It's the best of what's available at this time
By Jim
Rated 3 out of 5
Date: 2026-10-07
I needed a lens hood to shoot through a train window. A bit of Google research and YouTube videos pointed me to the ULHgo lens hood and STSeestop hoods, which come in two sizes: 50-70mm and 70mm-200mm.
Best hood goes to ULHgo for several reasons.
BIG NOTE: This hood does NOT work well with zoom lenses whose barrels extend and retract externally. The hood will fit over my 67mm to 85 mm lenses, no problem. The problem is that the silicon sits on the barrel, limiting the lens's ability to retract into the barrel. My 24-70 mm lens range is limited to 35-70.
This hood works best on PRIME lenses or lenses with an internal zoom configuration.
PROS:
1. One size fits all. The hood fits my 70-200mm through 14mm lens. One piece of gear is better than two, and it comes with a small, microfiber bag to hold it.
2. Ease of attaching. The ULHgo hood's silicone is a bit more giving and flexible than the STSeestop.
3. Better reflection blocking. The STSeestop hood did a better job of forming a bit of suction on the glass, but it allowed more light to reflect inside the hood. The interior is a bit lighter in color than the ULHgo hood. There's also a chance the STSeestop leaked some light through the accordion seams, since it was made of thinner silicone.
The ULHgo hood seems a bit more flimsy. When extended, it folds and collapses a bit more than the STSeestop. This and the limited zoom capacity were the only reasons I did not give it a 5-star review. The hood collapsing is a bit of a hassle, but overall it outperforms the STSeestop in blocking light.
I thought the flimsiness would be a problem, but ultimately it was not. Place the hood against the glass, grip the camera in one hand, place the other hand near the top of the lens hood, and press against the glass. I had better luck putting the STSeestop up to the glass, forming a seal, and gripping the camera with two hands, but again, I was still getting more reflection and light inside the hood.
With 12 mm lenses attached, both hoods are visible along the edges of the frame. At 14 mm, if you pull the hood farther back on the lens barrel, the hoods are no longer visible. You will want to attach the hood directly to the lens, without the hard plastic lens hood.
The ULHgo hood is slightly less than buying both of the STSeestop hoods. It blocks light better, is less reflective, attaches more easily, comes with a bag, and is only one piece of gear. The maker says it can invert and protect the camera from the elements. I find this funny and couldn't imagine shooting with what is equivalent to a small, rubber Frisbee in my face. If your camera and lenses are weather-sealed, you don't need a rubber bib.
This is an extremely unglamorous bit of kit, but it's the perfect tool for the job it serves.
