Lens Hoods

Have you tried an eBay search for "lens hood xx mm" where xx is the thread diameter of the lens? I bought a $10 one for the 20mm this way searching for 46mm (from memory).

 

I bought a metal 46mm lens hood for my 20/1.7 at heavystar via eBay; 2 actually, also a short one in case the longer one would vignette, which it doesn't. Prices are low, shipping is also cheap and quite fast in my book.

 

I recently bought some stuff of Heavystar and they provide a very good service. Speedy overseas delivery and good prices combined with reasonable postage costs.

 

I bought a lens hood for my kit 18-55 Sony lens on ebay for about eight dollars shipped. Sony wanted 18 dollars plus shipping for the little hood which can't be worth much, but I wanted it for the protection it offers. There are many clones of the factory lens hoods and much cheaper to boot.

 

I bought a cheap rubber folding one for my EPL1 kit lens. It stays on there all the time folded up and adds therefore no bulk (except a negligible extra width). In terms of 'build quaility' there is nothing wrong with it.
I haven't had need to use it yet though (bit like the cheap flat hot shoe spirit level I've got, but you lose nothing by it being there if you are not using the shoe for anything else).

 

In case you're still wondering about the 14-42mm Mk II, there is some discussion here (later on):

https://www.mu-43.com/f38/m-zuiko-digital-14-42mm-mk1-vs-mk2-8944/

I picked up the Leica style lens hood for the 20mm on ebay, but there's a good chance it may cause vignetting on the 14mm wide angle despite the same filter size. I'm sure enterprising forum members and bloggers will report on it soon enough.

 

I bought a nice 46mm black plastic wide angle lens hood from eBay My World - goshotcamera in CA. About $14 shipped very quickly. Works great on my Panasonic 14mm.

 

I like the Leica style hood for the 20mm as others have suggested:


As for the 14-42mm MK-II, the LH-40 is the official hood from Olympus. That one is expensive, this is a cheaper one from ebay, which may be more effective as the Olympus seems too shallow to block much of stray light.

 

Step-up ring for lens hood?

This thought just popped into my head.

Since we're concerned about a lens hood vignetting when we use the 14mm setting of the 14-42mm II, why not get a 37mm to 46mm step up ring (or 37 to who knows how many mm?) and use a larger lens hood - it certainly shouldn't vignette.

Isabel

 

I just ordered this one from Adorama

37mm to 46mm step up ring - Adorama.com

I have a 46mm rubber lens hood that I bought for my Panasonic 20mm lens that I'll try using this step up ring on the 14-42 II.

It may not stop flare from the sun but it'll keep my fingers off the lens.

Isabel

 

I have the heavystar lens hood pictured above. I use it on both the 14 and the 20 over a B+H UV filter without vignetting. I also use it on the 14-42 II with a step down ring over a B+H filter without vignetting. One hood, one ring for three lenses.

 

That looks good.
Isabel

 

Just got the 37mm to 46mm step up ring...

and have to report that when I put the Adorama rubber lens hood on it there was lots of vignetting at the wide end of the 14-42mm so my idea is a no-go.

I can still use the stepup ring to add a 46mm filter, however.

Isabel

 

Like many things, it's a tradeoff. The ideal hood would be the petal style and it would extend and retract as the lens zoomed.

The idea is to permit only light that is part of the focused image and to block everything else. Any light that is outside the image area just bounces around inside the lens (attenuated as much as possible by almost-but-not-perfectly-black paint) and ends up reducing contrast.

Lacking the ideal, a rubber hood built or trimmed to be suitable for 42mm fl and then rolled back for shorter focal lengths would be an option.

 

I didn't think about rolling back the lens hood, but honestly, a petal style would be much better, so you could direct it (unless it locked into place) to black the most glaring light.

Isabel

 

Well .. er ... not to be pedantic but if the shade is exactly suited to the focal length, then the petals are already blocking all the light that can be blocked without vignetting.

If the shade is too short, then your idea could be helpful.