My $8 lens shade hack beat a $40 one for scratched glass

I got tired of flare ruining shots on my old Rolleicord, so I tried a rubber hood from a parts bin at a camera flea market in Portland last month. Total was 8 bucks versus the fancy metal one I almost bought online. I figured it would block light fine, but the real win was it flexes when I bump the front element, so no new scratches. My last metal shade actually chipped the coating when I dropped it on concrete, this rubber thing just bounced. Has anyone else used a flexible hood to protect vintage lenses, or am I the only klutz out here?

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1 Comment

theawest19d ago

Those rubber hoods are fine for blocking glare, but I wouldn't trust one to save a lens from a real drop. A bump here and there, sure, but concrete doesn't care if your shade is flexible, the impact force still goes somewhere. Sounds more like luck than a solid design win, honestly.