Should you use a lens hood when shooting in low light indoors?
Asked 1/16/2011
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I understand that a lens hood is meant to block stray light outside the frame. When I was shooting indoors in relatively low light, someone told me I should remove the hood because it blocks light. Is that true, or is it still a good idea to leave the lens hood on in low-light situations? Are there any exceptions?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
25
It should be fine, but watch out for shadows if you are using flash. Wide angles lenses, particularly with APS-C / DX, tend to throw a shadow, especially with on camera flash. Having the lens hood on makes this shadow bigger since it's adding a few inches to the end of the lens.
See Len Abrams answer below for the benefits of a hood in long exposure shots.
Originally by user3156. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user3156
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—using a lens hood in low light is generally fine, and often beneficial. A proper hood is designed to block stray light outside the image area, not the light needed to form the picture. In low light, that can actually help reduce flare and glare, which may be especially useful in long exposures or scenes with off-frame light sources.
The main exception is flash: with on-camera flash, especially on wider lenses, the lens or hood can cast a visible shadow in the frame. A hood that is the wrong size or shape for the lens can also vignette or block part of the image.
So in normal available-light shooting, leave the hood on. It can improve image quality and also offers some physical protection for the lens. Consider removing it mainly if you’re using on-camera flash and see hood shadow, or if the hood isn’t matched to the lens.
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