Lee Lens Hoods on 4x5 - Standard or Wide Angle for down to 75mm and 90mm?

[Leslie Gordon]

I would like to purchase a lens hood, and am considering the Lee system. I'll be using it 4x5 with my 90mm, 150mm, and 240mm lenses. I'll also soon be acquiring a 75mm.

Question is-- should I be getting the standard hood or the wide angle? I like the range of the standard bellows, but at first glance I'd imagine that there'd be some significant vignettiing with the 75mm. Any thoughts?

[Tim Brazelton]

I have both the wide angle and standard Lee hoods routinely. I find that I when using lenses of 150mm or more that I frequently use the standard hood.

For 75 and 90 lenses you'll definitely need the wide angle. However, keep in mind that the wide angle hood is so wide that it doesn't block very much light and I'm not sure it is real useful. It is one of the first pieces of gear I take out when I need to carry my camera pack on a long hike. When I need to shade a wider angle lens I can usually get just an effective a shade by using my hat. I find that I only use the wide angle lens shade when I need to position the shade close to the point where it is starting to vignette.

[austin granger]

Leslie,

I went through the same debate a couple of years ago. I contacted Lee and they told me that I would need the wide angle hood for use with my 90mm lens. So I imagine that you would definitely need it for the 75.

As for the system, yes it is pretty expensive, but is well made and I can't really think of anything bad to say about it. Well, if you're planning on using the polyester filters, they do scratch pretty easily, but the filters themselves are fairly cheap...

[Karl Amo]

I find that the standard Lee hood when it is fully collapsed does not vignette when it is attached to a Schneider Super Symmar 80XL lens with a Lee wide-angle adapter ring.

Of course, the hood doesn't do a whole lot of shading when it is fully collapsed. It might help keep rain and snow off the lens, though.

[isaac]

To give an idea of the range of the standard hood, I use one for lenses from 90mm to 240mm. (My lengths exactly match yours---with the exception of the 75mm you're getting.) On the 90mm (with a wide-angle ring) it is almost fully collapsed, but does work. With the 240mm the hood can be almost fully extended and not vignette. I also doubt the normal hood would work with the 75mm, but I'm not sure how necessary it will be, either.

[Karl Amo]

Lee Filter USA is now listing a medium-wide lens hood as a new item.

http://www.leefiltersusa.com/NewCameraProducts/CamNewProdMedWideHood.html

"Minimum lens focal length, to avoid vignetting: 20mm lens w/ 35mm film (use Wide Angle Adapter Rings)"

[Bruce M. Herman]

As an alternative to the hat technique, you might consider something like "Flare buster." This has been advertised in Outdoor Photographer magazine and elsewhere. It's basically a flexible arm with an attachment for your hot shoe on one end and a clip that holds a rigid shade on the other end.

I didn't want to use my hot shoe attachment, so I made a system myself. I purchased a flexible arm used for studio lighting and a clamp for each end. I usually attach it to the rail on my TK45. Any opaque, rigid sheet will work for the shade. I suppose you could even use your hat.

One advantage of this system over a wide angle lens hood is that it is a more efficient sun block. It also works better than a hat in that you can compose with the shade in position and then eliminate or ensure the possibility of including your shade in the photograph.

Note that these flexible arms do not tend to be inexpensive.

Best of luck.