OK, I've searched and searched and I can't find it. There was a thread recently in which someone mentioned that the hood for the 35/1.4-M ASPH will fit and work fine on the 28/2-M ASPH. If someone knows exactly which thread that is, I'd greatly appreciate a heads-up. Even better, if the person who made that post would contact me, I have just a few questions. I want the 28/2 but hate its enormous bathtub of a hood. Thanks in advance.

-- Anon Terry (anonht@yahoo.com), March 10, 2002

Answers

I just went down and with this on my lenses. Here is what I found out:

• The 35asph hood while dimensionally a little smaller, say about 6mm in each dimension, is also about 4mm longer than the 28asph hood;
• My 35asph hood does not lock onto the 28 properly, it rather fits sloppily with friction only, and tends to pop off on its own;
• Curiously, my 28asph hood will lock securly on my 35asph -- ???

The hood for the 28 is much more robust than the hood for the 35, and has a proper "snap-in" lenscap rather than the "slip-cover" that is on the 35. Given the reverse compatibility of the new hood design, perhaps Leica is/has considered it as a re-design for the 35 hood...

FWIW, I don't think these newer lenses really bennefit much from the hoods as far as flare is concerned, as they are pretty darn flare- resistant anyway. I do like hoods for the impact protection they offer. For that purpose I still prefer my mini-hood, which is a 46- 55 step-up ring with an empty 55 filter ring screwed into it. Alternatively, you can check out the Contax "G" hoods as they are also E46 and will fit the Leica E46 lenses.

Hope this helps!

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), March 10, 2002.

Jack. They must have changed the lenshood when they went from the 35/1.4 Aspherical (first version) to the 35/1.4 ASPH (2nd version). My first version hood is very robust and has the thick squeeze grip cap that fits on the front of the lenshood.

BTW, I didn't think the lenshoods for the 35/1.4 and 28/2 are that much different in size. If you consider the 28/3 lenshood large, you would probably also consider the 35/1.4 hood large.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), March 10, 2002.

In experiments with Nikon SLR lenses, I've found that manufacturers are pretty conservative about hood coverage, probably to reduce the chances of vignetting. So, I found that a 28mm hood would work well on a 24, and a 35mm hood on a 28. I'd be willing to bet that Leica is the same way.

I tried the hood from my 35 ASPH the 28/2.0, and mine fits and locks just fine. However, like Jack, I prefer an even less intrusive solution. I just use a simple pair of stacked 46mm filter rings on both my 35 and 28, with no vignetting on either. That way I can use the regular front cap that came with the lens, and not worry about the slip-on/clip-on shade caps. Plus they're metal. And I have the added satisfaction of taking a hammer to the glass of a UV filter. Finally - a good use for UV filters :-)

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), March 10, 2002.

I tried the hood from my 35 ASPH the 28/2.0, and mine fits and locks just fine. AND, Jack. They must have changed the lenshood when they went from the 35/1.4 Aspherical (first version) to the 35/1.4 ASPH (2nd version)

Paul and Elliot: Just to confirm, your 35asph hood has a twist-ring lock with a slip-on lenscap, and your 28asph hood has a squeeze-on lock and a squeeze-on lenscap, right? Or do I have some weird hood for my 35asph?

Cheers,

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), March 10, 2002.

Jack. No. My 35/1.4 hood has a thick squeeze grip cap not a slide on cap. That was my point. I think the hoods for the 35/1.4 Aspherical (first version) is different from that of the ASPH (second version).

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), March 10, 2002.

Just to confirm, your 35asph hood has a twist-ring lock with a slip-on lenscap, and your 28asph hood has a squeeze-on lock and a squeeze-on lenscap, right?

Yes, those are the hoods I have.

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), March 10, 2002.

Interesting. It sounds like Eliot's cap is the same as the new 28asph, and Paul's are the same as mine, but in Paul's case his 35 cap locks onto his 28 and mine won't. Must be a tollerance-spec issue.

So I guess the hard answer for you Anon is that you MAY be able to use a 35asph cap on your 28... FWIW and IMHO they are both so big, I would use Paul's or my ring solution instead, but if I were to use one of the two hoods discussed above, it would be the stock 28 as it is so much more robust, and not really that much bigger.

:-),

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), March 10, 2002.

Cupping your hand around the lens or using a hooded jacket is the best option of shielding your wonderful outfit. Cheaper and you can't complain that the hood didn't fit your lens :D

-- Alfie Wang (leica_phile@hotmail.com), March 10, 2002.

I don't know if my 35/1.4 Aspherical (V1) hood is exactly the same as a 28/2 hood (which says 28/2 and 28/2.8 but not 35/1.4). I think they just changed the hood when they swithched to V2 of the 35/1.4 lens. The hood I have for the V1 lens is very sturdy, with a metal band and thick plastic front as well as the thick squeeze on cap. Why they switched I don't know, since as far as I am aware, the dimensions and barrels of V1 and V2 are identical.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), March 10, 2002.