Canon ET-86 Lens Hood for EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens

This is a review of my purchase that i didn't need to make.
I bought this hood for an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L lens that I bought at the same time. I didn't know that a hood come with the lens or I wouldn't have bought it. May be it would be a good idea to let your customers know that the hood comes with the lens. If it was mentioned in fine print, please make it BOLD.


Pepe

I agree that this lens hood is a nice and necessary addition to your lens, but to charge over $50 for a piece of hard plastic is insane. I'm glad one of these came with my lens because I'd be really angry if I had to shell out more money for this in addition to the $1800 lens.

Hoods offer several benefits to the photographer. Primarily the hood shades the lens from stray light that may result in an unwanted discoloration or hazing of the image, or the appearance of lens flare. Shading your lens helps improve contrast and image quality. A hood is not required to eliminate these problems, as any item used to shade the lens will provide the same protection from stray light. The hood is convenient in that it is built to offer protection while ensuring that it will not inadvertently find its way into your image.

Photographers often state the protective abilities of a hood as a reason to have one. This hood being a solid petal shapped three and three quarters inch long offers some protection from keeping moisture and wind blown debris off the from lens element. There is nothing more irritating than reviewing your images to find dust spots or other flaws. When in place, the hood can protect the lens from impacting solid objects. Replacing a damaged hood is usually cheaper than repairing or replacing an expensive L lens.

This hood is manufactured for the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens and normally comes included with the lens when sold new. There is no need to buy one as Amazon often suggests.

Since the hood is wider than the lens; it can easily be stored attached in a reverse position. This doesn't add to the length of the lens, but does make it wider by about an inch. An inch may not seem like a lot, but in a tightly packed camera bag, it is huge. Fortunately Canon provides a storage case with the lens that can be used in addition to your camera bag.

While the protective benefits exist, they are secondary and limited. I find the impact the hood has on my image quality to be the more convincing reason to use a hood. Considering the impact on image quality and the low cost as compared to my other camera equipment (except for a lens case), purchasing a hood is money well spent.

PROS:
Improves contrast and image quality
Offers limited protection to the lens

CONS:
Takes up more space in your camera bag to store with the lens