Primary mechanical protection - visually I could not tell the difference

Image quality (contrast, etc.) of the Sony RX1 is not significantly affected by scattered light; I could generate even under extreme conditions no ghost images etc..
The image quality can therefore be with the lens hood is not visible improvements. The protection seems to be primarily mechanical. With the hood is attached, the camera will not fit in the Sony case. The sun visor is very clean working (metal) and lightweight. In contrast to the electronic viewfinder, the sun visor in my opinion is not an essential accessory.