Thanks very much guys for all your insights! I really appreciate all of them... I am on my way to capturing better photos thanks to all of you! Cheers! :D

Yes. The Nikon lens hoods spin and snap into place in a thread...you should be able to see the groove right outside the focus ring. The filter will screw on inside near the element...you can see those small grooves there. There are different filers and some don't screw on, but the lens hood won't make a difference either way.

No harm done tcole1983 :) everything seems really clear to me now. I will definitely purchase the OEM from Nikon. One question though, will the lens hood still mount if I have a filter on my lens? :)

Sorry if I made it sound that way. But +1 to TaoTeJared.

If you read Ken Rockwell he says to never use them and just use a protective filter. I think they do help block some lens flare and I feel safer having it on the end of the lens...I almost always use mine except in some cases where they can block the flash and then I take it off. I personally don't use any filters so they are my protection. People have modified them in some cases by cutting parts off so that they never block the flash or whatever...I think it is probably a better idea to just take it off in those cases.

porsche_earl said:
I was just contemplating on purchasing an alternative for a conical HB-45 :) I thought the flower lens hood be a good alternative - I was wrong.

I am a novice in photography, please excuse the stupidity. :p

I don't think any of us believed you are wrong or dumb, Flower hoods can be just as good. Nikon takes a great effort in designing all the aspects of the lens as well as designing the hood that goes with each lens. Most 3rd party accessories companies do not take the same amount of time or consideration.

Nikon lenses all seem to be pretty flare resistant. You can get some if you shoot directly into the sun, but the stock lens hoods are decent in most cases. Plus they are made by Nikon for the specific lens...so they have a purpose and work. I wouldn't worry about it and just stick with the stock hood that you know was made for the lens...I would have to imagine a third part hood not really working all that well and the fit being off.

I was just contemplating on purchasing an alternative for a conical HB-45 :) I thought the flower lens hood be a good alternative - I was wrong.

I am a novice in photography, please excuse the stupidity. :p

I am sorry...is this a joke though? What is wrong with the OEM Nikon one? I don't think it is really worth worrying about the lens hood on this lens.

Thanks for the advice! :) I nearly bought the flower lens hood if I hadn't consulted expert advice. :D more power to you!!!

get the nikon one because the front element rotates on that lens which is why it is conical...petal shaped hoods work only with lenses where there front element does not rotate. this is why the 70-300g has a conical hood whereas the 70-300 vr has a petal hood

Thanks for the replies :) The difference of this lens hood from Nikon's HB-45 is that this is a flower lens hood while Nikon's OEM is a conical one. Still torn on which lens hood to purchase. :|

I've never seen reviews on hoods - The Nikon is maybe $12-20? If you are worried, just buy the Nikon one.

Umm, maybe?

I've never heard of the brand, so maybe it works. It probably just screws into the filter thread.

Your best bet if you want a hood is to use the Nikon one though, you're guaranteed that'll work fine.

The title should have been "JJC HS-52 flower lens hood for AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm kit lens" sorry for the wrong model number... :D

I have recently found this lens hood online and I was wondering if it woud work on the 18-55mm kit lens of Nikon. How is its build quality and reliability? Will it interfere with the lens while autofocusing? Will it cause vignetting due to the lens' short focal range? Is it worth buying at all? I hope someone can tell me more about thus product based upon personal experiences. :)