how vital is the lens hood?

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PhenomenalWorld

New member
hi,
i'm a new dvx100 owner, excited by the new camera, & excited to have found this forum.
i am wondering about the importance of the lens hood. the one drawback for me to this new camera is that it's bigger than what i've been using - it doesn't pack so well into a backpack for travel & it's a more intimidating beast for those who are being filmed. so i'm trying to strip it down as much as possible. i've taken the eyecup off the viewfinder (i intend to just use the lcd screen) and would like to not use the lens hood, as it's very bulky & intimidating. how important is the lens hood? i can guess a couple of its functions, to do with keeping direct light (& lens flare) off the lens, etc...but how effective is it? how much would i suffer much without it?
on this same subject (pairing the cam down), does anyone know of a very small external mic to attach to the camera - i'm trying to avoid a large, phallic-like boom.
thanks so much....
marc
 
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Dont strip it down! Just get a backpack for it. A camera bag specifically. Taking the eye piece off? Its great to have it on, expecially in sunny days. You look in your view finder, and the eye piece pretty much blocks out the light, so you can see the nice image.
I think the main purpose for the hood is for lighting issues. I always leave mine on.

You should get a TIFFEN filter for your camera. Its like 50 bucks and its just a peice of glass that goes on top of the stock DVX'S lens. This way it will protect the DVX'S lens, incase a rock or soemthing like that gets at it.

As for a mic, i have the RODE mic and its great. I have a 6 foot boom pole also.
 
Como is refering to a "UV Protection" filter. It's a clear filter that's main job is to take any hits before they get to your lens. The idea is that it's much cheaper to replace a $50 filter than it is to replace your lens.

Tiffen is one company that makes filters. There are many others too.

- Mikko
 
thanks for both replies. yes, i got a UV filter already, ordered it with my cam, so that's taken care of. i still would like to know just how much the lens hood is necessary, as it really does add bulk - i travel super light. como, this RODE mic you refer to - what's the model number? and, is it very small?
thanks much,
marc
 
okay so i guess i'll pretty much take the lens-hood-off option off the table unless anyone else pipes in about that. i checked out the RODE mic, looks nice but would still like something smaller. thanks again...
 
What exactly will you be filming? that's the question here. Will it require the lens hood on, or can you do without?
 
i thought maybe there was an easy answer like "oh no way! without the lens hood the picture sucks big time" or "naw, the lens hood really doesn't make much difference, go ahead & take it off!" & thus i put off my own experiments. but it seems likely that the hood's effect is a more subtle matter, & so i reckon i'll have to explore this matter thru my own experiments...
 
Here's a non-subtle answer.

Having a cheap UV filter and no lens hood is your express ticket to low contrast Flaresville. Take the UV filter off, throw it in the trash, and leave your hood on. Always.

Using your hood is the easiest, cheapest way to improve your image quality. You should also carry a piece of paper around with you so you can flag any stronger direct light affecting your shot.

You'll never see any serious production without a mattebox, and in general, the bigger the production, the bigger the mattebox.

I wouldn't ever shoot anything that mattered without a mattebox.
 
The lens hood is simply a cheaper smaller version of a matte box more or less. It keeps you lens from getting hit with direct light, which can cause numerous things...

Sometimes, if its hard light, you'll get lens flares, some DP's like the look if it works with the frame, subject matter, ect...

If the light is soft and diffused, you have a different affect, the overall contrast of the image will be decreased.

I've shot plenty of times without the lens hood, but I always make sure I'm not getting hit with direct light. Soft diffused light is usually the trickiest to spot, and I usually only figure that out when looking at the monitor because of how it affects contrast, all it takes is just a small amount.
 
this is what i love about these types of discussion boards - a little diversity of opinion! i guess some of it amounts to one's standards of "professionalism". chris, it's good to hear that you shoot without the hood at times. it seems like at least it's an option. & i like lens flare, mostly. i'm used to very guerilla filmmaking, & this camera is a fairly big upgrade for me, so i don't mind downgrading a bit in the process of upgrading as long as i can keep workin' my guerilla instincts. maybe i shoulda just got a gl-2, but the 24p on this dvx1000b is too good of a thing to pass on. but i'm definitely not ready for a matte & all that jazz. i'm just a dude with a camera, & live 3000 miles from hollywood.
thnx much for all yr inputs. really.
 
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