Lens Hood Recommendations?

Just an idea, I made a lens hood from instructions on my Pentax forum. Used a black colored foam sheet found in the craft section at Walmart or Target. I think I hot glued it on the seam. It doesn't wear out like paper and collapses in the camera bag, saving space.

That's a great idea, Suzanne! I'll give that some thought! Thanks!

I've not used them, but these guys have a whole collection that are free to print. I've no idea how I lose lens hoods, but I know I'm missing at least one, perhaps I should try it myself.

EDIT not sure how I forgot to include the link http://www.lenshoods.co.uk/

Lens hoods are typically specifically designed and there is a right way and a wrong way to put them onto your lens. After market brands are fine if they meet the requirements of that lens. I see people all the time with them on wrong. Thats all I got on the subject.

I use the ones that are specifically made for each lens I use. Sometimes I buy an aftermarket brand, but it's always the same size and shape as the one the lens manufacturer produces for use on that lens.

is it better to use a "petal" shape or "round"?

"is it better to use a "petal" shape or "round"?"

Petal: zoom lenses
Round: prime lenses

Thanks Colin

i'm using the one that came with the lens, each one is different. mine is a tulip, if it's wide, those corners may show.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Petal (and short) wide-angle, round (and longer) for normal to telephoto. It's about the angle that the lens can "see", you don't want it to include the lens shade in the image. For short lenses or wide zooms the exact length and degree of cut-away at the corners is very important to avoid vignetting. With lenses of 100mm or more the design doesn't matter much.
BTW, there is nothing more infuriating than using your widest lens to compose a shot and then finding that the corners are dark and you have to crop 10%+ off each edge, turning the field of view of a 35mm lens into what you would get with a 50mm one.

Paul
Its also very infuriating for me when I have the wide angle on and I unexpectedly need fill from flash and forget which lens or lens hood causes shadows! I have to put tape on the lens covers and hoods to remind me "no onboard flash" or mark the hood for the correct lens, etc. I've messed up a lot of potentially great shots (all my shots are potentially great, but none have ever reached full potential expected). So get the correct sized hood and make sure the bill is on top if its a wide angle. Another thing to remember is if your wide angle comes with a hood do not use a filter or skylight (if it even fits on your wide angle) as that will extend the hood out far enough to vignette your image.

I meant to say if you use a filter fit hood - they suck

I have an old unbranded rubber one that you can fold over two or three times depending on lens - starting to perish now though, so if you hear of one tell me!

I think they are more psychological than anything. I have forgotten to take mine and didn't notice any difference whatsover. I use them to protect the lens instead of using a cheap uv filter.

I have round one one that came with my 55-200 Nikkor, and at certain focal lengths it will cause slight vignetting in the corners.