The most overlooked accessory

[bmattock]

The problem with using lens hoods is that you don't usually know you have a problem with flare unless it is extremely obvious. Most of us who don't shoot directly into the sun (contre jour) don't get the kind of flare that jumps right out at you - so we assume we have no problem with flare. And without something to compare it to, we won't see it, either. So we insist that we have no problem with flare - or, our lenses don't flare, or we know how to shoot photos and not get flare and so on. We're all convinced that flare is a problem other people get - probably because their lens is inferior, or they just aren't a good photographer, etc.

Again - you'll never know you have a flare problem until you try a shot with a lens hood and without a lens hood on the same photos on the same day on the same roll of film. Once you do that, you see the difference it can make. Until then, nothing will convince you.

People can be so stubborn. "I don't SEE flare in my photos" meaning it must NOT be there. Well, it is. You don't see it because you don't see an identical photo shot WITHOUT flare. In many cases - perhaps even in most - it is there.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[jdos2]

I've shot identical shots with and without the hood on my CZJ 50mm f/1.5 and the difference was obvious. It's not horrible for flare, but the pinksh haze just wasn't there in the picture with the hood. That's what sold me.

I walked around with the J-9 for a week trying to find pictures of things I wanted to prove to myself that the lens could be useful at all with a hood. I've decided that it is good with the hood, horrible nearly to the point of being unusable without one, particularly wide open.

 

[bmattock]

Bingo! My point exactly! I feel strongly that if everyone at least TRIED identical shots with and without a lens hood, they'd most likely see a difference too.

Amazing that people will spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the very best, most highly-rated lenses, and then choose not to use a lens hood because they "don't have a problem with lens flare."

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

I've shot identical shots with and without the hood on my CZJ 50mm f/1.5 and the difference was obvious. It's not horrible for flare, but the pinksh haze just wasn't there in the picture with the hood. That's what sold me.

I walked around with the J-9 for a week trying to find pictures of things I wanted to prove to myself that the lens could be useful at all with a hood. I've decided that it is good with the hood, horrible nearly to the point of being unusable without one, particularly wide open.

 

[RML]

JD, that's exactly my experience with the 85/2. When I first got it I shot some shots with it, and I was soooo disappointed with it. The flare was there in EVERY single shot.

I just finished the roll that I loaded int he Bessa R and shot with the 85/2. I'll try to have it developed tomorrow but I guess it'll be Saturday before I can see the results. I'm expecting no flare but perhaps the hood might have given some problem being a tube instead of a funnel shape.

 

[jdos2]

Interestingly enough, the hood for the Contax G 90mm is not much larger (wider) than the lens itself. The field of view of the longer lenses allows one to get away with that, I bet.

It was a great day when I figured out that the 75mm hood for the Mamiya Universal fits the 50mm just fine, is square and aluminum, and best- is longer than the 50mm hood, providing better protection...

Nice when things work out like that.

 

[Russ]

Re: The most overlooked accessory

Dig around in our kit bags, we've got most of what we need at any given time. Camera body for sure, probably more than one. Lenses, film, the essentials. Maybe a flash or two, some filters. Lens cleaning solution and microfiber cloth, for sure. Possibly a brush or blower to keep things clean in dusty or dirty conditions - maybe even a plastic cover or bag to keep things dry in case of downpour. Some of us may schlep around a tripod and the requisite remote shutter release.

Ah, but we're missing something!

Lens hood.

Small, light, cheap, and VERY useful. Especially for those of us who shoot vintage (perhaps uncoated) lenses or classic fixed-lens rangefinders - flare was a problem even with some of the better early coatings, and most of us prefer not to see it on our photos. You can get flare even without aiming your camera anywhere NEAR the sun, especially on a bright day - outdoors, lots of foliage, etc. I've gotten flare while shooting with the sun at my back!

Consider picking up a couple of cheap lens hoods and tossing them in your kit bag. Worth the effort. And then (I'm guilty here too) USE THEM!

Come on, how many of you use lens hoods when you go out shooting? I know, they get in the way, right? But consider it!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

You tell'm Bill! It's a rare shot that isn't improved by the use of a lens hood! I rarely shoot without one. That goes for my rangefinders and SLR's. I don't wear a hat like the NWCANONMAN does, so I can't go that route. I suppose when my hair is thinning like his is, I'll be forced to wear one too. His hair is so thin, that I can see his thoughts.....

Russ

 

[jdos2]

JD, that's exactly my experience with the 85/2. When I first got it I shot some shots with it, and I was soooo disappointed with it. The flare was there in EVERY single shot.

I just finished the roll that I loaded int he Bessa R and shot with the 85/2. I'll try to have it developed tomorrow but I guess it'll be Saturday before I can see the results. I'm expecting no flare but perhaps the hood might have given some problem being a tube instead of a funnel shape.

I wanna know- are you happier with the J-9 now with the hood on it? Did it work out for you?

 

[RML]

JD, I'll try to have the roll developed tomorrow. Then I'll know what the effect of the hood. I'll let y'all know....

 

[taffer]

Well I'm becoming a good boy as well, got a nice Hoya vented hood for the 35 Pancake and some days ago this cheap Hoya in 40.5mm, not vented this time. Time for a bit of Black & Decker ? 🙄

 

[Rich Silfver]

"Nice hood - or are you just happy to see me"?

 

[RML]

Bad, bad me. Only now (!) I'm scanning the shots with the hooded 85.

The hood is actually two hoods: a short Heliopan wide-angle hood (about 1.5 cm long) and a longer Heliopan telephoto hood (about 3 cm long).

When used wide open (f2.8, as I haven't gone down to f2 yet) there is some vignetting in the corners. Not much but still noticeable. When used at f5.8 or up there'sno more vignetting.

The flare and ghosting that I experienced before I used the hood have disappeared.

 

[RML]

It seems I was a tad too optimistic.

The hood works well but still there are a few situations when there's still some "flare".

See the following photos I'll post....

 

[RML]

Backlighting still causes some stray light.

 

[RML]

Low angled light also causes stray light.

 

[RML]

On the other hand, when the shot doesn't have a large discrepancy between shaded areas and the backlighted area(s), the hooded lens performs admirably.

 

[taffer]

Remy, maybe the hood does not solve all the J9 flare problems but honestly I love that first shot !

 

[RML]

Though I am still a bit disappointed I'm also quite happy. It seems that with the new hood the lighting circumstances need to be rather unfavourable before flare/ ghosting/ scatter light appears. I guess I'll just have to learn which those circumstances are.

 

[vladhed]

Nice shots RML!

Nice shots RML!

Ah, Holland....

 

[Jeroen]

About those 35 G(S/T(N)) hoods: I've found a hood with a 55 mm thread. Seems like a hood for a standard lens. Does anybody know how wide and deep the factory lens hood is?

 

[Roman]

About Jupiter hoods:
The Jupiter-12 does not need one, the lens is recessed really far.
For the Jupiter-9 I use a 49mm screw in metal tele lens-hood from 'americaneagle_camera' (Ebay; he has all kinds of nice hoods and doodads) - works well, looks good on the lens, does not block the view.
For the J-8 I first had a collapsible rubber hood w/40.5mm thread, but that blocked the viewfinder; now I use rectangular plastic clip-on hoods from 'asr-photo'/'alex-photo' (Ebay; the same person, and also a reliable seller for camera bodies, though he specializes in accessories for Russian cameras) - works well, also with 40.5-thread Industars, barely noticeable in the viewfinder, looks nice; I don't use it with the Kiev, though, because of the rotating front element of its J-8M...

Roman