Reversed lens shade

[Mongo]

Mongo agrees that they get in the way when left reversed and best removed altogether or fitted correctly rather than left on reversed. Mongo thinks its mostly laziness OR on the odd occasion, if it is only for a very quick few frames with the light squarely over your back (no great immediate need).

[jhinkey]

I keep seeing people with their lens shade reversed while shooting. Anybody knows why on earth do they do that? For me is just uncomfortable and of no use but there are so many going on out there that I may be missing the point...

 

(a) They don't know how to use one, but they have it installed anyways because it came with the lens
(b) They do know how to use one, but forgot to switch it around
(c) They do know how to use one, but don't have time to switch it around
(d) They do know how to use one, but know enough when to and not to use one (that's me)

Just because you CAN use a lens hood doesn't mean you NEED to use it in all situations.  Many situations it will make no discernible difference, but in many situations it will make a big difference, but you just can't tell before you take the shot

For me, most modern lens hoods are just plain poorly implemented, that's one of the (minor) reasons I don't have much modern glass.  I prefer screw-in reversible hoods, like on my 75/2.5 Summarit-M as well as the classic Nikkor built-in slide-out hoods or on my Leica Telyts - out of the way during storage and easily implemented when needed.

[MFloyd]

The newer lens shades are made in (expensive) CF, the weight at the end is a real pain, inducing a lot of cantilever; moreover, lens shades provide good protection for the expensive front lens of this 400mm f/2.8 for example:

[David H. Hartman]

I've never liked reversing a hood a seldom do it. I have no choice with my AF-S 105/2.8G ED Micro as it's a honker. With my older lenses such as my 105/2.5 AIS, 105/2.8 AIS Micro, 135/2.8 AIS, etc. I put an HS-8 or HS-14 on and leave it. I use an HN-3 on many lenses like my 50/1.8 AI, AF 50/1.8 and AF 28-70/3.5-4.5D. I'm partial to hoods that accept the Tupperware #G cap.

The only front element of a Nikkor lens that I've damaged had neither a hood nor a filter, that since 1970.

Dave

[David H. Hartman]

One of the difficulty of using current AF-S lenses are that MF cannot be disabled.  The focus mode switch has only M and A/M position.  So, any slight touch of the focus ring causes focusing error.  Their wide and comfortable-to-operate focus ring worsen the situation.  This is common problem of standard and wide prime lenses of f1.8 and 1.4.

I noticed this several times with my AF-S 20/1.8G ED. I need new reflexes to deal with this problem. A thinner focus ring would help. With AI and AIS Nikkors one could grasp both the focus ring and the chrome ring and lock the focus. Also these new lens don't offer any thing like the chrome ring for removing and installing a lens.

Dave

[Akira]

I noticed this several times with my AF-S 20/1.8G ED. I need new reflexes to deal with this problem. A thinner focus ring would help. With AI and AIS Nikkors one could grasp both the focus ring and the chrome ring and lock the focus. Also these new lens don't offer any thing like the chrome ring for removing and installing a lens.

Dave

Dave, when I used the new f1.8 lenses (35, 28 and 24mm), I wanted to use the hood (NOT reversed) for the shading and put my supporting fingers on the hood, so that they won't touch the focus rings.  I didn't find any difficulty in attaching/detaching the lens: you can just hold the front edge of the lens and rotate.

[pluton]

Dave, when I used the new f1.8 lenses (35, 28 and 24mm), I wanted to use the hood (NOT reversed) for the shading and put my supporting fingers on the hood, so that they won't touch the focus rings.  I didn't find any difficulty in attaching/detaching the lens: you can just hold the front edge of the lens and rotate.

This, and when the lens needs to be additionally shaded by hand, the hood offers a platform on which to rest the thumb or hand, without goofing the focus ring... wherein the hand can become the 'french flag' out in front of the lens.

[Matthew Currie]

I keep an HN-3 on a couple of lenses, but genuine Nikon lens caps have always been designed to fit properly into the inside threads of a lens cap. Most others don't.  The old ones with side buttons are not convenient in an unreversed cap, but the current type are fine, and the HN-3 is nice and shallow.  No need for Tupperware on those.