Lens Hoods

[rpcrowe]

This is not going to be the standard "Should I use a lens hood?" or "How to rotate a CPL while using a lens hood?" or even "Should I buy an inexpensive Chinese knock-off hood?"

It is simply to point out what seems like an innovative idea in lens hood design which makes the rotation of a CPL easier (If you don't have long, skinny, Grinch-like fingers, that is!).

Pentax apparently has a port in some of their lens hoods which can be opened and closed to facilitate the rotating of the front element of the CPL while hood is attached. I am wondering if the Chinese will "borrow" this idea for other camera brand lens hood knock-offs or even if it is worth borrowing...

[mk00]

Seems such a simple solution - wonder why it hasn't been done before. Or perhaps it was but wasn't popular enough.

[Dave Humphries]

Well it does leave a rather large hole to let the light in (the cut out could be half the height it is now and still let a finger tip in), but it has to be better than no hood at all.

All my Nikon hoods are bayonet mount (and most petal type), so if I need to, I dismount it, slip the corner bit over my little finger while adjusting CPL, then mount it again before taking the shot. A bit of a phaff, I agree, this would help.

Thanks for sharing,

[rpcrowe]

I have seen hoods in which people cut ports for their fingers. However, this port seemd to have a door which can be closed, negating the possibility that light might sneek through the slot. Seems like an idea that the Chinese could emulate!

I have solved the CPL rotation problem on my 70-200mm f/4L IS lens by using a round, screw-in hood. This works just fine for my 1.6x cameras but, there might be a chance that it would vignette on full frame equipment. The hood screws into the front ring of the CPL and you just twist the hood to rotate the filter.

BTW: It does a darn good job protecting the lens from flare and even a better job protecting from physical damage. I fell to the sidewalk with my camera and 70-200mm lens hanging around my neck. The lens hit first and the hood was demolihed but, the lens was not hurt. I think that it has to do with the hood disintegrating and absorbing the energy of the crash - like the carbon fiber bodies of some race cars. You wee a crash and the parts of the car flying all over and think that no one could survive when the destruction of the car body is the reason for survival.

Additionally, I often carry the camera set-up with lens and hood in a holster case. The smaller round hood allows me to do this while the larger OEM hood would prevent it. I cover the hood with an Optech Hood Hat http://optechusa.com/hood-hat.html