A camera lens hood is a cylindrical piece of plastic, rubber, or metal which fixes over your lens to prevent light from shining straight into it. The hood may screw into the front of the lens or many hoods are attached to the lens and may slide out like a sleeve.

Initially when I first got my DSLR camera I had no idea what a lens hood was. I purchased my camera used from a friend. It came with two lenses. One of the lenses had a hood. I do not ever used the lens hood at first. Yes, I had a film SLR camera when I was younger and I should\’ve known what a camera lens hood was, but I never used one hood then either. Eventually I decided to use the hood to see if it made a variation and it did. Now I use my camera lens hood most of the time.

Hoods may come in numerous shapes and lengths. They are normally cylindrical, but they may also be square. The edge of the hood could be straight or flowered. Flowering of the edge should aid prevent vignetting when the hood is on properly. Hoods are made for each kind of lens. Be sure you use the hood which was designed to be used with your lens. If you use another hood you might get troubles, like vignetting.

Digital Photography Basic principles – Improve Your Photographs

Lens hoods reduce the shapes and streaks of color which bright light may cause in your photograph known as lens flare. But that\’s not the only thing a hood may do.

Using a lens can also help make the colors in your photos look richer. It helps stop you from getting blown-out pictures.

If you wish to use flare as a creative effect in your photograph you won\’t use a hood, certainly.

Digital Photography Principles – Save Your Lens

Since the hood sticks out from the front of the lens the way it does it can help protect your lens from damage. That\’s not the purpose of a hood, but it can work as added protection to prevent things coming in contact with the glass at the front of the lens.

It may also protect your lens from getting water or dust on the front element.

Digital Photography Fundamentals – Possible Issues with Lens Hoods

Sometimes hoods can cause difficulties with your pictures. If your hood is too large it might block your camera\’s built-in flash. If that\’s happening you will see that your picture is darker at the bottom.

Sometimes you might notice vignetting when you use a certain lens hood. This all depends on the lens your using and the size of the hood. Lenses with a wider field of view cannot use longer hoods. If you use a hood created for the specific lens your using, you would not have this problem.