Quote:
Originally Posted by sybren
I disagree with David. Lens hoods block light that hits your lens but isn't part of your photo. When you use a lens hood, your colours are more pure, your blacks become blacker. I always shoot with a lens hood, as there is virtually no downside to using one. The only thing is that there is a bit of plastic or metal protruding from the front of your lens - big deal if that's going to give you better photos.
|
That light that hits your lens but isn't part of the photo can cause flare and ghosts -- an important part of the hood. You're right about the color quality, to a certain extent.
However, as I mentioned, hoods can add bulk (length) to your setup, which may be an issue, and keeping them on "backwards" may interfere with your controls. Of course, my needs are different from yours -- I highly value portability and convenience, for taking my camera
anywhere without a bag. If you're shooting with a bag or a pack full of lenses, you probably don't worry as much about the added bulk of a hood.
Those are the reasons that I don't bother with mine -- as well as the fact that, for most situations in which a lens will flare, the hood isn't enough anyhow. Most modern lenses are good on their own at avoiding most flare (through multicoating, mainly) -- if the light is bad enough to actually cause flare, a hood may not cover the right areas anyhow. I usually need a hand
far out and to the side.