Leica 50 mm Summicron SL lens hood issue

[deekay]

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I find it absurdly difficult to attach this hood in the reverse (storage) position. Not what I'd expect... Is this just me?

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[LeicaR10]

Deekay,  Its actually quite easy to attach the hood in reverse position.  Maybe if using heavy gloves it might be awkward, but normally, its really straight forward and might take a little practice to get the hang of it.  Personally, I simply flip the hood (when I use one), slide it over the lens, then gently rock the hood back and forth to line up the inner ridges and then click into place.  BTW, all the SL APO lenses are really excellent for flare mitigation and don't need the hood.  I only take the hood to the field when I am out in the desert shooting in mid-day (rarely) with a strong backlite scene...again (rarely).  You might keep the lens hood at home or in your bag and try shooting without it. You might be surprised that you don't need it to create masterpiece photographs.   r/ Mark

Edited May 20, 2024 by LeicaR10

[deekay]

😀 I will give this method a try and report back.

[deekay]

Just not as smooth as I think it should be.

[kkcsm]

I’m guessing if it was triple the weight it would be perfect.  I have the apo 50 cron, the 24-90 (also the 90-280 but it’s in a different state and I can’t compare).   They’re all a bit fiddly.  In fact I can’t remember a lens hood from any manufacturer that fit like glass… (all of them would fit an appropriate size filter like glass).  Perhaps the desire for minimal weight is the issue?

[Stuart Richardson]

There might be some debris in the bayonet track on the inside of the hood. The tolerance is pretty tight, and it seems to be a bit tighter when the hood is reversed. The plastic part of my hood detached from the metal part (cleanly) after a few years of use. Rather than send it back to Leica which would take months to fix and cost me a significant sum in shipping, I just glued it back on. The first time I used barely any glue and it came off again quickly. The next time I used a bit more and there was a very slight amount of glue that spilled over into the track. The hood was then very tight. I basically slowly removed it with a blade until the hood fit smoothly again. It is a very basic friction fit, so if there is any dirt or grime there, it is going to make it tighter. If there isn't, you can either ask Leica to fix it, or keep mounting it and unmounting it for awhile, and it should loosen up. If you really want to live dangerously, you could take a very fine sandpaper and very carefully abrade the areas that are sticking (look carefully, there is a channel that the metal parts of the lens sit in, and a small plastic bump that holds it in place and gives it the "click" feel. If you do choose to do that (and I don't recommend it), then make sure you clean it with some alcohol or water before you try to mount it again, as any residual abrasive might scratch the metal on the lens.

[deekay]

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Thanks for this Stuart. It's a new lens so maybe it will loosen. I'm used to Sony lenses where there is less friction and more obvious beginning and ending detents.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

I picked up my SL50 Summicron (non APO) yesterday and the hood fits easily, including reversed. It's a positive click but no impeded in any way.

Gordon

[Ken Abrahams]

My 50 Sumicron Asph lens hood is always a bit fiddly when reversing onto the lens. After a year of use it seems to go on okay but only if I focus on the task. I like the construction of the hood it feels different to any other SL lend hood. 

[epand56]

No problem here.