On Sat, 17 Aug 2002 00:37:46 GMT, "Martin Riddle" wrote:

>Try to take a picture facing west on a clear day with a 3 o'clock sun. (dont
>point the camera at the sun)
>With out the hood, you'll see 'flare' white spots or washed out areas of the
>frame. Now take your hand and place it above your lens to block some of the
>sun from striking the lense filter. The flares will disapear. This is what
>the hood is for.
>You have to try it to understand it, its very visible.

This varies considerably from lens to lens - some lenses
are quite resistant to flare and ghosting and do not
need shades except for the occasional "hand-shade";
others are so bad that even a shade is not sufficient.
I recommend using shades when possible, though...