Access other posts at the bottom of the page.

New Lens in my Hood – Old and New Hoods for it.

Something odd happened last week. Apparently under the control of some internal process over which I have little conscious control (Previously undiagnosed GAS?), I now have a cute little Panasonic 20/1.7 lens.

I can think of logical reasons. Much as I love the zooms, and the E-M5s high ISO performance, I’ve been carrying a 50/1.4 around on most trips as a ‘just in case it’s really dark’ lens. But I’ve also discovered that 100mm eq. really isn’t ideal for many/most indoor, existing darkness shots.

But I still haven’t quite figured out what to do with it. That will await the right situations. In the meantime … Panny doesn’t make a hood for it, so I went looking.

OK, eat your hearts out,all you folks with generic, ersatz, faux Leica hoods on your µ4/3 lenses. Here’s the real thing, an original, early Olympus M/OM, chrome and black, metal hood.

Adapted using a 46-49 mm step-up ring and a 49 mm filter ring to give the hood something to clamp onto. Technical fit seems perfect, too. A finger approaching past the corner almost immediately is visible in the view, but there is no vignetting from the hood.

IMG_1197

This chrome and metal hood was early enough that I suppose it should properly be used with an early, all black, slightly domed lens cap with serrated edges. But it looks much better with the later design.

IMG_1201

Another retro look, but far less cool looking, is a folding, rubber hood. I imagine they go back to at least the late 60s. I have a 52 mm one, made in Korea, that Dad used on his Nikon 50/1.4. The rubber is getting a bit soft, but it still works. This is a new one from B&W, made in Japan, so it should hold up.

IMG_1200

The advantages are all about practicality, not looks. The hood easily absorbs any bumps, deforming temporarily, and not passing the impact on to the lens. It also forms a nice,  small, protective donut around the lens when retracted.

IMG_1198

And the existing lens hood fits onto it easily.

IMG_1199

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>