Using The Lens Hood

It's not necessary to use lens hood all the time but there are some benefits of using it. Lets discuss what are those benefits and you can decide whether you want to use it or not.

Benefits of using the lens hood

First thing is it helps to remove stray lights from different sources. It prevents the light from hitting the front elements of the lens, which will reduce the contrast and create flare caused by the excess light, from the sides. Generally, pictures taken using the lens hood are clearer with rich colors, balanced contrast and the deeper saturation.

Lens Hood

Second purpose of using the lens hood is to protect your lens. We spend few hundreds to thousands of dollars buying lenses and may be it is a good idea to protect it against any accidental physical damage or scratch on the front elements of the lens. Lots of professional photographers and personally, I also use the lens hood most of the time to protect my lenses. Good quality lens hoods are made out of strong and good quality plastic which can prevent your lens from accidental scratch or damage. And the good thing is, it doesn't cost much if it doesn't already come with your lens. You can buy the lens hood from $10 to $100 depending upon the quality and the average price is around $30. So why not spend that much money to protect your several hundreds or thousand of dollars worth lenses, right?

When not to use the lens hood?

This is my personal experience and may not be an issue with other photographers but I found an extra shadow in the photographs when I use the lens hood in the dark area and shooting with the built-in flash. I think it's probably because of the lens I was using (18-200mm) and since the height of the built-in flash is not much, the hood might have blocked the part of the flash and caused a strange shadow on my photographs. If you are using a wide angle lenses or short prime lenses, you might be able to use it without any such problem.

Some photographers do not like to use the lens hood when they are using the polarizing filter. But I use an UV filter and the lens hood all the time together and I have had no issues shooting with it in a bright day light condition.

Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S Lens Review

Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S is designed and built for Nikon DX-Format digital SLR camera. This lens is built with Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC) to enhance the light transmission efficiency and offers superior color consistency. Nikon built this lens with an exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM) which enables it for fast, accurate and quiet Autofocus on Nikon's entry-level DSLR camera like D40, D40x, D60 and D5000 which lacks the internal motor to use lens in Autofocus mode. One of the key element to get this lens is the price of the lens. It comes with less than half the price of many other DX format standard prime lenses currently in the market. At the time of writing this blog, it was selling on Amazon for $197.04. If you really want to try the lens but you don’t want to spend that much money, there are places from where you can rent the lens.

Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S Prime Lens

Along with all the promising features, the lens's performance is very impressive compared to it's price. It produces really sharp and finely detailed images in al aperture value. It focuses very quickly and accurately. It is very light weight and fits into a small package. If you are traveling a lot with your camera, this lens will be a huge advantage for you to carry around. It is almost 4 times cheaper than Nikon AF-S 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 DX VR II lens but produces much sharper images with close focusing up to 1 foot. It is very fast and f/1.8 aperture is perfect for the low-light condition.

The AF-S Nikkor 35mm F/1.8G has two focus modes, M/A (manual override Autofocus) and M (manual focus). The M/A mode enables instant manual switching during AF operation. The lens also features a rubber seal to minimize the moisture ingression around the mount and accepts 52mm filter attachments.

Nikon MC-DC2 Wired Remote Shutter Release Cord

Nikon MC-DC2 wired remote shutter release cord is primarily made for Nikon D90 and D5000 DSLR camera. MC-DC2 simulates the work of the shutter release button for the DSLR. When you press the shutter release button of your MC-DC2 halfway down, it will focus your subject (provided that your camera is in Autofocus mode) like it does when you press the shutter release button on the camera. It also has a lock feature to hold it down for a long exposure shooting while using the BULB mode. You will have more control over your camera using this cord vs Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control. MC-DC2 is 41" long and enough for you to move around your camera freely. When you want to shoot long exposure photographs like fireworks shooting or night scene, this cable works best to avoid any camera shake. MC-DC2 also works best when you want to shoot a macro. You can setup your camera on the tripod, check your cable connection and enjoy remote shooting. This unit is small, lightweight, and fits in your camera bag with ease. If you are looking for something to avoid camera shake while shooting, MC-DC2 can be your best friend.

How to use the remote shutter release cord?

Nikon MC-DC2

Using MC-DC2 wired remote shutter release cord is really simple. When you want to use the shutter release cord, you just have to turn your camera off (if your camera is on) and then plug-in the cable to your camera port (single port on the left side on Nikon D90). Next step would be to turn on your camera and the shutter release cable is ready to use. You don't have to change or adjust any settings on your camera to make this cable work. As soon as you plug the cable in, it starts working as a remote shutter release button.

I bought this cord for Nikon D90 couple of months ago to shoot fireworks. I paid around $35 and it does exactly what it says it does. I am very happy with the purchase.