Lens hoods are a pain especially when you need to through on special filters or several at a time when light is quickly changing like at sunset. Getting the hood off quickly and then threading the filters on can never be done quick enough. The little Hs-9 hood for the 50mm 1.8D is quite nice. It has the lever button so it pops in place quickly so I like it a lot. I have it in medal and plastic.

sevencrossing said:
the lens changer makes camera bags redundant

If you like having a bunch of lens pouches that scream... "hey I'm a photographer with a bunch of expensive stuff around my hip!" I use the bags I use because they don't scream, "I'm a photographer!"

On the topic of hoods and their size. I like using lens hoods, but they can be a pain. Today I was using the 50mm F1.8G and 60mm F2.8G, their hoods look almost identical. I spent at least a minute trying to figure out why I couldn't get the hood onto the 60mm F2.8G before I realized I was trying to attach the wrong one. Size wise they are a pain, especially with wide angle lenses.

kanuck said:
Yes NSX-Type R some of the hoods seem to be needlessly huge. The super zooms have some monsters as well. You are not alone in leaving them off I'm sure.

That's the only lens hood I don't use. My 18-135 I reverse most of the time but put it back up right when I am shooting.

And on the 35mm 1.8, the lens hood is so freaking small I leave it on continuously unless I get bored and take it off.

Yes NSX-Type R some of the hoods seem to be needlessly huge. The super zooms have some monsters as well. You are not alone in leaving them off I'm sure.

PB PM said:
Nice idea, but I have enough camera bags already. ;)

the lens changer makes camera bags redundant

Nice idea, but I have enough camera bags already. ;)

PB PM said:
Breaking equipment isn't an easy thing to do, but it can happen. For me the most dangerous time is when I'm trying to change lenses out in the field. I've dropped my camera or a lens several times doing this, as a result I simply try to avoid doing it.

I have a perfect solution to this - Think Tank lens changers , you need one for each lens, so the lens you are removing, can be put safely away, before you take another one out . They will also protect your lens hoods. Worried about protecting your lens changer , they come with a built in rain cover

kanuck said:
+1 PBPM definately the highest time to damage a lens is when swapping them onto the mount in the field. I have broken 4 lenses in 16 years this way. I have broken just 2 lens hoods but really beat the crap out of a few. Regulator your right it is a fairly cheap and easily replaced accessory, I just wanted to know if anyone had any materials they used to keep them the way the came out of the box for future resale thats all. Looks like lenscoat has the market cornered then.

The topic idea came to me because I just went back the 24-70mm after going back to primes (dumping the 24-70 last summer) for awhile and forgot how huge the larger than life HB-40 hood was. This hood cost $40 to replace and I beat them up pretty good. My thought was, why not protect it so it lasts forever?

I haven't seen the HB-40 hood for scale, but the 105mm Macro VR has a pretty beastly hood. The hood is nearly if not the same length as the lens itself, with the hood you've essentially nearly doubled the length of the entire kit.

Needless to say, it's still in the original packing, and I honestly don't use it as it would get in the way of macro focusing.

+1 PBPM definately the highest time to damage a lens is when swapping them onto the mount in the field. I have broken 4 lenses in 16 years this way. I have broken just 2 lens hoods but really beat the crap out of a few. Regulator your right it is a fairly cheap and easily replaced accessory, I just wanted to know if anyone had any materials they used to keep them the way the came out of the box for future resale thats all. Looks like lenscoat has the market cornered then.

The topic idea came to me because I just went back the 24-70mm after going back to primes (dumping the 24-70 last summer) for awhile and forgot how huge the larger than life HB-40 hood was. This hood cost $40 to replace and I beat them up pretty good. My thought was, why not protect it so it lasts forever?

I don't get it... Who cares about "protecting" an easily replaced and cheap accessory.

How do I protect the Lenscoat protecting my lens hood? I don't want it to get dirty. I was thinking of spraying it with Scotch Guard. Do you think that will work?

'I sell a lot of lenses on Ebay and get concerned about that also but mainly just on the metal hoods'

Agree, but also try to find a HK-12 for instance, ( most people talking about replacable Hoods i guess, but whjat if you need to replace one for an older lens... ??) .

donaldejose said:
"a container of a whiskey bottle" I read this as the cardboard container the glass bottle came in cut down to half height, not as glass. Thus, negligible weight.

Thats the idea, only this one was made from an aluminum container ( actualy from a "BruichLaddich Links islay single malt" named "The old course at St. Andrews 17th hole" :-) ;-) ...) .

Breaking equipment isn't an easy thing to do, but it can happen. For me the most dangerous time is when I'm trying to change lenses out in the field. I've dropped my camera or a lens several times doing this, as a result I simply try to avoid doing it.

Godless said:
Just curious, I would like to know how people even manage to break their equipment?

It happens. Broke a leg on a carbon fiber tripod for this one last night.

I don't think I've ever had a lens hood get damages, either. Maybe I'm just not trying hard enough !! For me, all the extra work in trying to protect the hood is not worth it.

Godless said:
Just curious, I would like to know how people even manage to break their equipment?

http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2582&page=2

kanuck said:
Hi, did a quick little rumors forum search and didn't find any suggestions. So as the title suggests, what are some of the products people are using to help protect lens hoods from getting trashed?

Just curious, I would like to know how people even manage to break their equipment?
I have not had a single dent or bump on my gear and I shoot at hardcore punk/metal shows in the moshpit, among other places. Some outdoor happenings, horse races and dog events as well. The worst thing so far has been a close call by a belgian shepherd who jumped against me while I was shooting other dogs racing towards me. And a few spots of bird poo on my coat.

You might try LensCoat covers.

Thanks for the interesting responses so far. I understand that they are made to take a beating and if anything were to be damaged on your lenses you would obviously choose the hood first. I have some Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses with medal hoods so I have hoodman neoprene on those hoods. Interestingly enough my Leica glass uses a soft plastic hood where the Nikon hoods are made of harder plastic. Here in Korea you can get replacement nikon hoods for $20 so I guess overall its not a big deal to replace one. In my business I flip a lot of lenses and with the camera district here in Seoul being as good as it is (maybe only Hong Kong is better in the World) I am always aware of keeping my gear either work or hobby stuff in top condition.

I sell a lot of lenses on Ebay and get concerned about that also but mainly just on the metal hoods. Buyers are finicky that a scratched hood can drop the value. I found that I can get more $ not listing or showing the hood (but saying it is beat up). Replacement hoods are't cheap when you are selling a lens to make some $. I will use black gaffer tape on some nicer metal hood to keep the paint from chipping every once in a while. The plastic one's, I just let'em bang as the mounts will break eventually. Then I buy a new one, and which means it's fairly new when I sell it.

Honestly I wouldn't worry about it. It is more likely what you try to do to save your hood will actually make is worse then doing nothing.

I buy and owe my camera equipment with a very strong intention to use it, and not baby it for resale. Thus, I find all this "How do I protect it to be cosmetically beautiful for her second husband.....!" type discussions counter productive to my complete indulgence and enjoyment of photography here & now. I do not want such concerns to distract me while I am photographing.

All my lens are reversible on the lens (except one) and that's how they travel in my backpack along with my laptop and books. I have one metal hood (85 1.8) which does not get fixed reversed on the lens. This I put in a regular plastic bag that came with it in the box, and reverse on the lens which goes in its leather pouch. If the lens is on the camera, then the camera gets a bubble bag to travel in the backpack.

Please enjoy photography without distractions.

SkintBrit said:
Love it :-) Sounds like the time I bought a set of nice mats for my car. Never used them because I didn't want to get them dirty!

Whoops, that actually didn't make sense- I said filter, not hood. :D

You get the idea.

Actually, I hear the 28-300 VR's lens hood pops off quite easily- it might break off.

NSXType-R said:
Reverse the lens hood so that the front element can protect the filter of course!

Love it :-) Sounds like the time I bought a set of nice mats for my car. Never used them because I didn't want to get them dirty!

Sometimes they don't fit well in the bag when reversed, as it makes the lens bulgy and not fit into the compartment you want. I find that what often scratches up lens hoods are the rough part of the velcro inside bags and the movable protector pieces. They are deadly to lens hood finishes. Some of mine, I use the little bags that came when the lens was new.