300 F2.8 & 500 F4 - Hoods

[timp55]

Quick question - do these lenses come with a lens hood and that fancy carry case as standard?

[GYRob]

Quick question - do these lenses come with a lens hood and that fancy carry case as standard?

yes
Rob.

[Cashie]

Yes they do, but dont break the hood what ever you do because they are about £329 to replace.

[timp55]

Thanks for the quick responses - duly noted!

(how much???? !!)

[Tannin]

I'm not actually sure how you could break the hood! Maybe by driving over it with a loaded freight train. They are very light, but strong. Made from some fancy carbon fibre-based material, if I remember correctly.

[paul goode]

I'm not actually sure how you could break the hood! Maybe by driving over it with a loaded freight train. They are very light, but strong. Made from some fancy carbon fibre-based material, if I remember correctly.

They aren't actually very strong at all. Catch them at just the wrong angle and they crack very easily :-C

[Tannin]

Ouch! What sort of blow are you thinking of, Paul? Shock, or deformation? (In otherwords, are you talking about a short, swift blow, or a sustained pressure, as in a weight?)

[timp55]

OK, just to stir things up, ;)
how sturdy are the cases?
Also, how do the hoods fit to the lens? There appears to be what look like 3 small knob (sorry!) like things. I guess it's not bayonet like on my 100-400L which has a cheap and scratch prone black plastic hood.

[Tannin]

The cases are very sturdy - at least they certainly look to be: after Paul's comment on the hoods, I'm not sure that I ought to be trusting looks anymore!

There lens has a slightly raised/sunken metal ring around it; the hood slips over that ring. There is a single thumbscrew to tension the hood, pushing it slightly away from the ring on one side and thus quite firmly onto the ring on the other three sides. It doesn't fall off.

[Tannin]

Oh, and I agree with you about the 100-400 hood, it does the job OK, but it's a bit too flimsy IMO.

[paul goode]

Ouch! What sort of blow are you thinking of, Paul? Shock, or deformation? (In otherwords, are you talking about a short, swift blow, or a sustained pressure, as in a weight?)

Here we go - embarassing story ;)

I lost my footing on a very slippery slope while carrying the camera/lens in one hand and tripod in the other. I managed to drop the tripod to free one hand up and pulled the camera/lens into my body to protect it and landed flat on my back.

This saved the camera and lens but not my back! And at the very end the lens hood just clipped a tree stump and split. Nothing that a bit of superglue hasn't fixed mind you but I offer this sorry tale as a word of warning. Those hoods are fragile and obscenely expensive.

[Harold Stiver]

The 500mm hood is bulky, heavy, and expensive to replace if you break it. The best thing to do with it is put it back in the case and replace it with a light homemade one.

I've cut a piece of aluminum slightly longer than the end diameter of the lens, and about 6" (15cm) wide. Roll into a circle and put it inside an elastic lens cover (mines from LLRue). Its lightweight so you can handhold, a lot less awkward and offers some protection from banging it about.

The best part is you can drop it into your checked luggage and make it easier to carry the 500mm in your carry on luggage.

[timp55]

There is a single thumbscrew to tension the hood, pushing it slightly away from the ring on one side and thus quite firmly onto the ring on the other three sides. It doesn't fall off.Can it look slightly wonky using this arrangement? Sounds like it might.

[Clive Watson]

I have to admit I always just assumed these hoods were pretty fragile. But I'm buggered if I'm going to volunteer to find out for sure!

[timp55]

I have to admit I always just assumed these hoods were pretty fragile. But I'm buggered if I'm going to volunteer to find out for sure!

Hasn't paul goode beaten you to it?

[Clive Watson]

Looks like he's not the only one!

[GYRob]

Can it look slightly wonky using this arrangement? Sounds like it might.

No not at all it fits very well and the screw makes it very secure.
Rob.