Lens hood question

[Guest]

Hi -

I have a Contax G2 with a 45mm (and L39 filter attached). I recently bought a GG-2 Lens Hood for this lens and noticed that a small part of it can be seen in the bottom right portion of the viewfinder. Is this normal? Is it ok?

Thanks in advance and happy holidays.

 

[Guest]

Hi Jay,

This is normal. The one drawback is that you can't see what's in that part of the image, but you'll get used to moving the camera a bit to see the full image. It becomes second nature. The trade off with rangefinders as opposed to SLRs is that you don't see exactly what you're getting. But you also get the use of the sharpest wide angle lenses available. (SLRs must use retofocus wide angle lens designs because the mirror would get in the way.)

The one thing I'd be a big concerned about is using lens hoods with filters.

If you take test shots with the hood and the filter, then add another filter, then another, you'll see where the image begins to vignette and light drops off in the corners of the image. The same would be true with an SLR, but you'd see it in the frame itself.

David

 

[Guest]

>Someone posted on this question recently, to the effect that you could skip the use of hoods with CZ lenses, relying on the coatings to suppress flare. Except in extreme circumstances, I tend to agree, however minimal shading is definitely helpful to hold contrast in some less extreme situations. Some lenses have the front element so far recessed that you have the effect of a built-in shade, but this does not seem to be the case with the G lenses. What I recommend is this: buy the cheapest collapsing rubber hood, then cut off most of the rubber, leaving a rubber ring around the screw-in part. This provides a slight extension which pretty much stays out of the finder image, but provides: a little extra depth for shading; a black surround for the glass (substituting for the silvery threads of the lens); a small rubber bumper, which I find to be quite protective against inadvertent knocks. This has been adequate for my purposes, but one could also try screwing in a second truncated shade over the first. This solution is cheap, and leaves your finder free for composing, with the additional advantage of keeping your camera-lens package compact. Accessories are the bane of spontaneous, rapid work, I find, and I don't agree with those who wag their fingers at you, saying that shooting without deep shades is just a waste of time and effort, or that you must have skylight or UV filters on at all times for protection, which collect dust and degrade image quality.

 

[Guest]

I agree with Charles, in that while Zeiss lenses control flare well, there's always going to be an effect from sunlight hitting the front element, T* coating notwithstanding.

The notion that hoods aren't needed is better applied to filters. So-called protection filters will affect image quality. In my view, they're best used only when truly needed, and not all of the time.

Most common are questions about hoods for the 21. I'm a little surprised that Contax has never seen fit to supply one. A "sculpted" hood such as those that other lens makers sometimes supply with their superwides would be welcome--it's hard to avoid light directly hitting the 21's front element. (A simple hood for the 21 can be had by removing the glass from a 55mm filter and just using the ring.)

On the old G-list, somebody posted instructions for cutting down the GG-3 hood (using a Dremel tool) for use on the 45. It was amazing how much of the hood was left when he was done. It apparently provided very effective shading.

--Rick

 

[Guest]

I forgot something, the Official Contax Word:

"The Hologon 16 and Biogon 21 may not use any hood."

--Rick

 

[Guest]

I don’t know about cutting down a GG3 to effectively make a GG2, but my solution is simpler. I doubt that the extra depth in the GG2 and GG3 shades is warranted in over 90% of the time so I bought an extra GG1 and leave the two larger shades at home.

The problem that I had was to do with filters. Good quality 46mm filters are hard to find and so I have a CZ Pol’ Filter and B&W Grey Grad in 49mm with a step up ring. Of course the Contax hoods don’t then fit so out comes a soft rubber shade in the correct fitting.

Regards,

Clive

 

[Guest]

Yup, I suppose because of low demand, 46mm filters are *expensive.* It's much cheaper to stock up on 55s for the SLR system, and the selection is much greater.

The cut-down GG-3 would only make a difference in limited shooting situations, but it had the added benefit of looking really cool.

--Rick

 

[nicolas2]

Hi All,
I noticed that the G 90 mm shows some kind of flare which give a soft light on photos especially outdoor or with good sunny light indoor(90% of the cases)(colors & B&W). Do you experiment this situation. I think it's because the front of the glass is very close from the end of the lens. Did you noticed this and is the lens-shade is the good solution ?

Many thanks for your advices & replies.

Nicolas

 

[scarvalho]

I recently shot a test roll using a gg2 hood on the 28 lens....with NO vignette problems. Do I need the gg1 ?

Has anyone else experienced this?

sc

 

[afranklin]

Steven,

Are you shooting wide open, and with scenes that would show vignetting if there was any?

Austin