Guide to Lens Hoop
Most people are familiar with lens hoods, which are included in most new lenses. However, many photographers do not use them.
What is the reason for this?
Lens hoods are causing some confusion among novice photographers. There are a few benefits to using a lens hood and only VERY FEW drawbacks.
This article will explain what lens hoods do, how to use them, and why.
When to use a lens hood
1. Unwanted Light Can Be Blocked
A lens hood is like a visor that prevents intense light from entering your lens at an angle. Strong Light striking your lens from an angle can cause lens flares and ghosting. It will also reduce contrast and the quality of the image.
Although lens flaring is often a fun feature of a photograph, it can also be highly distracting. Use a lens hood to reduce or eliminate lens flare.
2. Protect your lens from accidental damage
A lens hood is useful even if you don’t care about unwanted light. It can protect your camera from accidental impacts, scratches and fingerprints.
Have you ever bumped your camera while carrying it on your shoulder? You may have accidentally touched the lens and left behind oily fingerprints.
You can wash your lens, but who would want to do this regularly? Not me! Why not use a lens hood to protect your camera lens?
Types of Lens Hoods
Lens hoods are typically available in a cylinder or a slightly more complex petal shape.
The cylindrical lens hood is a good choice and does the job. This lens hood can be used with prime or telephoto lenses and completely blocks stray light.
Petal Lens Hoods are even more popular (also known as Tulip Lens Hood). These are lens hoods with curved notches that are shorter. A petal-shaped hood has shorter edges that allow more light to enter a lens. It is still large enough to be very effective.
How to use a lens hood
Lens hoods are attached directly to the front surface of your lens. They work best with normal, telephoto and zoom lenses.
If you do, the lens hood will appear in your image and create a heavy (and solid black) vignette. You run the risk that the lens hood will appear in your photo, creating a solid (and heavy) vignette. You don’t want this in your image.
When to use a lens hood
You will get a Lens Flare whenever your Subject is backlit, (for instance, when you shoot backlit during Golden Hour), you are in strong sunlight or shooting towards it. It’s the perfect time to use a lens hood.
You may also find that you have a lens flare if you use off camera flash or any other bright light source off camera. Indoor Flash Photography, and Studio Photography require lens hoods.
Night Photography can also benefit from a lens cap as the harsh light sources that cause lens flares at night come from a variety of directions and different sources. This can be street lamps, car headlights, tree lights or buildings.
CONCLUSION
You can see that using a lens cap has many advantages and very few, if not any, disadvantages. A lens hood on a camera is also pretty cool, and who wouldn’t want to be stylish?