Vello 52mm Snap-On Petal Lens Hood

Vello Snap-on Petal Lens Hoods; a breakthrough product.

The original snap-on petal lens shade series by Pearstone was a breakthrough product in that it could be easily installed simply by clipping it on like a standard lens cap. In contrast to the awkward thread-on style which requires you to tighten a locking collar to secure it, these were a pleasure to use. However, unlike an OEM bayonet hood, you couldn’t reverse install them on your lens to keep them at the ready.

With this new series, released under the new brand Vello, this need has been addressed by providing a second, independent set of tabs to clip the cap onto your lens in the reverse position. And although it was always possible to clip the lens cap onto the hood in the normal position, they’ve devised away to make this feature official and more secure with the hood installed in both positions.

I put the hood to the test under the most challenging conditions; using a full-frame SLR with a 20mm wide-angle lens. The lens I’m using is the Voigtländer Color-Skopar 20mm f/3.5 SL II with a 52mm filter thread, for which this hood is the perfect application. The matching metal hood is of the standard, round variety with minimal coverage, and retails for $45.00, so this is an excellent, cost-effective option.

The hood installs easily and securely on the lens, with absolutely no evidence of vignetting in the viewfinder. It’s so secure in fact, that I can pick up the entire camera and lens assembly by the hood alone and shake it without incident (of course, we don’t recommend that you do this, but it illustrates just how secure the snap-on attachment is).

The acid test of any aftermarket hood is how it performs with a filter attached, and here the Vello does not disappoint. with the Hoya Pro1 Digital filter, there was an almost imperceptible hint of vignetting, far too little to be field-relevant, and certainly all than one could ask for.

Reversed, the hood fits equally as well and does not interfere with the body even on a pancake lens as shallow as the Voigtländer. The hood will indeed accept the center or edge pinch lens cap that came with the lens in either the forward or rear-facing positions. However, in the forward position it must be rotated 90° to match the tabs on the hood, which are oriented from side to side. This means that some cap’s logos may be rotated 90°. However, this is not a problem when the hood is reverse-mounted, as it can be snapped on with the tabs oriented at the top and bottom. This in fact also improves the visibility of the focus scale should you decide to take an impromptu exposure with the hood in the reverse position, as is often done.

The fit and finish of this product is impeccable, up to the standards of any OEM product. It looks right at home on any lens, as if it were made for it. Vello has done an excellent job of listening to customer requests and improving their products accordingly.

Highly Recommended!

---

For more information on this and other Vello products, visit their website at VelloGear.com