Paul, I think you agonize too much over such things. Arguments have been made for metal, plastic, and rubber hoods. Arguments have been made for using/not using a filter. The bottom line is that it all depends on the fall or the knock - distance, angle, surface on which the camera/lens lands. Some people have had good luck when using a rubber hood, and now swear by them. The next fall will be different, and perhaps a metal hood would provide better protection.
Just use whatever hood you like best for the given lens, and keep your fingers crossed that when or if you drop the camera things will go in your favor. FWIW, I prefer metal hoods, screwed on, but not too tightly. I have no idea how well they'll react in a fall, but I like the way they work, look, and feel when using the gear. "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" wrote: > > Which hood would better protect a lens in a fall: > > 1. Thick metal that will deform plastically only in a long fall? > 2. Thin metal that you can easily flex with your fingers, and so will deform >plastically even in a shallow fall? > 3. Thick plastic that you can flex with your fingers but can't deform plastically? > > I've just received a Vivitar Wide Angle 58mm Hood, made of thick metal. I've mounted >it on my Vivitar Series One 28/1.9PK lens, replacing an Adorama sheet metal hood, >which is almost exactly the same shape and size but perhaps 2mm deeper. > > Now I'm nervous that in a shallow 1-meter fall, the Vivitar hood may not bend to >absorb the energy, where the Adorama hood would have. With the Vivitar, I fear, all >the energy will be translated to the lens. > > I have simnilar concerns about the thick metal Nikon HN-20 hood that I've mounted on >my Vivitar 135/2.3PK lens to replace a rigid plastic hood. The rigid plastic hood >flexed; the Nikon is inflexible; like the Vivitar hood, it is probably too thick to >bend in a small fall. > > Another question: Are the lens filter threads less likely to be damaged if I keep a >filter in-between the lens and the hood? > > Finally, would it make sense to unthread the hood just a wee bit to encourage it to >rotate in a fall? > > Lest any of you write, "Are you planning to drop your lens?" or "The best protection >is to be careful," one never plans to drop a lens. I sometimes hand the camera to >another person and ask them to take a photo of me, but I always place the neckstrap >around their head before letting go. Nonetheless, accidents (like knocked-over >tripods) do happen. > > In summary, for maximum protection in a fall: > > 1. Thick metal, thin metal, or rigid plastic? > > 2. Fully threaded on, or slightly loose? > > 3. Filter between lens and hood, or not? -- Shel Belinkoff mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.earthlink.net/~belinkoff/ - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
