Leica lens hoods - New /Old - Are they really as effective?

[sheridan]

Hi folks ...Last week I handled a new 50mm 'Lux...an impressive piece of

glass to say the least however, next to my pre-asph 50mm. the pull-out hood

appeared miniscule and less effective. Granted, that with this lens as well as

the newer cosmetically designed Noct. and Summicron 50's there is no

chance of losing that hood. Also, with the new 'Lux 50 and Elmarit 90 there

maybe more flare resistance ... But do you think Leica are following more

fashion than proper function here and the newer designed pull-out hoods are

not really as flare resistant nor perhaps protective of the front element in case

of an accidental whack?

[frank uhlig]

You seem to be more the Leitz type (hype, hyper, you) than anyone in Solms. So why not hire yourself out to Leica and make a go of it.

 

They need worriors, no doubt.

 

Everything is a compromise, you know that???

[aizan_sasayama]

i'm scratching my head at what frank said, but to answer your question, the pull-out

hoods are prolly fine for flare, but not as good for impact protection. stick a good

filter on it if you want.

[andrew_hull]

Frank,

 

Please refrain from posting after using household cleaners in a fashion not intended, or at least in an area that isn't adequately ventilated.

 

Andrew

[paul_neuthaler]

Andrew: valuable contribution

[jorn ake]

I think the newer hoods fit the way I use my Leica better. Grab it and stick it in a bag. Pull it out and shoot. Some of the previous hoods increased the bulk of the camera+lens unless you removed the hood. The new 50mm with retractable hood is great and about as compact a rigid 50 can be AND be immediately ready to shoot. The current 35mm hood is not so bad, but the current 28mm hood is ridiculous (except for shooting in the rain.) I have replaced it with a Contax GG-1 hood which works plenty well. Your mileage may vary.

[anthony_brookes5]

I read somewhere that there is no need to fit a filter in front of a Leica lens to protect it because the front element is made to withstand an amazing abrasive mixture. I think it is something like 1kg on the lens with a 10% carborundum mixture or something like that. Does anyone have the exact process ? When I first read about it I took all my UVAs off and sold them - about 4 years ago.

[Rob F.]

Well, I wouldn't put too much faith in that one, Anthony. Judging from the number of Leica lenses in the world with cleaning marks, I think this must be a slight exaggeration.

 

Obviously a hood that pulls forth a scant 1/4 inch cannot keep out as much stray light as a deeper hood. The one on my 35mm Summicron-R is a joke. The same goes for the one on my 35-70 vario-Elmar.

 

The rationale, if any, might be that modern Leica lenses are more immune to flare, and so do not require such an effective hood. I would still rather have a fully effective hood, except in a case where it would intrude into the finder too much.

 

One of my favorite hoods is the one for the 60mm Elmarit-R. It snaps into place securely and does its job well. The rectanglar hoods for the 35mm Version IV, 35mm ASPH Summilux, 21mm ASPH, and 28mm Summicron are also very good.

[nzdavid]

So, which is better: current Summicron (or 'Lux) with built in hood, or older tabbed

version with separate hood?