Why do I need a lens hood and when to use it?

Everyone knows that in the work of the photographer, the main thing is light. After all, even the very word "photograph" in Greek means "light". Therefore, it is extremely important that the amount of light that hits the lens is optimal. As a rule, studio lighting and the most sensitive lenses are used for this. But what if there is too much light or does it come at a right angle to the lens, creating unnecessary glare? Do not now carry out shooting in the semi-darkness, completely turned away from the sun. That's what the blend is for! This is a round plastic part that winds on the lens.

The lens hood is used, as a rule, when shooting against the sun or other light source. This helps to increase the contrast and color of the resulting images by blocking the light rays that can get to the matrix, and also to avoid vignetting (darkening or brightening the edges of the image). Thanks to this, the quality of the received photos increases. Lens hoods also prevent the appearance of sun spots and glare on the images. Protection against the entry of light rays onto the matrix is the main one from the list of reasons why a lens hood is needed.

Also, many photographers use light filters: polarizing, ultraviolet, neutral gray, and others. Minor scratches and damage are noticeable in sunlight. They are pretty easy to hide-that's why you need a lens hood. It prevents the direct rays of light from reflecting from the damaged areas, so they can not affect the image quality. Of course, if we are not talking about cracks in half the filter.

By the way about the damage. The hood also protects your optics from them. No one is immune to accidents (and from the banal touch of the fingers to the lens, giving a fat print), so the lens hood can save you and your lens more than once.

And, of course, nothing can replace a blend when shooting in rainy or snowy weather! You can not even explain that drops of water running down the lens will not lead to anything good. Therefore, to carry a blend in case of bad weather is not necessary, but it does not hurt.

It is also worth noting that the blends for different lenses differ in form. They can be conical, petal or cylindrical. It is best to consult a seller or a professional photographer about what lens hood will suit your shooting and lens objectives. It is important to take this carefully, because the incorrectly selected lens hood will not only not perform its functions, but it will also bring a lot of unnecessary inconvenience to the photographer.

So, we figured out what the lens hood is for. In practice, it is used in studio photography, when oblique rays of light fall on the lens, when photographing against light, sea and snow landscapes (because snow and water reflect the rays), in bad weather, sunsets and just to protect the optics. If these kinds of filming are not in your circle of interests, you will not lose anything, refusing to purchase a blend. And if you regularly work in these genres and are looking for a way to improve the quality of images - well, now you know a great way!