Are len hoods useful for small camera?


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astroller

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Jun 7, 2003
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Small cameras like Canon G3 or Nikon CP5000 that kind of range. Is attaching a len hood (those rubber extendable type) useful for these cameras or counter-productive (since their lens are small)?
 

It's got nothing to do with the size of the lens. An ideal lens hood prevents extraneous light from entering the lens. Ideally any light rays that do not contribute to forming the image on the film should not be allowed to enter the lens, especially bright rays. Extraneous light rays create lens flare which will degrade the quality of the image. You should always use a lens hood.
 

Use a lens hood whenever possible, it reduces glare and flare and does improve the colour saturation and contrast.

Generally, it might be true that lenses with large front elements such as Pro wide angles and teles are more prone to flare and glare, but all lenses will benefit from a lens hood.
 

Hmmm...so should I get a lens hood for my olympus C750? Do we use a lens hood in all scenrios or only on sunny days?
 

What if the hood causes vignetting? My camera doesn't have come with the option of an original hood, thus my choices are left to the generic ones. One that I am considering is the Hoya 58mm rubber hood.
 

Try to find hoods that are rated for at least 35mm or below, they will minimize vignetting effects.

However, sometimes it might be best to just use a baseball cap or your hand to shield against the direction where sunlight is coming from.
 

Regarding vignetting, it's easy to check especially if you are using a digicam. Just test out a shot or too with a small aperture and you can see if there's vignetting. Of course you may have to download the image to your PC to see the full frame though, cos I understand the LCD on the camera body may not show the full frame, but then you can always zoom in to the corners to have a look.

Once you have a hood, use it at all times, even at night, not just when you are shooting in bright sunlight. Like I mentioned above, any light that is not directly involved with creating your image should be kept out of your lens.
 

Originally posted by Parchiao
Visit this site for some immaculate explanations of some of the more common problems associated with photography.

http://www.vanwalree.com/optics/lenshood.html

Wah, Parchiao, this is a good site! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Feel like printing out the whole page and filing it for posterity!
 

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