Lens Hood plus Variable ND?

B

benlen

Member
Hey folks,

I like to do a lot of outdoor video shoots, particularly in the snow, which is challenging because snow likes to get stuck to filters, particularly variable NDs.

When I'm outdoors, I really need the ND to shoot at decent shutter speeds and apertures––but if it is raining and snowing, a lens hood is awesome.

The problem is that I haven't really found a lens hood that would work with a variable ND.

I'm currently shooting with a GH3 with a pancake lens, 14mm f2.5, which I take on hiking trips with my friends because it is extremely light weight and has some decent auto focus. I have a pro Tiffen variable ND that is 52 mm, with a step up ring from 46mm (the filter thread on the 14mm lens) to 52 to use my Tiffen.

I'm wondering if it is somehow possible to get a lens hood that could fit on the outside of a variable ND. Problem is the ND is significantly wider on the outside than on the filter thread, and then there's the issue of vignetting...

Does anyone have advice/experience in this regard?
 
I often use a pop out rubber lens hood with my Vari ND.

Mines a bit bigger than yours, at 77mm and 82mm on the outside thread, but it makes the vari nd easier to turn/handle and works great for more traditional lens hood purposes too.

They're really cheap on amazon/ebay, definitely worth considering.
 
Thanks for the reply homestar––I don't remember Tiffen specifying what the outside thread dimension is, but I have a rubber lens hood for photography when I don't need an ND filter, and you're right, it is absolutely fantastic. Easy pop in and out.
 
The outside threads are usually a few MM bigger, around 5 or so.

Mine came with a lens cap, so that was helpful

If yours is 52mm, then the outside threads will probably be 55 or 58.
 
for what it's worth, I like never use the cap actually.

I have the lightcraft workshops mkII and it comes with a nice little plastic case that I carry around all the time, but the lens cap doesn't fit on the filter while it's in the case, so I never carry it around.

I'm glad to hear the tiffen is good! You should be fine with one of the rubber hoods for it as well.

It seems perfect for what you're asking.
 
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