G1X: Lens Hood

 

The Canon LH-DC70 lens hood for the G1X is a cute little thing but rather expensive considering its size and material. On the other hand, the LH-DC70 has a built-in adapter and can be mounted directly on the G1X; however, filters cannot be added to the LH-DC70 and, in turn, it cannot be added on top of filters. There’s a way around these problems -- well, sort of.

I remembered once having a cheap lens hood that screwed onto the filter threads of my SLR. After a bit of browsing, I found something similar with a 58mm filter thread. There are a number of variations available so I bought a cheap one for a few dollars. There’s good news and bad news about this filter thread mounted lens hood.

Generalizing from my brief experience with the cheap lens hood that I bought, the good news is that it works. That is, it can be screwed into either the Canon or Lensmate filter adapters. As can be seen, the threaded lens hood is quite a bit longer than the Canon lens hood but there was no vignetting even with the G1X at maximum wide angle.

The bad news comes when wanting to add the threaded lens hood to a filter. In my case, I put a Tiffen polarizing filter on the filter adapter and then screwed the lens hood into the polarizing filter. Unfortunately, this combination results in vignetting when the G1X is at wide angle.

Also, I have to say that, at best, a polarizing filter with a lens hood is daunting combination that becomes downright frustrating when the filter and hood are connected such that rotating one also rotates the other. I tried to have the lens hood only loosely screwed into the filter but the combination is still awkward. I don’t like it.

Still, cheap lens hoods are readily available for the G1X. Since there are many variations of filters and threaded lens hoods, there is some hope that a worthwhile, non-vignetting combination can be found – not to mention using step-up filter rings. Even so, I doubt I’ll be using these two devices together very often on the G1X. Since I primarily use the Canon LH-DC70 lens hood for protection, I’ll stay with the cute one.

G9: Focusing with a Polarizing Filter

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The title of this post is somewhat misleading. When the G9 is fitted with a polarizing filter, the focusing process does not change. Also, either linear or circular polarizing filters can be used on the G9. In fact, this is the entire point of this post.

Although filters were extensively used in film based photography, digital editing has significantly reduced the need and use of filters. Even so, a polarizing filter can be a great asset. This filter can pump up the colors, make the sky more blue, knock out the glare, etc. Many believe that a polarizing filter provides the only effect that cannot be simulated in the digital editing process. In a previous postings, the effects of a polarizing filter, graduated neutral density filter and various post processing effects, including HDR, were compared.

A polarizing filter was the second filter I ever bought (the first one was a clear, protective filter). Although I didn’t know it at the time, that polarizing filter was a linear type. Years later, my auto focusing (film) SLR required a circular polarizer. That was the first I’d heard of a circular polarizer. For a long time, I thought all auto focusing cameras needed a circular polarizer. A few years ago, I bought a circular polarizer for my Canon G3. For my G9, I still use that circular polarizer but I’ve since learned that a linear polarizer also works on the G9.

Once again, Wikipedia to the rescue for the details about polarization but be sure to scroll towards the end of the highly technical article. Also, that article does not really cover linear vs circular for photography.

It turns out that DSLR cameras and digicams like the G9 use different focusing systems. As mentioned previously, the G9 (and, I think, most digicams) use contrast detection as the basis for focusing whereas DSLRs use phase detection. As a result, the G9 can use a linear polarizer but DSLRs require a circular polarizer. This differentiation is often confused. The linear polarizer is less expensive but if you have, or intend to buy, a DSLR, the circular polarizer is more versatile.

To fit any filter to the G9, an adapter is needed (well, you can actually just hold the filter in front of the lens). In addition to selling the adapter, Lensmate sells polarizing filters and notes that either linear or circular types will work with the G9.

As final proof, I compared my 40 year old linear polarizing filter to my newer circular polarizing filter and found no obvious differences. The G9 worked fine with either. Nothing like a simple test to prove something to yourself!
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Lensmate and Canon Adapters for the G9

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The Canon G9 has a non-interchangeable zoom lens without threads for attaching filters. What? I thought … Yes, there are accessory lens and filters for the G9. These accessories are attached to a simple tubular adapter that fits over the lens as shown here. The G7 and G9 use the same adapter, Canon LA-DC58H. To attach the adapter, first remove the decorative ring which covers and protects the connection at the camera. The adapter has standard 58mm filter threads so anything that has 58mm threads can be attached (even a reversed lens!). Popular accessories are filters, especially polarizing filters , and lenses. Canon makes wide angle, telephoto and macro accessory lenses.

In addition to Canon, there are third party manufacturers for adapters, lenses and other accessories. One of the most popular is Lensmate. A U.S. company, Lensmate makes adapters for many different Canon cameras and also sells compatible lenses and filters to match its adapters. The Lensmate web site is an excellent source of information including comparisons of many different attachment lenses and filters: wide angle, telephoto and macro.




Shown above are the Canon and Lensmate adapters for the Canon G7/G9. The adapters are very similar except that the Canon adapter is made of hard plastic and the Lensmate adapter is made of anodized aluminium.

The Lensmate adapter comes with a protective end cap and can be ordered with a cover as shown here. Both the Canon and Lensmate adapters work very well and protect the lens while making the G9 even more versatile. I first used the Canon but now keep the Lensmate version in my bag after a filter got stuck on the Canon version. (The filter probably became stuck because of thermal expansion. Later, it unscrewed easily with no damage to filter or adapter.)

There is a wealth of information on the Lensmate website, including Richard Franiec’s line of accessories. Well worth checking out!

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