Lee Wide Angle Hood - How Wide?

[paul owen]

Does anyone have any idea what is the shortest focal length lens that can be use with the Lee Wide Angle Bellows Lens shade, before vignetting is a problem? Thanks in advance. Paul

[Christopher Campbell]

Paul, I have been delighted with the Lee wide angle compendium on an Arca-Swiss F-metric 6x9. Since I use this camera primarily for architectural interiors, and often in New York in extremely tight spaces, I use the 35 f/4.5 Apo-Grandagon, the 55 f4/5 Apo-Grandagon, and the 75 f/4.5 Grandagon-N wide angle lenses. Since the compendium isn't (and couldn't be) marked with a handy extension scale like the Hasselblad professional shades, one day I decided to spend some time systemically determining in advance how much I could afford to extend the shade bellows for each focal length (obviously, camera movements change this amount, but my chart gives me a fast baseline after which I then check for vignetting). When looking at these numbers, you should bear in mind that your own extension will depend on the film format you're using, and that I am using the metal Lee wide angle adapters on all my lenses (in fact, I keep them on the lenses at all times to facilitate set-up). I find that no amount of compendium can be used with the 35 mm (hardly surprising given that the lens subtends 99 degrees on the long film dimension!), but that I can use 95 mm of extension with the 55 mm, and the maximum extension (slightly over 100 mm), with the 75 mm lens. Since the 55 on 6x9 subtends 73 degrees, you should be able to use the shade with a 75 mm lens on 4x5 (77 degrees), and I wouldn't be surprised if it was also usable at something like minimum extension with a 65 mm lens on 4x5. I recently purchased the 6x9 to 4x5 conversion set for the Arca, but haven't yet rechecked compendium extensions for that format. Perhaps I'll find that I can even use the shade with the 55 mm lens. One last note: I highly recommend purchasing the shade with two 2 mm filter slots if you use any polyester or resin filters.

[Anthony Harrison]

When last I owned Lee items (they got stolen and I haven't replaced them yet) I was using them on Bronica ETRSi lenses, and the standard Lee hood that incorporates a single filter slot did not vignette on the 40mm, when fitted via the Lee W/A adaptor and compressed to minimum or nearly so. If memory serves, this lens on 645 is similar to 24 on 35mm, i.e. around 85 degree viewing angle. Perhaps this helps.

[Christopher Campbell]

I just converted the Arca-Swiss rear standard to 4x5, and made a quick 4x5 Polaroid outdoors with the 55 f4/5 Apo-Grandagon lens. With that lens, I was able to extend the wide angle compendium about half way before vignetting appeared. I backed the shade off, made a Type 54 Polaroid print that showed no vignetting, and measured the compendium extension at 55 mm (measured from the front of the front surface of the shade to the rear of the rear surface).