How keep lens hood ATTACHED?

photobug · January 7, 2006

I was at the Monterey Bay Aquarium the other day, with my new 24-105"L" firmly attached to my camera. To protect the lens while milling amongst the crowds, I instinctivly tucked tucked the lens under my arm (as I've done zillions of times). Somehow, within a 1/2-hour period, the lens hood unscrewed its measly quarter-turn and dropped off. It didnt' turn up at Lost and Found, either.

I was bummed. Then today, when I found out that a replacement little piece of plastic (when it can be found at all) is a WHOPPING $60, my disappointment edged closer to anger.

But enough of the sob story -- here's my practical question:

Does anyone know of a way to keep a lens hood **on** a lens, so that it won't so easily unscrew/pop off?

I keep the hood on 95% of the time and don't ever want to repeat such a loss again.

Thanks for any suggestions!

David_S85 · January 7, 2006

Lens Keepers. Lanyard that also attaches to the front of the lens cap. Trying to pull up an image right now...

David_S85 · January 7, 2006

Couldn't find a pic or description of the lens keeper thingie, but if you look at B&H's website, you'll find an entire assortmant of 77mm lens caps ranging from $6 to $24. Nothing like the $60 you mentioned. Why $60? What's so special about it?

Canon proprietary cap $10.95
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&Q=&b=8&a=0&a=287_2303&shs=&ci=297&ac=&Submit.x=8&Submit.y=7

All other 77mm caps...
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&Q=&b=0&a=0&a=287_2303&shs=&ci=297&ac=&Submit.x=12&Submit.y=10

photobug · January 7, 2006

Lens Keepers. Lanyard that also attaches to the front of the lens cap. Trying to pull up an image right now...

Ah, yes -- no image needed, I used to use those years ago for lens caps. That's not a bad idea to make sure the hood isn't lost.

Thanks for the suggestion, David! -- if I don't come up with any idea to keep it screwed on in the first place (short, of course, of gluing it onto the lens!), I'll get a lens keeper for it.

David_S85 · January 7, 2006

I was half thinking of constructing a quick image of a Canon cap duct taped (badly) onto an L lens and posting it here for laughs.

Then I though how late at night it is here, and the hour or so to do that.

Then I thought what a sacrilege it would be to get sticky stuff on an L lens.

Then I though how funny it would be to post that picture in here every now and then. So I might still do it. But not now.

DanielB · January 7, 2006

David_S85 wrote:

I was half thinking of constructing a quick image of a Canon cap duct taped (badly) onto an L lens and posting it here for laughs.

Then I though how late at night it is here, and the hour or so to do that.

Then I thought what a sacrilege it would be to get sticky stuff on an L lens.

Then I though how funny it would be to post that picture in here every now and then. So I might still do it. But not now.

what about SIMA cap keepers?

very cheap, but they work.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=cart&A=details&Q=&sku=48043&is=REG&addedTroughValue=380686_USA&addedTroughType=accessory_detail

photobug · January 7, 2006

Not a lens cap -- a lens HOOD

Couldn't find a pic or description of the lens keeper thingie, but if you look at B&H's website, you'll find an entire assortmant of 77mm lens caps ranging from $6 to $24. Nothing like the $60 you mentioned. Why $60? What's so special about it?

It's not a lens cap that I lost ... it's a lens hood :-(.

A bunch of hoods are pictured at http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=1&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=productlist.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t&shs=canon+hood+ew&image.x=0&image.y=0

pathfinder · January 7, 2006

That sucks!!

I've never had a lensx hood unscrew itself; usually they are hard to get on or off for me. But on my 100-400 it is getting loose, and I sometimes put a small peice of Scotch tape on the thread surface adhesive down just for a slight increase in the friction that helps hold the lens hood in the threads. Hokey, but it seems to work.

I think I might try just a think layer of clear nail polish in the grooves on the lens barrel sometime as an alternative

DanielB · January 7, 2006

photobug wrote:

It's not a lens cap that I lost ... it's a lens hood :-(.

A bunch of hoods are pictured at http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=1&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=productlist.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t&shs=canon+hood+ew&image.x=0&image.y=0

oh, eeks.:eek1

my bad.

no advice for ya there buddy. other than reverse it....

David_S85 · January 7, 2006

I also read cap when you clearly wrote hood. Alas, those are a few pennies more. But... still search for 77mm Canon lens hoods, and you might find a cheaper copy than $60.

I will admit, when looking for the 77mm hood for my 10-22, I didn't like the $38 price, but the black flocking inside was so much nicer than the chinese no-brand knockoff for half the price. I gladly bought the genuine Canon hood.

Mongrel · January 7, 2006

What you need is...
GAFFER'S TAPE....

Gaffer's tape has better adhesion than duct tape, is made of cotton, can be removed and 're-stuck' many times over, and leaves NO RESIDUE. It also comes in many different colors, so you can even get it in white for those L lenses.

It is a bit more expensive than duct tape, but a heck of a lot cheaper than a new hood.

I did a quick google, and found it from $12.95 to $17.95 for a 100' roll. You could secure every hood you own for a lifetime with that much-lol

I've used it before, and it's definately a serious option for your problem.

photobug · January 8, 2006

GAFFER'S TAPE....
Gaffer's tape has better adhesion than duct tape, is made of cotton, can be removed and 're-stuck' many times over, and leaves NO RESIDUE. It also comes in many different colors

I've heard that Gaffer's Tape is very handy for lots of other photo needs, too, e.g. taping flashes to temporary mounts in weird spots. I want to pick some up, but will have to go look for it. I've heard that it might be in art-supply stores. (I also found it on Amazon (sold by Parts Express or Adorama))

thanks!

wxwax · January 8, 2006

I've never used the lens in question, so I don't know how firmly the lens hood attaches.

On all my glass, the lens hoods need to be pretty firmly applied/screwed in. Once that's done, there's no chance they'll come off. The "snap-on" types need to be preoperly seated and locked in. Once that's done, they're not going anywhere.

photobug · January 8, 2006

I've never used the lens in question, so I don't know how firmly the lens hood attaches.

On all my glass, the lens hoods need to be pretty firmly applied/screwed in. Once that's done, there's no chance they'll come off. The "snap-on" types need to be preoperly seated and locked in. Once that's done, they're not going anywhere.

I don't have any problem in normal use -- just when I'm threading through a crowd and place the lens (with hood) under my arm (at the crook of my elbow) to futher protect the lens from being jostled or bumped. I think that having it under my arm (with a winter coat on) must in this case have applied more torque to the lens hood than it normally experiences when the camera is in front of my face

.

erich6 · January 8, 2006

Ouch. Doesn't sound like you want to be holding the lens the way you did if you were able to apply that much torque...you could be hurting the lens assembly itself.

I am sorry to hear you lost the hood though. I usually take the hood and put it on the lens backwards that way it doesn't extend out and it wraps around the length of the lens nicely. This allows me to put the camera back in its bag until I'm ready to take it out.

Erich

How keep lens hood ATTACHED?

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