What is a lens hood for and when to use it?
What is a lens hood for and when to use it?
Anonim

Everyone knows that the main thing in the work of a photographer is light. After all, even the word "photography" in Greek means "light painting". Therefore, it is extremely important that the amount of light entering the lens is optimal. As a rule, studio lighting and the most sensitive lenses are used for this. But what if there is too much light or it hits the lens almost at a right angle, creating unnecessary glare? Do not shoot now in semi-darkness, completely turning away from the sun. That's what a hood is for! This is a round plastic piece that is screwed onto the lens.

what is the hood for
what is the hood for
lens hoods
lens hoods
lens hood
lens hood

A lens hood is usually used when shooting against the sun or other light source. This helps to improve the contrast and color of the resulting images by blocking the light rays that can hit the sensor, as well as avoiding vignetting (darkening or brightening the edges of the image). Therebythe quality of the resulting photographs increases. Lens hoods also prevent sunspots and flare from appearing in images. Protection from light rays hitting the matrix is the main reason why a lens hood is needed.

Also, many photographers use filters: polarizing, ultraviolet, neutral gray and others. The smallest scratches and damage become visible in the sun. They are pretty easy to hide - that's what a hood is for. It prevents direct light rays from reflecting off damaged areas, so they cannot affect image quality. Of course, if we are not talking about cracks in half of the filter.

Speaking of damage. The lens hood also protects your optics from them. No one is safe from accidents (and from the banal touch of fingers on the lens, which gives a greasy print), so the lens hood can save you and your lens more than once.

And, of course, nothing can replace the lens hood when shooting in rainy or snowy weather! You can not even explain that drops of water flowing down the lens will not lead to anything good. Therefore, having a hood with you in case of bad weather is not that necessary, but it does not hurt.

It is also worth noting that lens hoods for different lenses differ from each other in shape. They can be cone-shaped, petal or cylindrical. It is best to consult with the retailer or a professional photographer about which lens hood is right for your shooting purpose and lens. It is important to take this carefully, because an incorrectly chosen lens hood will not only not fulfill itsfunctions, but will also bring a lot of unnecessary inconvenience to the photographer. So, we found out what a lens hood is for. In practice, it is used in studio shooting, when oblique light rays hit the lens, when photographing against the light, sea and snow landscapes (since snow and water strongly reflect the rays), in bad weather, sunsets and just to protect optics. If these types of shooting are not in your circle of interests, you will not lose anything by refusing to purchase a lens hood. And if you regularly work in these genres and are looking for a way to improve the quality of images - well, now you know a great way!

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