|
This article began in July 2003 just talking about about using non-standard hoods
on the Canon EF 17-40mm/4 L USM lens, but has been updated multiple times adding
more and more information about alternate hoods for other Canon lenses.
It was last updated in mid-December 2006.
EF 17-40mm/4 L USM lens
To recap: the EW-83E hood that is standard for the EF 17-40mm lens (and the EF 16-35mm
and EF-S 10-22mm) is very wide, and will not easily fit in lens pouches/etc.
If you're using this lens on a 1.6x-crop-factor camera (i.e.
D30/D60/10D/20D/30D/300D/350D/400D so far) the EW-83E does not provide adequate
protection against flare.
You can use different models of EW-83* hoods (designed for different
lenses) to achieve a much better result. Of course, when you use the 17-40 or
16-35mm lenses on 1Ds or 5D bodies you'll need to fall back to the original
EW-83E.
The original article was prompted by my discovery that the EW-83D hood
(intended for the EF 24mm f/1.4 L USM) was a good fit. In fact the newer
EW-83J (intended for the EF-S 17-55mm/2.8 IS USM) is even better
(it has "flocking" on the inside to further cut down on reflected light,
provides even more shade, and has a better grip on the bayonet mount).
For a long time I used an EW-83D, but when it was damaged in an accident in September 2006
I replaced it with an EW-83J.
Other options include the EW-83H hood (intended for the EF 24-105mm/4 L IS USM).
Using alternate hoods is not just a solution for this lens, it's also possible
with others (it's mostly only wide-angle lenses that it's important for).
EF 28-135mm IS USM lens
I have used the EF 28-135mm/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens since 2000 and had
been aware for a long time that the default EW-78BII hood was not the optimal
match for 1.6x cameras.
The wear-and-tear on my EW-78BII over 5 years eventually wore it out,
and it no longer kept a solid grip on the lens.
So in early 2006 I replaced it with the EW-78C (designed for the EF 35mm/1.4 L USM) and have been
very happy with the result!
On the right is an illustration of the differences between the hoods.
As the hood does not come included with the lens (unlike with 'L' lenses)
there seems to be little excuse to not purchase the EW-78C if you're going to
be using the 28-135mm IS lens with the 1.6x bodies.
An alternate hood is a very cheap investment that can only help your images!
| 
