HN-14 hood for 20mm f4 any other options?

[Peter]

Just scored a clean 20mm f4 Ai and am looking for the HN-14 hood but none to be found apparently scarcer than the lens.
Any other options that will work?
Pete

[richardHaw]

they seem to be pretty abundant here, I just saw some in the local auctions

[tommiejeep]

Peter, Roland's sites give some alternatives however, I could not find the HN-14, HK-3 or HK-6 on eBay UK.   If I were still living in London I would ask Gray's to find me one.

Richard, there are many things available where you live.  I normally will buy from Europe/UK.    Most things coming from Japan come up against something weird with Indian Customs and Excise.
I have one guy that uses Camera Finder but the stuff is never sent from Japan and often an arrangement is made where the guy has I sent to another country.  Often some very good prices on used gear from Japan.  Also I am told , by dealers, that some Couriers/Post will not send used gear to India.   The last new lens I bought took four months to clear Customs.
Tom
Edit: Peter there is an HK-6 in Germany

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nikon-Sonnenblende-HK-6-fur-Ai-3-5-20-/292011686052?hash=item43fd40b8a4:g:P9kAAOSwLEtYi06t
I did not try eBay US since my daughter has no plans to head this direction (she was just in London).  I do use US sources when my daughter is coming to visit..B&H gets some business 

[Akira]

A dedicated hood is surely desirable for such a wide lens, but the hoods for MF Nikkors are in general very shallow.  I guess that a 52mm filter sans the glass would be as effective?  You can use the same 52mm lens cap, which should be rather advantageous.

[John Geerts]

The HN-1 should be available every where.  But agree with Akira a filter can be as effective. And the 20mm f/4 AI should be flare-resistant...

[Peter]

The HN-1 should be available every where.  But agree with Akira a filter can be as effective. And the 20mm f/4 AI should be flare-resistant...

That's what I was reading that the hood dose nothing much as it is so flat.
I will keep looking.
Haven't played with it yet need to find those hyper focal positions too.
Thanks.
Pete

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The  best, if rather unorthodox, solution I found so far is the HK-3. It doubles as an enlarged focusing collar to make focusing easier as well.

The HN-14 is just ridiculously large and ineffective. Its main impact is drawing undue attention to the lens.  The HN-1 is better and less conspicuous, but not very efficient either. Plus even with a slim filter on the lens, it will vignette.  One could say similar for the HK-3 if shielding from side light was the only concern, but in this case there is no vignetting from filters due to the manner in which the hood is seated.

By the way, HK-6 will not fit unless one always uses a filter, and even then, is easily lost.

Thus basically one can forego any hood and rely on the old hand technique instead. However, the front element of the 20/4 despite rather small, is not well protected and without a lens hood can easily be scratched in the field. Enter the HK-3 to the rescue.

[David H. Hartman]

Does anyone have specs on the HN-14 hood?

For example the HN-1 has 52mm threads, the width inside the front edge is 70.3mm and the depth from the front edge of the hood to the leading edge of the lens is 12.3mm. The Nikon HN-1 lens hood is available new. According to Rolland's site it may cause slight vignetting if a filter is used so if a filter is not used it's probably OK.

There is also a Vello knockoff of the HN-1 at B&H Photo. One can sand down the leading edge of a lens hood on wet/dry sandpaper. You'd start with a maybe #80 and finish with perhaps #600. The you take the sharp edge off and spray flat black VHT motorcycle case paint on a flat surface, touch the hood with the sanded edge down and let it dry. I've used VHT case paint on negative carriers and it stands up well fairly heavy use. As I recall I wiped the aluminum with acetone, let it dry and spray painted the negative carriers. It needs no primer. I beveled a number of negative carriers so I could print the complete negative if I needed to.

Again if anyone has specs on the HN-14 I'd appreciate getting them. I also am lacking specs for the HK-3.

Dave Hartman

This link may be useful if it works...

http://web.archive.org/web/20130131140144/http://web.archive.org/web/20061101221934/http://www.nikonlinks.com/Third-Party/Lens-Hoods_Rick-Housh.htm

[Akira]

This Japanese guy tried HN-14 on 20/4.0, but it caused vignetting (focused at infinity).  He filed a couple of millimeters off, but I still see a slight vignetting (again, focused at infinity):

http://d773.blog6.fc2.com/blog-entry-18.html

His camera is D700.

[F2F3F6]

Hello Peter,

With my 3,5/20 Ai,  a HN1 hood (second hand for 15€) works well without filter (like Bjorn R. and John Geerts said), but it acts more like a mechanical protection for the front of the lens than a real flare protection. But again, the 3,5/20 and 4/20 are rather flare resistant too !

[Roland Vink]

This Japanese guy tried HN-14 on 20/4.0, but it caused vignetting (focused at infinity).  He filed a couple of millimeters off, but I still see a slight vignetting (again, focused at infinity):

http://d773.blog6.fc2.com/blog-entry-18.html

His camera is D700.

You mean he tried HN-1 !! The HN-14 should fit since it is the dedicated hood for the 20/4.

I have used the HN-1 with my AI 20/3.5, I am surprised it vignettes with the AI 20/4 since both have similar dimensions. I think either hood fitted over a filter will surely cause vignetting though.

I'm not sure why I list the HK-6 as an alternative for the 20/4, it is designed to fit over the upper barrel of the Ai 20/3.5, but the 20/4 has a very short upper barrel, nothing to clamp onto, unless a filter is attached, in which case there is a risk of vignetting??

Does anyone have dimensions of the HN-14? I'm building a list of specifications - depth (when fitted so not including filter threads), inner and outer diameter.

As others have mentioned, the 20/4 is fairly resistant to flare. If mechanical protection is required, adding an empty filter ring will do the same job, and allow the lens cap to fit.

[David H. Hartman]

By the way, HK-6 will not fit unless one always uses a filter, and even then, is easily lost.

One can "lick it and stick it" and the HK-6 will stay put. I use one on my 20/3.5 AI but I don't like it. I want to get a replacement. The HK-6 would be low on my list of solutions for reasons listed above.

Dave Hartman

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The HK-6 is OK on the small 20/3.5 I suppose, but we are talking about the 20/4 and that is a different kettle of fish. The shape of the front won't allow the hood to clamp on tightly. I lost already one HK-6 in the field and won't try again.

[David H. Hartman]

I don't like the slip on hoods on any lens even when there is a sufficient lip on the lens or a filter. The locking screw is fragile and it's also off great interest to a cockatoo.

For me the most important reason to use a hood on a  25mm and wider lens is protection from impact. Keeping stray light out of the lens is important but with wide angle lenses a hand is generally more useful. I've had a hood save the filter threads, front element and helicoid. The hood had to be cut off the lens with care.

Dave

[Akira]

You mean he tried HN-1 !! The HN-14 should fit since it is the dedicated hood for the 20/4.

My bad!  You are right.  I have to relearn my Japanese.   

Sorry for the confusion!