I have to admit, a lens hood isn’t usually at the top of the shopping list when it comes to camera accessories, that’s until you lose or break one of the things. The use of a lens hood usually polarizes photographers, those who use them all the time and those who don’t.
But what are the main advantages of strapping a lens hood to the front of a lens? The primary reason for using a lens hood is to prevent stray light from hitting the front lens element which can create light flares and ghosting. These unwanted light rays can result in washed-out colors and less saturation in images.
The other main benefit is that a lens hood protects the front lens element. The generally strong and thick plastics most lens hoods are made from stop mucky paw prints touching the front element and if you’re swinging your camera around all day, a lens hood can take the knocks and scrapes that may impact the front of the lens.
The lens hoods found on wide-angle lenses are usually short, petal looking varieties. These provide minimal protection while still stopping unwanted rays of light.
The longer the focal length of the lens, the longer the lens hood which is usually a much-needed item, especially if you’re shooting outside in bad weather conditions and need the front element of your lens to be moisture-free. A lens hood is also a necessity, rather than an option if you don’t use any type of front element protector, such as a clear or UV filter.
Which brings us to the list of the best Canon lens hoods currently available. These may be an option if you simply didn’t get a lens hood with your chosen lens, lost or broke the original, or you want a different design. Thus, let’s check out the current lens hood on the market and what they have to offer.
1. Canon EW-63C (Overall Winner)
The Canon EW-63C lens hood may be the most expensive offering on this list, but it also provides the most peace of mind with its secure fitting and reliability. This particular version is for the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens, with Canon offering replacements for their whole range of lenses and filter sizes.
This lens hood fits like a glove, feels rock-solid, and, being a Canon lens hood, ensures years of usefulness. There’s also the guarantee that its dimensions are an ideal match for its particular lens, showing no evidence of vignetting.
As per usual with own-brand accessories, it will cost more than a third-party version, but it’s also guaranteed to be the right fit. Plus, there’s nothing like having peace of mind when protecting the front-end of an expensive lens.
2. Altura Photo EW-73B Replacement Lens Hood
Sometimes a simple replacement lens hood is needed, which is where the Altura Photo EW-73B replacement lens hood comes into play. This particular lens hood will fit the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM and EF-S 17-85mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM lenses with the common petal-shaped design.
This lens hood is modeled after the Canon lens hood and can be reversed fitted for easy storage. The high impact plastic from which it is made feels very strong and the fit feels very secure onto the front of the lens.
The main plus points to this lens hood are that it feels quality made, has a snug fit, and does a good job of minimizing unwanted light rays. It may cost a little more than an OEM product, but it’s cheaper than Canon’s own version.
3. Camkix Rubber Camera Lens Hood 58mm
This lens hood bundle from Camkix is for 58mm filter threads and includes a tulip-shaped lens hood, a collapsible rubber version, and a black cleaning cloth. The company provides this bundle for the most common filter thread sizes, which means there should be a solution in the lineup for your own particular size of lens.
Both lens hoods fit securely and the benefit of the rubberized version is that it can be collapsed in three stages for different levels of sun shading. The only real downside here is that the tulip lens hood is screw on which means it can’t be reversed fitted. In all other areas, this is a cost-effective Canon lens hood bundle with a solid build quality.
4. Ceari 58mm Telephoto Metal Lens Hood
The main benefits of the Ceari 58mm lens hood is its solid metal construction and its large size, which is ideal for telephoto lenses. The lens hood comes with its own cleaning cloth and screws directly onto the front of the lens with a very good fit.
The metal construction gives peace of mind for protecting the front lens element and doesn’t show any signs of vignetting when attached. It’s also available for a large range of filter thread sizes and costing only a few dollars, it’s a great replacement for the official versions.
5. 58mm 3-Piece Filter Kit (Budget Winner)
Although this bundle is labeled up as a filter kit, it includes a 58mm tulip lens hood and a 58mm soft Rubber lens hood. The 58mm thread size essentially means these lens hoods will fit a wide variety of Rebel type lenses and many of the kit lenses. The bundle also comes with three different filters, which include a UV, central polarizer and FLD filter, 58mm lens cap, and a microfiber cleaning cloth.
The tulip shaped lens hood feels very solid and fits securely, as does the rubberized version, which is also useful for pressing against a glass window – possible applications being photographing fish through an aquarium.
Obviously the filters are added extras, but the benefit of this bundle is that it only costs a touch under $20 and has all the necessities needed for front of lens protection, along with the most commonly used filters. Plus, who doesn’t like an inexpensive kit full of goodies?
Summary of the Best Best Canon Lens Hoods
All the lens hoods on this list will provide good front element protection, along with stopping unwanted light rays. If you need total peace of mind that a lens hood fulfills all duties out of the box, there’s nothing like the Canon lens hoods. However, if you don’t want to spend the extra on an own-brand version, the third-party makers can provide some very useful products and bundles.
