Mamiya TLR 55mm - lens hood and vignetting

[carl_neilson]

Hi folks,

 

As I type this I have a "new" 55mm black lens winging its way to me to join my

collection consisting of a C330f, 80S and 105DS. The 55mm lens doesn't come

with a lens hood, and I know from lots of research that hoods are a necessity

with the Mamiya TLR lenses.

 

However, I do have an original lens hood for a 65mm lens - i.e. the box-style

one with the swinging top. I have a vague memory of reading somewhere that the

only difference in spec/dimensions between the 55mm and 65mm hoods were the

actual fitting part, due to the two lens' different filter sizes.

 

I was wondering whether a simple solution would be to buy a 46-49mm filter

step-up ring, allowing me to fit the 65mm lens' hood to my upcoming 55mm lens,

or whether the step up ring would be a waste of money because it would perhaps

extend the hood forward far enough to cause vignetting with the 55mm lens.

 

If anyone out there has been there and done that before me I'd appreciate the

answer.

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

[dave_s]

<A HREF="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008Q54">See this old thread.</A>

[mark_satola1]

Maybe I've just been lucky, but my hoodless 55mm black lens has performed consistently without flare even aimed up at a highly reflective building in bright sun. You might try a test roll in flare-prone conditions to see if you really need it.

[mediumformat]

No need really for the specialized metal Mamiya hood. Just purchase a simple, $6 rubber screw-on hood for the taking lens. It will do just as well as the giant metal hood.

[christiaan_phleger___honol]

I've also had good success with a 46-52mm step ring, then a Nikon HN-1 (covers 24mm)

metal hood, that combo doesn't intrude into the viewing lens much and is good physical

protection as well as effective shading.

[carl_neilson]

Thanks for the replies.

[chris_jones18]

I have used a strip of cardboard torn from the top of my cigarette pack to hold a 65mm shade on a 55mm lens. Card from a film packet should do the same. This was for landscape on a tripod, not to carry around. I am hoping a matte box, in this case, Profectomat, would serve as a shade for longer lenses (80, 105, 135mm.) best, Chris Jones.

[carl_neilson]

Thanks for the suggestion Chris.

 

A minor update...

 

The lens arrived recently, and although I've yet to actually use it I did do some rough experimenting with the 65mm lens hood. I held the 65mm hood in front of the 55mm lens' viewing lens, and i actually had to hold the hood a surprisingly long way forward of the lens before I saw the dreaded black corners appearing on the focussing screen. So hopefully that's an indication that my step-up ring plan will work fine.

[carl_neilson]

Another update for anyone in the future with the same question: I finally got myself a 46-49mm step-up ring. It was a Marumi brand and the only one in the shop. When I got home I tried out my theory, but it didn't work because the circumference of the outside of the ring was slightly too large for the 65mm lens hood to slip onto it. So unless there is another brand of very slim-line step-up rings out there it looks like the genuine 55mm lens hood is the only way to go.