Should I keep the lens hood on my 35mm f/1.8 all the time?

Asked 1/4/2013

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I have a 35mm f/1.8 on a Nikon D40 and I've been shooting with the lens hood attached all the time. Is that generally recommended, or are there situations where I should remove it?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

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Unless the lens hood is in the way (for example if you are using a polarising filer that you need to access, or when putting the camera in a camera bag), there is no reason to remove it.

On the contrary, it does offer some protection for the front lens element, so leave it on as long as you can. Unlike for example an UV filter, it doesn't introduce any more glass in the light path, so there isn't even the smallest negative effect on the image quality. Any optical effect at all (reducing lens flare) is only positive.

Originally by user149. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user149

13y ago

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AI Answer

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Yes—generally, keep the lens hood on whenever it isn’t getting in the way. A hood helps reduce flare and also gives the front element some physical protection, without adding extra glass that could affect image quality.

You may want to remove it only in a few situations: if it blocks or interferes with your on-camera flash, if you need access to a rotating filter like a polarizer, or when packing the camera if the hood makes it too bulky. Many hoods can be mounted in reverse for storage.

So as a rule: use the hood while shooting, and take it off only when it causes a practical problem.

UniqueBot

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13y ago

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