Hoodman H-D200 Flip up LCD Cap & Hood

This thing is great for seeing the screen when you're shooting outdoors, and keeping people away from your LCD. Nothing more annoying then when you're trying to shoot and everyone says, "OOHHH Can I take a look", and if they're real camera neophytes you can point to the back of your dSLR and say "no LCD, its film, I'll show you the pics next week when I scan the film and get them on my computer".

However, the vertical side doors that swing open to hold the roof/top up are really flimsy: the hinges where they attache and the springs. It died on my after only a few months. Didn't want to spend the money to replace it.

On the flip side, it is a great tool for developing yourself as a photographer if you came about in the digital era. It helps you trust your brain's light meter and stop checking the LCD after every shot. Just shoot.

The Hoodman flip up LCD hoods for DSLRs in general and the D200 in particular are excellent. I have a number of them. Flip up hoods work so well that they should be provided with DSLR kits to keep the LCD screens from being scratched. Some users on forums complain that the hoods poke you in the eye if you accidentally leave them open and raise the camera to take a shot. Yes, possible ... but this happens ONCE :-)

I tried a Delkin hood and returned it. The advertisement said "optical glass" to protect the screen; it arrived as scratched plastic. I called Delkin to ask why they advertise optical glass when they deliver plastic. The Delkin representative related, "... by glass we mean clear plastic." [?] No such problems with Hoodman hoods. The plastic always arrives in perfect condition, covered with a protective film.

I don't know how anyone with a Nikon D200 can go out into the real world and not have his or her LCD monitor unprotected. Sure, the D200 comes with a clear plastic shield, but seriously, do you think that's good enough? Put your Nikon D200 with neck strap over your neck, and if you have a belt buckle or buttons on your shirt, banging away at that clear plastic shield, guess what happens eventually: it gets scratched, and maybe even fractured. For real-world conditions and globe-trotting professionals on the go, what you need for your LCD monitor is a blast shield! The Hoodman HD200 is just that. Like the clear plastic protector that came with your Nikon D200, this Hoodman D200 clips right on, and literally becomes part of the camera. The finish matches the rest of the camera body perfectly. It should have been standard on the Nikon D200, but thank God that Hoodman came up with it. When you open it up, the three shields offer enough shading from external light, so that you can adequately view your photographs. It is truly ingenious. The design and construction is solid; professional-grade. I would list this accessory at #2; just below the purchase of a UV filter to protect the lens. I highly recommend this product.