A hood is an optional accessory to a camera lens. This is a small, usually plastic tip that comes in a variety of shapes. The hood is not just a fashionable device that gives the camera a "menacing" look, but rather an effective tool for obtaining high-quality images.
When shooting objects against a light source, any photographer is faced with the appearance of bright spots of light in the pictures - glare. They appear due to the obtuse angle of light that inevitably enters the photo lens, for example, in sunny weather. Naturally, glare spoils the whole impression of the photo. They are created by objects of high brightness, and they themselves may not enter the frame, and the glare from them can treacherously stretch out at once over the entire image. To avoid them, you can change your position relative to a bright object so that the light falls at a different angle. However, this is not always possible. Another option is to protect the lens from light ingress. The most effective way to do this is to put on a hood. The key function of this accessory is to eliminate glare and so-called parasitic light by protecting the lens from the light source. To put it simply, the lens hood performs the same function as our palm, which we place above our eyes when we want to see something in the distance in sunny weather. In addition to this function, the hood has another task. This accessory is able to protect the lens from various unwanted splashes when shooting in rainy or snowy weather. In addition, the hood can act as a kind of buffer when the camera hits, which will ensure the safety of the lens. It is worth mentioning the disadvantages of this accessory. When using the built-in flash, the edges of the frame may appear slightly darkened because the lens hood cuts off some of the light. However, this problem can be easily solved by using an external flash. The lens can be different. It is mostly made of plastic, but there are rubber and metal hoods. Their shape is also different. They come in conical, rectangular, cylindrical, pyramidal, or petal shapes. The inner surface of a quality hood is made of absorbent material such as felt. As a rule, this accessory is attached to the filter thread if the camera does not have a special thread that is designed exclusively for this accessory. You can also find hoods already built into the lens, which must be taken seriously. There are no universal blends. For each specific lens, the amateur photographer has to select an accessory of an individual shape. You don't have to buy the same brand as your camera lens. The choice of this device is influenced by the diameter of the lens, so the ideal option in this case would be to take a camera with you to the store in order to try on the hood on the spot.
