So I got a Nikon 400mm 2.8 AFS-II lens for a pretty good deal although it was beat up and missing all the accessories so I looked for a lens hood and could not find one i liked. Everyone complains about the Nikon one because it's 2 pieces so I thought i would make my own! So far I have a mock up one made but I need some help.
Any suggestions on how to mount it? It's pretty light (i only used 3 layers so its sturdy but not enough to rest the lens on the lens hood). I am thinking about just a pressure fit it but I wanted to see if folks out there had a better idea.
Here is where it's at now but the lens is at the shop getting refurbed so I am waiting to try it out. I plan to paint the inside with a flat black non reflective paint and then maybe put camo tape on the outside? I don't see the need paint and polish the out side for that cool CF look because I don't care i just wanted it light.
What do you think?
setup
Final product for now (edges not strait, the next one i will get hose clamps to use as guides to cut with. Also plan to put auto door trim around the edges.
Thats pretty neat but I think i want something a little more rigid. We'll see how this one works. I just won't know for a couple of weeks while i wait for my lens to return. I bought enough material to mess up a bunch so I can still make about 5 more of these things. And so far i have 150 bucks in material.
Another member brought up a good point about the reason for the nikon 2 piece might be for vignetting so I will have to test that out. If it does then I'll cut it down till it doesn't. Right now it's at 6.25 ID and 6.5 inches in length.
what I would do is put a tube the inside diameter behind the mesh with a whole bunch of vaseline rubbed on it. then take some fiberglass resin or bondo and cover the mesh up, with multiple applications and layers. sand it down with fine grain sand paper and wha la, there you go.
Thats pretty much what i did. Started with a pvc tube, put releaser on it, CF mesh, resin, cf, resin, cf, resin
But what i need is an outside forum to compress to make it even. I can also vacuum bag it but that's a mess too. I could sand it but I would just put camo tape or a lens coat over it anyways (i don't want anything that has a gloss to glare).
I was thinking about it and i might be able to get a thin piece of steel (flashing maybe?) and wrap it around and use hose clamps to tighten it down to make the outside more smooth but once again I don't really need too.
If i get this worked out i could probably sell them! I'll let yall know I think I am going to make another one to and try to get the edges more even. But I am still thinking on it, not really in a rush.
Just a thought. set a nut in the hood material, epoxy should hold or if I'm understanding your design, you may set the nut under the second layer with epoxy and the use a thumb screw to secure the hood.
RonR2 wrote:
Just a thought. set a nut in the hood material, epoxy should hold or if I'm understanding your design, you may set the nut under the second layer with epoxy and the use a thumb screw to secure the hood.
I am thinking the nut route, I might find a broken lens hood and steal the nut.
We'll call the hounds off. I just got a note back from the camera repair shop and said "beyond repair" I guess I don't need the hood. I knew i took a gamble on it and I lost. I might make a lamp out of it or something. It might still work as a Manual focus but I'll have to see.
OK wait a minute.. now you have to fill in the blanks. How much did you drop on this gamble? Did you know going in that it was not focusing? Did the seller offer a refund if unrepairable?
I'm BACK! So some of you followed my other threads but the short story is took another chance and sent it to Nikon and they fixed it! So I am in at ~3k for a 400mm 2.8 AFS-II with pretty much everything new minus the glass and even that they replaced the protective element and one of the smaller elements! I guess I gambled correctly!
So now back to the hood. Here is hood V1. It fits by pressure right now and the edges are not strait, I am going to gaff or paint the inside matte to knock down the shine, and I'll put the lens hood on the outside. I think for V2 I will epoxy a nut on the outside and then just screw it down. What do you think. I made this one a tad small and I can't reverse it but I can just put it over the other side of the lens in my bag.
I had a 400/2.8 Af-I that was missing the hood.
I found the diameter an exact match for 6-inch fiberglass rocket body tubes from my favorite rocket vendor Performance Rocketry.
I cut off an 8-inch long section and spray painted it flat black.
Near instant - waited for paint to dry.
Cheap -- was really a short scrap piece, so free, but real cost is about $20.
Strong - stronger than the original -- probably the same weight...
FredAz wrote:
I had a 400/2.8 Af-I that was missing the hood.
I found the diameter an exact match for 6-inch fiberglass rocket body tubes from my favorite rocket vendor Performance Rocketry.
I cut off an 8-inch long section and spray painted it flat black.
Near instant - waited for paint to dry.
Cheap -- was really a short scrap piece, so free, but real cost is about $20.
Strong - stronger than the original -- probably the same weight...
Nice. I wanted to play with CF. I used it today and it worked well I just used the neoprene lens coat to hold it tight and it worked wonders. Still need to matte the inside.
Thinking a hose clamp would work well, like one for a clothes dryer as they usually have a nut and instead of using the bolt which has a screw driver slot, you could find a thumb screw to tighten the clamp. As for the inside get the stuff that is used in jewelry boxes, use a glue on the inside of the hood and then pour the floss in shake hood and you will have a glare free hood.
