Large Diameter Lens Shades

[Michael Kadillak]

I am in need of a lens shade to fit a 42" Red Dot Artar. The threaded adapter on the front of the lens is 96mm (3.776"), I have contacted Harrison and Harrison about their line of aluminum Series filter/hood arrangements and they are not longer offering this product in this size. Being able to put a filter in front of the attached shade is one of the nice benefits of the H&H system and I would like this flexibility in a hood assembly. I have run out of places or alternatives to check for filling my needs and could care less if the hood is metal or rubber as long as it works.

Does anyone else have any suggestions as to where I could go for a solution?

My sincere thanks in advance.

[Jay Lnch]

Michael, try going down to Home Depot and look for the black plastic dain pipe. The kinded used for french drains. They make reducer connectors 6"-4". I think they would work fine. Very thin plastic and light weight.

jay...

[David A. Goldfarb]

You could get a custom shade from SK Grimes or a custom step-up ring to some more common thread size like 105mm. I'd go with the step ring.

[Robert A. Zeichner]

Michael,

One thing that is very handy for making your own lens shades is that black flocked paper you can buy in craft stores. I have constructed shades and rubber cemented this paper to the inside surface so as to prevent reflections. Even relatively flat finishes become mirror-like when you view reflections at acute angles. The flocked paper kills it all. Get a section of mailing tube that is a bit bigger then the outside diameter of your 42" Artar and make a reducing donut, if necessary, out of black closed cell foam (available in sheets at craft stores). It's not very fancy or very expensive, but crude as some of this stuff is, it can work very effectively.

[Bob Salomon]

Heliopan makes long and short 105mm metal hoods. The hoods are threaded, front and back, to make longer hoods or to add a filter to either the front or back.

Heliopan rubber hoods are also available in 105mm size and are also front threaded to add a filter or a lens cap.

[Eric Leppanen]

I also think a custom step-up ring is probably the best way to go. If the outside diameter of your lens happens to be an even 100mm, then you have the additional option of using the Lee 100mm press-on filter holder. I use this holder on several lenses with 95mm filter threads.

[CG]

Long lenses do best with very tight lensshades i.e. not much stray light allowed in near the rectangle of light from the subject to the lens and film. Best is whatever shade you can buy or cobble up yourself with an opening the same shape and proportion of the film. Very best is a very long shade that just barely cuts off non image light, quite a ways from the lens. One ugly but very effective solution is a cardboard box painted black inside, with one end cut to, say, an 8x10 proportion hole, supported by a lightstand or two, with the other end of the box completely surrounding the front of the camera. It doesn't have to touch or be close to the camera as long as the blackened inside of the box is everywhere the lens could see if it were a near fisheye.

Gosh, that's a lousy description. If you look at photographs of hollywood movie cameras on the set, you will see big deep lensshadeing on many of the cameras. While still photographers can't usually match the budgets of moviemakers, the idea of big deep shades with rectangular openings at the end can be adopted for next to nothing.

An OK and very practical mid budget solution is the Lee system - providing you cobble together an adaptor to match your your 96mm fitting. B&H shows that Lee sells 100, 105 and 112mm rings, so you could step up to one of those from your 96. It won't shade as deep as a 42" Artar really asks for, but it is an adaptable shade that covers most situations quite well.

If you can possibly stay away from generic short round shades, you are already way ahead of the game.

Best,

C

[Michael Kadillak]

Bob

Who or where do I go to for purchasing Heliopan long metal lens shades in the 105mm size?

My regular resources are doing me no good.

Thanks

[Bob Salomon]

You can order any Heliopan product from any Heliopan dealer. If you are talking to a mega store you may need to talk to a buyer rather then a salesman.

[Mike Cockerham]

I have a 600mm ronar and a 300mm Ronar that I got from rescueing a 20x24 process camera. They came with large metal shades that also will hold filters. you might check with local print shops to see if they have any shades left around.