Lens hoods for large format?

[roger___3]

I have just begun learning about my new/old LF camera and lenses. I have an Ektar 127 and 203, both coated. With my 35mm Nikon I am fairly religious about using lens hoods for all of my lenses. With these older lenses, I would think that a lens hood would be even more important. Yet I seldom (to date as a beginner anyway) see much mention of lens hoods for LF. Am I missing something here? If it would be good to use lens hoods, where might I get them and what should I look for?

 

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Would also like to say thanks very much for people spending the time to answer this and a couple of my other questions. I has been very helpful!

[bob_salomon3]

View cameras have front and back movements. To properly shield a lens,

without vignetting an adjustable compendium is used.

 

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If you use a lens hood and do movements you will vignette.

[ron_lawrence1]

Compendium type hoods work well but it's an extra piece of gear to

carry. I wear a hat when I'm out making landscape images and my hat

makes a great lens hood. So with a hat you get dual duty, it keeps the

sun off your face and makes a great lens hood. Does take a little

practice or you can alse get vignetting with the hat.

[tony_brent]

I had the same lenses on my Graphic View II, later remounted them and

used them on a Wista. I found Series VI slip on rings for both (1 5/8"

for the 127 -- 1 1/2" for the 203) and used screw-in metal hoods that

extended about 1 1/2" past the front of the lens. Never had any

vignetting problems. The filters went right in at the base of the

hood. I dont think you will find any metric sized rings to fit, since

there are too few threads exposed in front of the front lens element

to allow them to seat. You will need the slip on type, or a bellows

type shade that mounts on the camera itself.

[doremus_scudder1]

Roger,

The compendium is certainly the best solution since you can position

it while looking at the ground glass for optimum shading, and there

are many lightweight ones on the market. That said, I have never

owned one. On sunny days, I use the dark slide to shade the lens. It

works well and I'm always sure I pulled it! The shadow of the slide

(or whatever you use to shade your lens) should just cover the front

element. That way you ensure that you are not vignetting, even at

extreme movements. This works well for general field work, as usually

it is only the sun (or a source from a single direction) that

presents a danger of flare. If you have a very flary (I like the

sound of that) lens, you could have problems with general flaring

from the bright sky even on cloudy days. In this case, it is nice to

position the shade just outside the picture area to ensure that as

much extra light as possible is prevented from entering the lens.

This means you'll have to watch the ground glass. For cases where I

need more accurate shading I also have a nifty, and very lightweight

spring-type filter holder from Voss (I bought it from Calumet) which

has adjustable barn doors on it. It is not quite as efficient as a

compendium bellows, having only two shading surfaces but it's the

next best thing and it's extremely packable (and cheap). With this

you can position the doors while watching the ground glass to achieve

optimum shading, and, it hold 3" filters to boot. It comes with me in

my field kit. Hope this helps, ;^D)

[brian_c._ellis]

The Lee lens hood and filter system works well and the hood is

relatively inexpensive by large format hood standards (around $100 as

I recall). I have had some vignetting problems when using the hood

with my 90 mm lens. I understand that Lee has now come out with a wide

angle adapter ring to deal with this problem but I haven't bought one

yet so I don't know how well it works. I also used to own and use the

Linhof compendium lens hood. It also worked very well but was much

more expensive than the Lee hood. If you would like more information

about the Lee system, send me an e mail. Brian

[rob_tucher1]

I also use Lee. The wide-angle adapters are fabulous, even with my

widest of wide. I also have the wide hood now too. I use it most of

the time, though it is a bit bigger and bulkier. I use it on 4X5 (and

even lower in those horrid little formats) through 12X20 too. I have

many adapters now, and I leave them on my lenses for convenience and

speed. The best way to make sure there is no vignetting with ANY hood

of any brand is to look through from the front once everything is set

up to make sure you can see, unobstructed, all four corners and all

four sides. I just give a quick 360 degree look-see and shoot. With

Lee you can bend and manipulate the hood until it doesn't cut into the

picture (even if the hood is distorted). Lee will take a tracing from

any lens and make you a nice little adapter for the lenses that don't

have threads, have damaged threads, or just can't accept a standard

adapter. I will never shoot hoodless again.

[pat_j._krentz_29_palms__ca]

I go along with the hat and darkslide guys, have never used a hood on

my lf stuff except when I am shooting indoors with flash and then I

use a homemade light cardboard hood I made myself and painted flat

black, works great and is very cheap. Pat

[brian_c._ellis]

Steve Grimes also makes adapter rings for lenses that have diameters

for which Lee doesn't make a standard adapter. He made one for my 150

mm G Claron, which has a weird filter diameter. He charged about $70

as I recall. I don't know how that compares with Lee's prices for

special order adapters.