FED-2 (more or less the same size as the M's) the hood intrudes into the corner of the viewfinder.

 

[raid]

Martin,

It makes no difference whether it is a Leica hood or a Canon hood or a no-name hood.


My mentioned hood with adapter is therefore perfect for use as a push-on lens hood. The 39-42 adapter with tightening ring is perfect.

 

[LeicaTom]

I guess I`ve lucked out on the most part, I have the factory lens hoods on all the stuff I`ve bought, while I guess I try to go for lenses that are complete with caps and hoods and filters etc.

The only lens I don`t have a hood for is the f2.0 50mm Nikkor, but I found a factory one last night with the original case - the Nikkor f1.4 50mm I have in reserve has the hood already as well

I just wait and take the time till I can get it all together, there`s no lens out there I`m that crazy about that the hoods stupid money - outside of the "wartime" f1.5 Leitz Xenon 50mm
(and that hood is stupid money!- last time I saw one it was $300+)
I`ve waited 12 years now for a Xenon, I can wait a while longer......

Tom

 

[rogue_designer]

I've said this before. But I got 39-40.5, or 40-40.5 step up rings for all my LTM lenses in those sizes (Canon or Leica, or whatever). So I can use the same filters, and a couple of vented or WA cylinder hoods across them (dending on Focal length - of course - mostly cheap ones from Heavystar).

It's proven to be a most economical solution. Both in cost, and in the number of things I need to carry with me while shooting.

 

[peter_n]

I mostly use Leica lenses but can't stand their hoods. I have heavystar hoods for all my lenses except the 24/2.8. I have to use the Leica hood on that because a round one vignettes badly. 🙁

 

[varjag]

I use inexpensive Chinese hoods from various ebay sellers. Same hoods are sold by Heavystar, although about for twice more in average.

The vented 40.5mm S+W are really nice. Now they also sell 40.5mm summicron/muzzle-brake styled ones, looks totally cool on my Jupiter-3.

 

[VictorM.]

I use a FISON and a FIKUS as well as various series 6 hoods. On my Nikkor 50/2 I use a square Canon Series VI hood because it works so well.

 

[Carlos Cruz]

For my canon 50/1.2 I picked cheap yashica 55 mm hood it doesn't vignette, and this lens definetly needs hood.

 

[ErnestoJL]

I´m mostly user of Contax/Kiev cameras which mostly take 40.5mm hoods/filters (only exception the J9/Sonnar 2-85). Now I discovered the Leicas and their clones... OMG!!!!
It´s obvious that I faced some problems trying to find accesories. 40.5 mm isn´t today an usual size for accesories and only some few dealers may have it in Argentina. Same applies for Leitz lenses (or Russian ones).

The solution?

For hoods, I found "hoodcalc" in the internet, an Excel based calculator which upon giving the front lens diameter, focal lenght, tube diameter and thread size brings the max. lenght the tube may have to avoid vignetting and provide an effective blocking of stray light.
I know those hoods are not Zeiss nor Leitz, but they perform well in spite of their origin. Making one of this hoods may cost as little as USD 5 or less maybe.
The calculations are really accurate and they bring no vignetting nor any other abnormal phenomenae in negs.
Some people ask me where did I find those odd looking long hoods. This long explanation then takes place.

IMO as long as your target is blocking stray light, there is nothing better than well designed/made hood, disregarding which make it is. Even yours!

Cheers

Ernesto

 

[Mr_Flibble]

I use a FISON and a FIKUS as well as various series 6 hoods. On my Nikkor 50/2 I use a square Canon Series VI hood because it works so well.

I have recently acquired a FIKUS hood. I've only taken it with me this last weekend on a trip to the Ardennes, still need to develope the film.

Does anybody known in what year the FIKUS was introduced? And how are your experiences with it?

 

[richiedcruz]

I use the Fison and Fikus, too. I find the Fikus works well on my 50mm Elmar, but it does not stay set at the 50mm setting. But that is a minor concern. I made the mistake of using the Fison on my Elmar and found that it started flaring horribly.

I also use a Kenko vented series VI hood with a 40mm adapter on my Canon 50 1.8, and that seems to work very well. The 40mm lens cap I use on the Canon lens also fits into the shade, so I do not have to worry abour shutter curtain burn either.

Richie