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  #1  
Old 6th February 2016, 04:09 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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Default Lens hoods (shades) for 4x5

I haven't been using any kind of hood or shade so far, but I wondered what other people use. Are screw-in rubber or plastic hoods of any use? I have an incomplete Horseman bellows hood that I'm hoping to restore. The mounting block and rods are missing. I've bought some suitable rod, but am still considering how to make the block. I normally use hoods on 35mm and 120 lenses, but so far I'm not sure if I need them for 4x5.
Alex
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Old 6th February 2016, 05:02 PM
JOReynolds JOReynolds is offline
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Originally Posted by alexmuir View Post
Are screw-in rubber or plastic hoods of any use? ... I have an incomplete Horseman bellows hood that I'm hoping to restore.
You need lens hoods for LF for just the same reasons as 35mm and MF. LF lenses are often older and have earlier anti-reflection coating, or none at all. This forum has often described images captured with uncoated optics as having a certain 'look'. It's immediately obvious when looking through old binoculars.
If they don't cast a shadow in the corners of your images (vignetting), conical lens hoods are very convenient if you can find one that fits your lens. The bellows hood you describe is ideal because it can be adjusted to suit the angle of view of the lens. It's worth paying attention to the engineering - a gust of wind once dislodged my bellows hood and the shutter got wet - disaster!
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Old 6th February 2016, 05:23 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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Thanks Jonathan. I can see potential problems in a strong wind! The lenses I have at present have 49 or 77mm filter threads. I will try some of the universal rubber hoods to see if they work without vignetting.
Alex
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Old 7th February 2016, 12:29 AM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Interesting point about hoods for 4x5. You never see them in any films or TV programmes that use 4x5 press cameras. Is this just film and TV producers laziness or ignorance about the need for and use of hoods when press photogs used 4x5 cameras?

Maybe press photographers in their day didn't bother either due to the very poor reproduction of photos in newspapers of the time.

Just curious

Mike
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Old 7th February 2016, 02:01 AM
paulc paulc is offline
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Originally Posted by alexmuir View Post
I haven't been using any kind of hood or shade so far, but I wondered what other people use.
I usually use the darkslide once pulled to shade the lens. Seems to work for me and save carrying around yet more "stuff".
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Old 7th February 2016, 02:01 AM
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Maris Maris is offline
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I have bellows (aka compendium) lens hoods for all my medium format and large format cameras but they get used only in the studio.

For field use I reckon the darn things are too bulky and fragile and, yes, they do increase wind-impact camera movement. Instead of a lens hood I use a hat, hand, or darkslide, to keep flare inducing sunlight off the front element of the lens. This works really well and I have several negatives featuring hats, hands, and darkslides to prove it.
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Old 7th February 2016, 05:34 AM
RichardWarom RichardWarom is offline
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I use a collapsable rubber hood with a 58mm thread and step up rings if required the hood has 3 position and I normally use it in the second position. I do have a Toyo bellows type hood that I could quite easily fit to my Shen Hao but I would have to make a small plate and screw in the top of the front standard and I don't want to do that and I think Jo is right it would be bad if it was windy.
Richard
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Old 7th February 2016, 09:27 AM
JOReynolds JOReynolds is offline
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Originally Posted by RichardWarom View Post
I use a collapsable rubber hood ... 3 position and I normally use it in the second position.
It hadn't occurred to me that collapsible rubber hoods could be used partly-deployed for wider angles. Good idea.
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Old 7th February 2016, 09:37 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
Interesting point about hoods for 4x5. You never see them in any films or TV programmes that use 4x5 press cameras. Is this just film and TV producers laziness or ignorance about the need for and use of hoods when press photogs used 4x5 cameras?

Maybe press photographers in their day didn't bother either due to the very poor reproduction of photos in newspapers of the time.

Just curious

Mike
Surprisingly most people rarely use lens hoods for LF work except with un-coated lenses. I have a bellows type lens hood that came with my Agfa Ansco 10x8 camera and if needed I use that with my Dagor (which is coated).

I use a Pentax lens hood for a 28mm lens on my 150mm Sironar and it's shape means no vignetting with movements.

However in practice I very rarely use a lens hood as I've found all my LF coated and MC lenses remarkably flare free. I've used a 1950's CZJ 150mm T (coated) Tessar in conditions where the flare on my Canons zoom made it unusable and the LF lens was fine, I was shooting into the sun. (A lens hood would have made no difference).

With my LF wide angle lenses a lens hood would be impractical, that doesn't mean I take no precautions. When working on a tripod it's easy to shield a lens from direct sunlight etc either with your own body, a dark cloth, or a piece of card, or a dark-slide.

Ian
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Old 7th February 2016, 03:20 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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Thanks for all the replies. I have a couple of the 3 position Hoya rubber hoods and also an OM 28mm rigid hood that sounds like Ian's Pentax version. I also have the 150mm Sironar and the OM hood is the same thread size. I will give it a try. I think it helps to have something to protect your elements from the elements (and fingers, bumps etc). I will fix the bellows hood to try it out, although I need to spend some time designing a suitable mounting block.
Alex
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