metal lens hood

[steven_endo]

<p>I just received in the mail the all-metal BT-55 lens hood I "won" on ebay. I bought this hood for two reasons: 1. the white nubbies in my original lens hood (for BL 85mm 1.8) turned to mush and 2. I saw this hood on ebay and was intrigued that it came in metal since I've never seen a bayonet metal lens hood (I have a few metal clamp on lens hoods for my FL lenses).<br>

Did Canon make metal bayonet lenshoods in other sizes? Specifically, I'd like to get a BT-72 for my recently acquired 85mm 1.2L lens. Its hood also suffers from the melted nubbies and I think a metal hood for this lens would be cool...</p>

[JDMvW]

<p><em>nubbies</em> ? <em>white</em> nubbies?<br>

Although I have no idea what turned to mush and melted on your lens hoods, I can only note that a metal lens hood will be more efficient in transmitting the force from any impact directly to the lens, where a high-impact "plastic" hood will absorb and transmit a little less, perhaps even flex and protect the lens better. Lens hoods are not only about <strong>shading</strong> the lens.</p>

[jtk]

<p>JDM, those "nubbies" were standard in Canon FD lens shades...nice idea, locked securely, better than screwing on, but they did poop out over the decades..I don't think it was just the wear. I've not figured out a good way to replace them...</p>

<p>I agree that the original tough plastic shade was a better idea than aluminum for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Just got a Pentax aluminum shade to replace another version that was plastic...the plastic was crap by comparison to Canon's.</p>

<p>Rubber shades make sense, but they aren't shaped efficiently enough.</p>

[steven_endo]

<p>Yeah... "nubbies" was the closest technical term I could think of to name the little white things inside the rim of the shade that lock the hood to the lens. They turn into what looks and feels like wax...<br>

With regard to plastic vs. metal, I see your point(s) about absorbing shocks especially if your lens bumps into a solid object when the camera is swinging by the neckstrap. Yet... there is still somehting cool about an aluminum hood.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I confess I have come to FD as a "newbie," which is apparently not the same as a "nubbie". In the time when, I was a Nikonian teasing my good friend who used Canons. The shame of it all. Now, however, I am a proud owner of an AE-1 Program, but I have no lens hoods, so "nubbies" was a new one to me. Now, I know the term and can proudly display it on occasion, eh? ;)</p>

[gordon_yee]

<p>The metal FD lens hoods were released with the first generation "chrome nose" FD lenses. I believe Canon began replacing the metal ones with plastic versions around 1973 along with the second generation FD lenses (breech lock S.C. and S.S.C. lenses). I have metal versions of the BS-55, BS-58, BW-55A, BW-55B and BT-55 hoods. I have never seen a BT-72 or any of the 52-series hoods in metal.<br>

<br /> I've successfully replaced the white friction washers ("nubbies") on metal and plastic hoods. The metal ones are much easier because they can be disassembled. On the plastic hoods, I carefully remove the mushy nubbies with a small screwdriver. I've made replacement nubbies from styrene plastic and from rubber O-rings.</p>

[wade_keenon1]

<p>Replacing the "nubbies" is pretty easy. As Gordon said, dig out the mush with a small pointed tool of some kind. Go to the hardware store and buy a bunch of the smallest (or nearly so) white nylon washers you can find. (They're like 2 cents a piece.) Using side cut pliers, cut about 1/3 of the washer off so you've got a half-circle kind of thing. Slide one of the cut washers into each of the three gaps in the hood. Takes a little experimenting to get the right amount of cut so the edge of washer protrudes just a bit out of the hood. That's what holds it to the lens. Works good as new.</p>

[awahlster]

<p>To answer the question about the metal lens hood for a 85mm f1.2L NO</p>

<p>in fact checking my 1978 and before lens books there was not even a hood listed for the 85mm f1.2L as late as 1978. It appears it was not until the new mount version came out and Canon started "Plastic" hoods that a hood was even offered for that lens.</p>

<p>I have a couple of the metals they are both 55mm one came with my 55mm f1.2 Chrome nose and the other with a 135mm f3.5 I bought in England also a very early chrome nose.</p>

[gordon_yee]

<p>The FD lens hoods that attach by way of a bayonet mount have a "B" prefix (i.e., BS, BT and BW). The five types that I have in metal may have been the only ones Canon made before the change in material. Canon made most of the S.C. and S.S.C. lenses lighter than their chrome nose predecessors by replacing some metal parts with plastic, including their lens hoods.</p>

<p>As a follow-up to Mark's comments, I believe there were four FD lenses which did not have provision for a bayonet lens hood in their breech lock incarnations, but their New FD replacements did. These are the 17mm f/4, 20mm f/2.8, 24mm f/1.4 and the 85mm f/1.2. On the latter two, the original "Aspherical" versions had no lens hood bayonet ring while the "L" versions did.</p>

[doug_nelson3]

<p>I got tired of fooling with these drop-off shades. I either buy a generic screw-in metal shade and keep the lens shade down in the bag, or adapt other makers' shades.<br>

Konica made some beautiful rectanglar shades lined with non-relecting felt, but they're slip-on with a tightening screw. Put a 55-mm filter or empty ring on a 55-size lens to give the shade a mounting surface. With a 52-size lens, put on a 52 to 55 step-up ring. The 28/24mm size is plentiful and cheap, but the 35/50 size is a bit hard to find.<br>

With all this fiddling, Wade's tip makes as much or more sense.</p>

[steven_endo]

<p>Thanks to everyone who replied! I guess I can stop holding my breath looking for a metal BT-72. Also, thanks to everyone who suggested fixes for the mushy nubbies. Using your tips, I can get my shades functional again!<br>

Again, thank you!!!</p>

[astral]

<p>As indicated above, replacement of the gooey plastic is a trivial task (discussed in another thread, too) - it simply requires a small piece of leather or plastic of the right thickness (eg an old bookmark), and a craft knife - 5 minutes and zero cost. AC</p>

[bob_miller4]

<p>Would a few spots of RTV silicone in the right places on the hood be an adequate nubbie replacement? It ought to stay flexible after curing.</p>

[10990652]

Thanks to an old thread- I stand enlightened, and my rattly BS-55-something is on its way to not being rattly.

[JDMvW]

I remember this from the first time it came around. Remembered that some time or other I had actually taken a picture of the FD nubbies hole (once I learned what they were!)

Edited April 12, 2021 by JDMvW