Now we all know that shooting into harsh light of justabout any type is hardly ever a good idea but, doing landscapes, you want to shoot across the light for that lovely shadow detail. Also, the best results with polarizers are to be had when shooting at square angles to the sun. The problems start when light hits the front element.
Now this is a really exaggerated example, sure, but seeing it displayed this way will hopefully let you think twice about light hitting the front of the lens.
The longer the lens barrel, the smaller the chances of rogue light wreaking havoc with your images but you can never be too careful, can you?
While the good people who design and build our little toys for us do everything in their powers to make the insides of the lens as dull and non-reflective as possible, there could be anything from 5 or 6 to 15 or more pieces of optical glass inside that lens barrel. Every single one of them will reflect some light, refract (or bend) some light and let some light pass through.
The problems occur mostly with the reflected light. That makes things appear that you did not count on...things that look like this...
This is why you need a hood (and lots of time and patience if you want to combine it with a polarizer).
Unless, of course you specifically want those for effect...
They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes for all lenses but essentially there are petal shaped hoods and cylindrical or conical hoods. You DIY guys out there will find several sites where you can get templates and make your own hoods. Go on then...Google it! Me, I'll buy them, thank you very much... but hey, hats off to the one who wants to do it.
Another alternative will be some of the Hong Kong based sellers on E-bay who do sell them at a fraction of the cost of the "real deal"...oh come on, it is a piece of plastic that should do two things...OK maybe three things...stay in place, stay out of your image and keep light off the front element.
Like so
How worthwhile could it be to pay five to ten times the price for the same plastic, only branded? As long as it works, right? You could also buy Nikon and mostly get the hood included standard with the lens unlike Canon where hoods are only included with the top L glass...Oops, that slipped out.
Oh, and one nice thing is that they can also mount in reverse so they take up no extra space in your kit bag.
Go on then, make one, buy one...but, whatever you do, use one!
Until next time!
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