generally, the need for a petal design lens hood occurs with wider angle lenses, which may be prime or may be zoom. With zoom lenses, the petals are notched (if necessary) to accommodate the widest angle of the zoom, so that it won't cause vignetting at the corners. I'll note that adding filters can be a problem, particularly my holders for graduated filters, but these aren't compatible with hoods, they're just another trouble by causing vignetting.
Generally, I really like using a lens hood, not only for flare. If your tripod ever falls over, it can act as a bumper to cushion your lens. Also, when doing macro work around hummingbird feeders, it can help keep nectar drips off of your lens, too. I usually use a 1a or UV haze filter to protect my lens also, and only rarely take the filter off if I'm shooting directly into a bright light source and want to cut down on flare as much as possible.
