cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Dimensions of a lens hood - making your own

Italian4215
Enthusiast

I want to make my own lens hoods. How do I figure out the appropriate dimensions for the hood? I assume there are different formulas for petal, round, and rectangle hoods.

MY EQUIPMENT:
EOS Rebel T4i
EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
(2) B+W 5.8 010 UV - Haze 1x MRC (F - PRO Series filter)
HOYA 58mm HMC Multi-Coated ND8 Filter
8 REPLIES 8

cicopo
Elite

You can try making your own if you want but all things considered if aftermarket hoods are available at sane prices why not go with them? According to your message you have 2 lenses & there are hoods listed here for them .

 

http://www.procameragear.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/64_65

 

(and I've bought from them because they support another forum I belong to) plus I'm sure there will be options through Ebay. The primary consideration in their design is to shield the lens from stray light BUT not to interfere with the full field of view the lens must cover at the wide end if it's a zoom, or at it's design FOV. for a prime.

 

"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

Thanks for the information. $12.95 a piece isn't bad that is roughly $30 after tax and shipping. I was going to print out a template using this website on hard card stock, cut it out, form it, and then fiberglass resin it, dry, sand to smooth, and then buy carbonfiber sticker and apply, then apply clearcoat on outside and mate black inside.

MY EQUIPMENT:
EOS Rebel T4i
EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
(2) B+W 5.8 010 UV - Haze 1x MRC (F - PRO Series filter)
HOYA 58mm HMC Multi-Coated ND8 Filter

Well you could do all of that but unless you already own the materials I think it's going to cost more than ready made ones that fit properly & can be reversed for storage / lens cap installation. I say this as someone with a lot of experience working with fiberglass and who has fabricated many things using it. Here's the link to a DIY project for my underwater camera.

 

http://plus.google.com/photos/116179596240613012497/albums/5161077059071628785?banner=pwa

 

And this is a slightly bigger project I'm working on (it's my day job).

 

http://plus.google.com/photos/116179596240613012497/albums/5352917643688876417?banner=pwa

"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

Being involved in astro-photography, we make lots of "lens hoods". But your way is going to cost you as much as buying the real deal.

Try you local Hobby Lobby and see if they have cardboard tubes of the correct size you need. They can be cut to whatever shape you desire.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

I want it to be sturdy hence why I was going to use fiberglass resin. I have all the materials needed cause my father just finish re fiberglassing a sailboat. My main concerns are the dimensions of the hood and how I will attach it. I've heard of people using an older filter with the glass poked out, but not sure if I want to afix it like that.

MY EQUIPMENT:
EOS Rebel T4i
EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
(2) B+W 5.8 010 UV - Haze 1x MRC (F - PRO Series filter)
HOYA 58mm HMC Multi-Coated ND8 Filter

Yes, that is one of the tricks we use a lot. Old filter rings are good stuff. The cardboard tubes will let you trial and error a hood. Than you can make a "solid" one from fiberglass. I do not know why you want to but hey go for it. Might be fun to play with.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

How do you go about getting the right dimensions for say a petal hood? How big/long to make the petals, diameters, etc. ?

MY EQUIPMENT:
EOS Rebel T4i
EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
(2) B+W 5.8 010 UV - Haze 1x MRC (F - PRO Series filter)
HOYA 58mm HMC Multi-Coated ND8 Filter

Trial and error! Shoot a white sheet and see if it interferes (vignettes).

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!
Announcements