The right conditions to use the lens hood.

Voigtlander make several lens hoods because they make a variety of lenses. In general one lens hood suits one or more lenses.

I am sure that CameraQuest or Robert White explain it in more detail.

A lens hood is only of any use if there is a bright light source just out of view. For example you're photographing towards the sun.

I have them but rarely use them because they don't suit my photography and they add to the size of the camera, which I don't want.
 
A dedicated (per particular lens) hood is a mandatory companion to all my lenses. Two of them has hoods built-in (sliding types), while third one boosts an optimized, rectangular hood.
I'm firm believer in hoods usability. Stray light, mechanical offence to the lens front - hood will help if not to solve the issue, at least to diminish the proceedings that otherwise may be really sorrowful.
I have yet to find any meaningful (to me) shortcomings in using hood on permanent basis, I figure usually they sizes aren't such big to warrant leaving them behind fo take the risk to damage your expensive glass (or increase the probability of ruining your shoot by an excessive flare...)
 
Well, the exposure time to UV is not the issue, it is the percentage of the UV componant of the light. And yes, there is still a significant amount of UV at sea level. The amount of UV does change with location, time of day, and weather/atmospheric condition. The film response to UV is also another factor to whether you want a UV filter or not. Whatever the conditions, the impact of a UV filter is subtle.
 
AFAIK, UV radiation is at its strongest levels over the sea (or sea shore) and in mountains. The lowest levels of UV might be a forest area (or one with developed flora), perhaps due to the green to absorb the good amount of the radiation (photosynthesis ?)
Having said that, I did test my former Canon lenses (used to have 2-3 Canon L-class lenses in my SLR days) for filters impact - could find nothing that would affect image with filters on the lenses (tested for sharpness/contrast impact).
Mind you, I used to use only high quality filters, all multicoated (either Heliopan or B+W).
Since then, I have UV filters on all of my lenses and may only remove such in potentially high flare-prone environment.
 
thanks alot guys for the insight and the reviews of the hoods.
i'll keep everything that was said in mind
 
An ideal hood lets the image-forming light reach the surface of a lens and shields from all non image-forming light. As such, a hood is useful in nearly all lighting conditions.

A hood does not make your pictures "better", but it helps from degrading performance and washing out the contrast, and will save you once in a while from spectacular failures.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but 'bright' light is relative. Even if you're taking a picture indoors, the light from the window may be brighter than your subject by enough stops to cause flare, if light from the said window happens to enter your lens.

Having said that, I can't be bothered to use hoods most of the time.

Clarence
 
peter_n said:
I too always have a hood on the front of a lens. I also use a UV filter on each one as well (a different issue entirely) but each lens in my bag is always ready for action with no fiddling with lens caps. :)
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That is my routine, also.
 
Scattering occurs at all surfaces within a lens stack, within the lens itself and off of the internal wals of the lens housing. Hoods serve, just as blackening the lens edges prior to assembly, to diminish scattered, and off-axis glare.

The overall effect is to increase contrast and improve resolution of the lens.

The secondary benefit of acting as a bumper is also good.

Basically, it is a photog's choice kind of thing.... If you want to soften your image, lose the hood and any scattering surfaces (i.e. UV filt's) between the lens and your subject. If you want the very best performance of your lens, use the correct hood as recommended by the manufacturer.
 
Lens hood? Never leave home without one. Why?

1. Protection from flare

2. Protect lens from bumps and scrapes, especially in crowds.

3. They look cool.
 
3. They look cool.
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Actually thats the same reason why i was thinking of getting a lens hood.
and since a few of you guys says that it's good with protecting the lens from bumps..
it sounds better.

and obviously the main reason for the lens hood is for the flare reduction.

still considering myself.
 
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