Hoods in SL lenses

[phovsho]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

The hoods on SL lenses are pretty big. I use it on my 24-90 as much because I've assumed it's good practise, and it offers another level of protection. I also use a filter, again for protecting the front element.

 

However, in dfarkas's review of the 50 SL he mentions that he doesn't use 'em. What do others do? Any evidence the hoods make a difference? Any bad experiences (damage) walking around with the lens absent it's hood?

 

Murray

[LocalHero1953]

I use hoods because I don't use UV filters or lens caps i.e. I use them for protection. They give me confidence I won't cause damage.,They are are bulky, but they're light, so they don't worry me.

If they reduce flare that's a bonus.

Edited March 19, 2017 by LocalHero1953

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Bill W]

I have always used the provided lens hood. Leica provides them to be used and why not. I also use a filter for protection but that is just me.

[RoySmith]

I fell today on shear ice, both feet slid foreword and I landed on my back. The SL with the Summilux-SL 50mm was at my side. The hood hit the ice first. The hood broke into 3 pieces but the lens and camera were not damaged. The lens functions perfectly, including the AF. I'm glad I had the hood on the camera, it protected the lens.

Does anyone know where I can get a new hood ?

Roy

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[phovsho]

I fell today on shear ice, both feet slid foreword and I landed on my back. The SL with the Summilux-SL 50mm was at my side. The hood hit the ice first. The hood broke into 3 pieces but the lens and camera were not damaged. The lens functions perfectly, including the AF. I'm glad I had the hood on the camera, it protected the lens.

Does anyone know where I can get a new hood ?

Roy

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

 

Well that's about enough evidence to satisfy my curiosity.  Glad you and the camera are ok.  

 

Regarding the hood - I have no idea if the SL-50's hood is the same as the 24-90, but they are available.  https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1192100-REG/leica_12301_lens_hood_for_vario_elmarit_sl.html

 

If that's not the right hood then I'm sure your dealer can connect you with the right folks at Leica.  

 

Best

 

M

[GRBrown]

Plus one for always using a lens hood. My shoe caught on an uneven sidewalk edge. I pitched forward, landing chest first atop the SL, 24-90, and lens hood, all of which kept me from hitting my head on the sidewalk. The lens hood has a dent and some scuff marks. Camera and lens still work perfectly.

 

I've used lens hoods from the day I bought my first M3 and a 35mm Summicron.

[thighslapper]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

never used hoods and probably never will ...... particularly as most Leica lenses are fairly flare free ...... and a hand to shield the offending light source works just as well. 

 

not convinced about the very occasional 'protection' story either ...... if I was that worried I'd fix a bumper and bull-bars.

 

If anything the added length and bulk is just a magnet for catching and bumping into things. 

Edited March 19, 2017 by thighslapper

[ramarren]

I use the hoods provided for my lenses most of the time. They help me from accidentally sticking my fingers on the front of the lens.

Yeah, they're bulky and a pain. I can live with that. 

[CiraCrowell]

Really miss the old telescoping hoods - always there when you need them and out of the way when you don't.  Current SL hoods are fine mounted but too big to carry loose when bag size is limited.  I use B+W UV filters and have broken 3-4 so far - always a good story!  I carry a spare UV filter, it's easier to pack than hoods, plus SL lenses have same 82mm filter threads.

[Joshua Lowe]

I use them as cheap protection against accidental bumps.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

​Glad tou're OK Roy. The 24-90 hood is diferent. The 50mm hood is exactly the same as the S70mm. They have different part numbers but are identical and interchangeable.

 

Gordon

[RoySmith]

​Glad tou're OK Roy. The 24-90 hood is diferent. The 50mm hood is exactly the same as the S70mm. They have different part numbers but are identical and interchangeable.

 

Gordon

 

Thanks for the info Gordon - I'll look into it.

[SrMi]

Use the hoods all the time. They protected my lenses in countless times from being damaged (I do not use clear filters as protection) and also from being smudged by accidentally touching the front. Also great to protect against water drops in light drizzle. Photographing without hood feels almost as driving without a seat belt :-). Leica SL with 24-90mm does not take much space in the backpack if it can be placed in portrait orientation.

 

IMO, the main disadvantage is that the camera looks much bigger with the hood on.

[caissa]

Usually I try to avoid hoods, as they are ugly, big and often not too useful.

One exception: The SL 50 feels better with hood, it is slightly better balanced.

I often think of the good old times, when the R lenses had their built-in hoods - extendable if needed.

When I look at the new SL lenses, I have the impression that there was more than enough room for an integrated extendable hood. The front lens diameter is often much smaller than the 88mm of the lens body, so I find it lazy that Leica did not make the effort and integrated a (metal) hood of small size.

Or imagine the 24-90 had a built-in hood that moves according to the selected focal length. A luxury that was incorporated into some of the old R zooms.

 

Be careful not to break a hood, they are incredibly expensive if you need to replace them (by an original item). So a filter is often cheaper than this plastic part. Or use a third party hood (for example a collapsable one). And keep the original in a safe place.

 

P.S. yes the hoods were movable, but if you take it very seriously, then the front lens element was moving (back and forwards) when the focal length changed and the hood stayed in place. (e.g. R 4/35-70 Macro)

But the effect was the same.

And for those who take it even more seriously, yes, this hood was not collapsable, but only screw-in.

The old R 250 (V2) and R 350 had a very nice built-in hood or almost all 180s, 135 and 90s.

Edited April 1, 2017 by caissa

[FlashGordonPhotography]

I've only had one R lens with an inbuilt hood, the zoom and it didn't twist lock into place which made it useless as protection. The M ones do but if damaged they're an expensive lens repair and you can't just buy a replacement and attach it yourself. So I prefer clip on hoods. I'm often in environments where lenses get bumped around so no hood isn't an option for me.

 

The SL50 hood fits my S70 and S120 lenses as well so I just carry one for shared use on whatever lens is on camera. The 90-280 hood is neat. The 24-90 hood is a pain and almost useless except as a bit of impact protection. I do wonder why no one kept up the sensational design of the original Canon 24-70L where the zoom was longer at the wide setting so an optimised hood could be used. Even Canon dropped it.

 

Ironically when I need hoods for their intended use, I don't carry them. For landscapes where I want protection from flare I carry a single Lee flexible hood. so I can use my Lee filters. It can be extended or not to provide perfect coverage from flare and means I only need a filter ring and press cap on each lens.

 

Gordon

[ramarren]

I've only had one R lens with an inbuilt hood, the zoom and it didn't twist lock into place which made it useless as protection. The M ones do but if damaged they're an expensive lens repair and you can't just buy a replacement and attach it yourself. So I prefer clip on hoods. I'm often in environments where lenses get bumped around so no hood isn't an option for me.

 

The SL50 hood fits my S70 and S120 lenses as well so I just carry one for shared use on whatever lens is on camera. The 90-280 hood is neat. The 24-90 hood is a pain and almost useless except as a bit of impact protection. I do wonder why no one kept up the sensational design of the original Canon 24-70L where the zoom was longer at the wide setting so an optimised hood could be used. Even Canon dropped it.

 

Ironically when I need hoods for their intended use, I don't carry them. For landscapes where I want protection from flare I carry a single Lee flexible hood. so I can use my Lee filters. It can be extended or not to provide perfect coverage from flare and means I only need a filter ring and press cap on each lens.

 

 

Hmm. I owned that lens and disliked almost everything about it, although it was a good performer. It was ridiculously bulky and heavy, and the hood didn't help.  That 'backwards zoom' design was unergonomic and threw the balance of the camera off all the time, for me at least. I sold it in favor of a 28, 50, and 100 mm lens set. 

[Irakly Shanidze]

I am risking to be selected a captain obvious of the day, but... The primary purpose of a lens hood is protection from stray light. Physical protection is just a nice side effect. With lenses prone to flare, and 24-90 is one of them, the hood is essential. Unfortunately, the structural integrity of the 24-90 hood is not something to brag about. Mine broke in a camera bag into three pieces (two plastic halves and a metal ring). For now I bought a Chinese rectangular hood for video cameras, and it seems to be much stronger.

[fsprow]

When getting a new lens, I check carefully for flair in realistic situations.  If not a significant problem, or one that can be easily addressed by holding a hand on the affected side of the lens, the hood stays at home.   If it is a problem (pretty rare with Leica lenses) the hood stays on.

 

BTW, I do not care for UV or other "protection" filters either.  Only use them if doing a shoot near blowing water and then I use two, interchanging and cleaning the removed one when the filter has water drops on it.

[amoebahydra]

These hoods for SL are too fragtile, I already broke the hood for SL50/1.4 and SL90-280/2.8-4 .................. and it took long time for replacing them.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[johnbuckley]

I like the way the 24-90 handles lens flare -- without the hood. Using the SL with that magical lens enables one to shoot even right into the sun, and the pictures -- including winter images with the sun low in the sky, and summer images with it high - to my eye look great.

 

I don't use the hoods with the three native SL lenses because the lenses already are large bordering on unwieldy. I do use the hoods that come with M lenses, because they are small.

 

Having said that, I fell a few weeks ago hiking on Kauai. It was a close call, as the SL and 24-90 hit the ground, hard. (I hit harder.) A little dirt on cameras lens but no damage. But hmm. Maybe I should have had the lens hood on...