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Four things to keep in mind when using a lens hood.

Release Date:

2020-12-21 11:51

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Four things to keep in mind when using a lens hood.

　　1. Lens hoods come in various sizes; choose one that matches your lens’s focal length. Be sure to confirm the size before purchasing, or bring your camera along to ensure a proper fit!

　　2. It should also be noted that the shorter the lens’s focal length, the wider the angle of view, and the shorter the lens hood; for example, if you mount a standard‑zoom lens hood onto a wide‑angle lens, the edges of the image will inevitably fall outside the field of view. Conversely, using a hood that is too long for the lens will fail to provide effective shading. When using a zoom lens, it is best to equip it with a retractable, adjustable lens hood.

　　3. Lens hoods are widely used in backlit photography and generally help prevent flare; however, if the light source is very close, flare may still occur. In such cases, you can use your hand to block the side of the lens where the light originates. Whether the flare has been eliminated should be carefully checked through the viewfinder.

　　When using a lens hood, you should take into account its interaction with the flash, as it can sometimes block part of the flash’s light.

　　4. A lens hood is used to reduce glare caused by stray light from outside the shooting area, so it should only be used on lenses whose front elements do not rotate during focusing.

　　In general, the longer a lens hood is, the more effective it is at blocking stray light. However, if a straight‑edge hood is too long, it can vignette the corners of the image. By contrast, a petal‑style hood has its tips recessed inward, allowing it to “step aside” from the corner areas and let light pass through without obscuring those edges. At the same time, its petals extend slightly forward, effectively functioning as an additional section of the hood and delivering slightly better stray‑light suppression than a round‑edge hood.

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