Question a Day | Lens hood? Or not?

Q: I just bought a Nikon D3000 and opted for a few extra accessories: mostly filters from Polaroid (UV, Polarizer, Fluorescent as well as a set of Macro Filters), a larger & higher speed memory card as well as a remote. I’m looking at buying a lens hood and am wondering what the best option is and what are the noticeable differences between Bayonet, Tulip, Hard & Soft, etc. OR are there other accesories I should consider BEFOREa lens hood? I’m either thinking about an off camera flash or saving up for another lens.

— Esther, estherandcasey.blogspot.com

A: Congrats on your purchases! You’re definitely off to a well thought out start in terms of accessories. 

My super-fast and totally personal opinion answer: don’t bother with a lens hood, or just get the cheapie rubber collapsable one, saving money towards future investments in yes, an off-camera flash and/or another lens (or two! or three!)

Long answer would be…

Lens hoods are used for both an obvious reason and a not so obvious one: a) to block stray light from entering the field of view and b) to protect the lens from (reasonable) bangs and bumps. 

The differences between the various lens hoods and their shapes are all about how they filter and block light. You can leave them on all of the time, not just for high sun situations, and only need to truly mind the results of them in low light scenarios or if you’re using a camera’s built-in flash. A visit to your local camera store should help you pick the exact one that fits your creative needs, and they should let you test each one out by the window or door to see its effect, and if you like it. 

Here is my messy closet, from a little series I took yesterday for this blog. 

Manual | 1/125 @ f/3.5, ISO 800, Exposure Bracket +1

This photo, aside from telling you all this week I am cleaning out my closet, shows a few things. Additional details include:

1. Rubber lens hood was folded back: I usually have it this way. Personally, I find I don’t use my lens hood as often as I thought I might, which is why I’m pleased I only spent $12 on the soft one rather than more for the hard one. Why do I keep it attached? It’s like a rubber guard for protection when I set the camera down. 
2. Focal length of 17mm (wide angle effect): Since the focal length of the lens was all the way back to 17mm, a dark vignette feature shows up in the corners. Those dark edges are from the lens hood, and only show up when the lens is completely zoomed out. They’re easy enough to crop or digitally remove, if I don’t like them, so I never worry too much. But it’s something to consider. 
3. Linear polarizer filter used on lens: The polarizing lens filter was a worthy investment as it naturally punches up colour saturation and contrast. Further, it protects the glass of your lens; ie. it’s easier to replace a $100 filter than it is a $1,200 lens. 

Here’s one of Isla leaning on a toy with the light coming through the window at about a 45 degree angle. Focal length is 35mm (to show there are no dark corners) and the lens hood was not popped open. 

Manual | 1/125 @ f/3.5, ISO 800, Exposure Bracket +1

Here’s another one of Isla crawling away from the toy, now parallel with the window. Focal length is 35mm again, but the lens hood was popped open. You can see it’s a touch darker but not enough to cry over. The white of her onesie looks better, and the colours are more even. It goes to show it’s a personal choice as to what your desired results are!

Manual | 1/125 @ f/3.5, ISO 800, Exposure Bracket +1

Further, you can always create a quickie DIY ‘lens hood’ from a sheet of paper taped around the lens if you’re in a pinch. There are lots of ways to control the light (diffusers, reflectors, etc.) so just experiment, double check on return policies if you don’t like the results from the product, and most importantly…

Have fun!