To hood or not to hood?

I use a travel lens most of the time (money issue) with a range of 18-250mm. Hence the hood has to be short (for the 18mm end) and is almost useless for preventing flare. It also provides almost no physical protection of the front element so no use there either. Removing/replacing the lens cap is more fiddly when using the hood as well. So, for THIS lens, I use with a UV filter only (occassionally cokin filter holder) for protection.
I have a Tamron 60mm macro. However, when using it for macro work, the lens may be disruptive (also mentioned by earlier poster), so I use it but REVERSED so it provides some knock proctection but that's all.
I also have a 500mm (f8 mirror lens). It has a built in hood of only 15mm or so. Again, no good for flare prevention, but useful for knock protection only.

In the event I need flare protection, I have a couple of hands, sometimes a hat or a small reflector that I use. Or a pair of feet, so I can move to the shade if suitable.
Graham

On my wide angle I have UV filters to protect the front element because as stated previously, the hoods are short offering no protection. My longer lenses alway have a hood on them, even my 50-500. I can have that mounted to my 50D with the hood reversed on the front and it fits my backpack like a glove. I just pull it out and reverse the hood to normal position because a 96mm UV filter for it is ridiculously priced!

When using a hood, it is sometimes dificult (unless you have long, skinny, Grinch-like fingers) to remove and replace the standard Canon OEM lens caps because these hoods are side pinch models.

I have replaced all of my Canon OEM side pinch lens caps with Chinese Center Pinch caps. They make it a lot easier to remove and replace the cap when the lens is wearing a lens hood.

I bought a used Canon 300mm f/4L IS lens which was in mint shape except for the lens cap which was cracked. I priced a Canon cap are realized that I could replace all of my hoods with center pinch models for the price of one OEM Canon hood.

Here is a 58mm center pinch cap which would suit the 18-55mm IS and 55-250mm IS kit lenses. Obviously, the caps come in all sizes.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/58mm-Snap-on...item27c230c490