For your situation, I’d suggest upgrading hoods on the small primes + the cheaper kit zooms first. Been there… Canon’s “included” hood situation is all over the place.

On the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM (and older 50/1.8 versions), a real hood is honestly worth it. That lens flares easier than people expect when the sun’s grazing the front element, and the hood also keeps you from bumping the focus ring/barrel as much. The standard upgrade is the Canon ES-68 Lens Hood (or a decent 3rd‑party clone). It’s not magic, but it’s a noticeable contrast/flare win outdoors.

For the kit zoom, the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM benefits mainly at the wide end when light is just outside frame. The correct hood is the Canon EW-63C Lens Hood. Petal hoods look kinda small, but they’re shaped that way so you don’t vignette at 18mm. If yours feels “loose,” that’s usually a cheap bayonet tolerance thing—Canon OEM or a better clone fixes most of that.

General rule I use after years of shooting events/outdoors: upgrade hoods on wide-to-normal lenses you use in backlight a lot, and on primes with exposed front elements. Telephotos usually come with actually decent hoods already. cheers!

Quick question — which exact versions are you on (EF 50/1.8 STM vs II, and which EF‑S 18–55: IS/STM)? Hood fit changes a lot. Budget-wise, the best upgrade is usually a bayonet hood that locks (safer walking around vs the sketchy friction ones). For the 50/1.8, Canon ES-68 Lens Hood or a decent JJC clone (~$10–$15) is actually worth it for flare + bump protection.

> “upgrading hoods on the small primes + kit zooms first”

+1 to that. Honestly the cheap primes + kit zooms are where a hood upgrade is most worth it $$\rightarrow$$ like $10–$25 and you actually notice the contrast bump outdoors. I’d just grab a decent third‑party petal hood (JJC / Haoge are usually fine) and skip the flimsy clip-ons. Also: make sure it locks snug + doesn’t vignette at the wide end… been there lol. cheers!

- In my experience, the “upgrade-worthy” ones were my cheap primes + kit zooms: the tiny clip-on hoods were basically cosmetic, bumped loose, and didnt block side-light well, so flare/contrast sucked.

Tbh, after shooting with Canon gear for over 15 years, there’s one major caution I always give: be careful about the mechanical stress on your AF assembly. On lenses like the 50mm or the 18-55 where the barrel extends or rotates during focus, a heavy or poorly fitted hood can actually create a lot of drag. I’ve seen guys burn out focus motors because a third-party hood was slightly too heavy or caught on something while the lens was hunting. Also, check the internal finish of any "upgrade" you buy. A lot of the cheap ones have a shiny plastic interior that actually bounces stray light towards the element, which is the exact opposite of what you want. You really need that matte, ribbed texture or even felt flocking to maintain contrast. And seriously, avoid those metal screw-in hoods for plastic-threaded lenses. Yeah, they feel "premium," but if you bump it, the metal will strip those plastic threads in a heartbeat. Stick to the bayonet mounts—they're designed to snap or pop off under pressure to save the lens barrel from taking the full force of an impact. Keeping that in mind will save you a lot of headache long-term.

- TL;DR: folks agree Canon’s cheap primes + kit zooms get the worst hood treatment—flimsy friction hoods (or none) that don’t cut flare and pop off.
- Best value vs Nikon/Sony: grab a locking bayonet hood; for the 50/1.8 it’s Canon ES-68 Lens Hood—cheap, actually useful, less annoying long-term.