I often see photographers misusing an important piece of gear, and it's one of the simplest tools in your bag. Many lenses come with a lens hood, and right now I'll show you why you have it and why you should be using it. What's It Do? The lens hood is intended to keep the sun from shining into the front of your lens, and ruining your pictures. Not that it'll keep the sun from shining in if you point it at the sun, but it keeps the sun from shining across the front of the lens and reducing contrast. These two pictures are taken straight … [Read more...] about The 411 on Lens Hoods
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Why Christmas is the perfect time to take that protective filter off!
We all have been in that situation at the camera store where the salesman asked us if we want to add a protective filter to protect the front element of the expensive lens that we have just bought. And the argument of the salesperson sounds plausible at first. The front element is exposed the most to the elements and most at risk to be damaged. But here are a few points from my experience that should have you think twice about buying and adding one to your lens: Do you really want to put an inferior piece of glass in front of you top grade … [Read more...] about Why Christmas is the perfect time to take that protective filter off!
The Lens Hood — Don’t Be Like This Guy
It's rare that I step up on my soap box about gear... after all to each their own. But this one is just a pet peeve as it causes so many potential problems. The lens hood doesn't point this way when the lens is out of your camera bag! Hoods are reversed when packing the lens into a lens pouch or for shipping. This makes it more compact. Turn the lens hood around to provide physical protection to the front of your lens. This can minimize damage from drops, bumps, or running into things. Mounting the lens hood forward also cuts down on … [Read more...] about The Lens Hood — Don’t Be Like This Guy
Want Better Photos or Video? Avoid Lens Flares
While the sun is generally incredibly useful to photographers, it can occasionally be annoying. If the sun hits your lens at an undesirable angle, you can end up with spots or flares that ruin a shot. Flares generally take on a geometric shape, and may be easy to miss while shooting. Additionally, a flare can significantly reduce the amount of contrast and saturation in your image. The flare is typically caused by a very bright light sources (in most cases the sun). Flares are far more common in zoom lenses as they have multiple surfaces … [Read more...] about Want Better Photos or Video? Avoid Lens Flares
Four Reasons to Always Use a Lenshood
And an exception... I believe that you should generally always use a lens hood on your camera. 1. It helps prevent the lens flare you can see. We all know that starburst effect you get when the sun is in the picture - that's called lens flare. It's usually (but not always) a bad thing. 2. It helps prevent the lens flare you cannot see. There's a more prevalent type of lens flare you often don't notice with your naked eye. It causes pictures to loose contrast due to light refraction. 3. It protects the lens from damage. I don't believe in … [Read more...] about Four Reasons to Always Use a Lenshood
