Printable Paper Lens Hoods - 10/29/07

One of the most underrated tools in a photographer’s gadget bag is the lens hood. Without it almost any image is subject to flare (the errant light that can enter the lens creating halation and desaturation and downright damaging an otherwise perfect picture). Unfortunately those little plastic rings can be surprisingly expensive, and by the time you outfit all your lenses with hoods, you have to sell your camera to pay for them. Thankfully the good folks at www.lenshoods.co.uk have taken it upon themselves to create a site where anybody can download printable PDF lens hood templates for a variety of popular makes and models. These printable hoods aren’t as durable as the real thing, but they’re definitely more compact and you don’t have to worry if you lose or break them because, best of all, they’re free! I like the site so much I’ve been downloading lens hoods for cameras and lenses I don’t even own… yet. Visit www.lenshoods.co.uk.