crow Posted March 17, 2014 Share #1 Posted March 17, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) How can one distinguish Leica from generic rear M caps? How about the ones that have Leica on the inside plastic, are they genuine? How about the ones that have only the number, no Leica logo? I bet the ones that have "Leitz" are genuine ones! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 17, 2014 Posted March 17, 2014 Hi crow, Take a look here Leica M rear lens caps. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted March 17, 2014 Share #2 Posted March 17, 2014 Who cares.? Anyway the Leica Logo caps have only been used for the last two years approx. Genuine Leica caps have a part number on the inside. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted March 17, 2014 Share #3 Posted March 17, 2014 The real ones stay on. Sent from another Galaxy Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted March 17, 2014 Share #4 Posted March 17, 2014 They probably all come from the same sweatshop. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
masjah Posted March 17, 2014 Share #5 Posted March 17, 2014 Who cares.? Anyway the Leica Logo caps have only been used for the last two years approx. Genuine Leica caps have a part number on the inside. I've got a cheap knock-off R body cap that also carries the part number inside, but as you say, who cares! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted March 18, 2014 Share #6 Posted March 18, 2014 (edited) They even fake the rear lens caps? Sheesh…speak about futile. I’ve got a slew of caps, varying from the newest logoed ones through Zeiss, CV and no brand to the old shiny black and grey Leitz ones and I rotate them indiscriminately. From time to time one wears down and becomes loose and I toss it in the bin. I never run short. They seem to breed… Edited July 2, 2014 by jaapv Typos Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted March 18, 2014 Share #7 Posted March 18, 2014 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) If you want to be ABSOLUTELY sure to have an original one, there are only two ways : 1) Use only caps bought with a new lens (in case, buy a new lens if you miss a cap, then sell the lens, with a "unwarrantied" rear cap) 2) Find on ebay the old deep rear cap for Super Angulon 21 3,4 / Elmarit 28 2,8 1st, with metal dot for alignement : they are unlogoed, but so well made that none has faked them by sure.... the extra (and not needed) length can be used to store into a small silica packet. Edited March 18, 2014 by luigi bertolotti Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crow Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted March 18, 2014 Luigi, I think we've left everyone speechless, or should I say cap-less. I admit I do care. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
plewislambert Posted March 18, 2014 Share #9 Posted March 18, 2014 "I never run short. They seem to breed…" I bought online some moderately cheap silver colour metal rear caps, one of them quite deep, seemingly manufactured in India. They don't misbehave in any way, which is probably why they don't breed. Philip Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcraf Posted March 19, 2014 Share #10 Posted March 19, 2014 A number of used M lenses I've bought recently, even from authorised dealers have generic rear caps. They are distinguishable, in my experience, by having the words 'for Leica M' inside, and not the part number. These are definitely of an inferior quality than the genuine ones. I'm not being facetious; on at least one generic cap the lugs are worn away. Visions of bits of plastic getting into the lens helicoid or camera.........Never seen that on a Leica one. It seems to me, subjectively at least, the Leica ones are of a different quality of plastic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted March 19, 2014 Share #11 Posted March 19, 2014 .... It seems to me, subjectively at least, the Leica ones are of a different quality of plastic. That's true : the "current" ones (even if 10 or 12 years old) are very resistant , by contrast, the nice old ones ("nice" because they had the full classic "Leica" engraving on back... ) with the gray plastic inserts for lug engagement, were very "soft" and I have a number of them that are usable only as "baseplate" for storing... ; indeed, same applies to the bayonet female in the old plastic transparent lens containers, an accessory I love a lot and don't end to buy (if cheap) anytime I find one in some shop... , expecially the ones with red dot on top are very elegant to store lenses , (but I have some for 135s that are horribly scratched, so that the transparency has de facto gone away, and you even don't see if the 135 inside is black or chrome... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crow Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted March 19, 2014 (edited) Very interesting, I also have bought a rear lens Leica M cap, grey..., and an M body cap with the Leica logo on the front. They seem to be genuine and will know for sure how they behave. One of the reasons I am asking is this, I have the found some from the lenses caps I bought(always used) to be problematic; either they feel like they don't lock all the way the back of a lens, or when looking at the plastic in day light there seem to be abnormalities in terms of form. It is not wright to own expensive Leica lenses and bodies and at the same time to have caps that don't feel as good as Leica products. A cap that I like is of my f4/9cm black Elmar, I mean the rear cap, it is metal, and feels just wright, also bought a front Leica old plastic front cap so the whole of the lens seems correct. Edited March 19, 2014 by crow Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted March 19, 2014 Share #13 Posted March 19, 2014 Very interesting,.... A cap that I like is of my f4/9cm black Elmar, I mean the rear cap, it is metal, and feels just wright, also bought a front Leica old plastic front cap so the whole of the lens seems correct. Sorry ? A BLACK Elmar 9cm f4 with BAYONET mount ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crow Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share #14 Posted March 19, 2014 (edited) Screw mount, screw metal rear cap, plastic/ Leica push in front cap, used on a M5 thanks to a genuine Leica screw to M mount adapter. Relatively soft compared to a 90 C, or Tele-ELMARIT but OK for the subjects that require it. Edited March 19, 2014 by crow Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted March 19, 2014 Share #15 Posted March 19, 2014 Screw mount, screw metal rear cap, plastic/ Leica push in front cap,used on a M5 thanks to a genuine Leica screw to M mount adapter. Relatively soft compared to a 90 C, or Tele-ELMARIT but OK for the subjects that require it. ok... ... indeed, old SM metal rear cap are fine... and deliciously heavy Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2014 Share #16 Posted March 19, 2014 ok... ... indeed, old SM metal rear cap are fine... and deliciously heavy Best old SM rear cap should be an OSBLO and still better rear caps are other Leica-Cameras. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dikaiosune01 Posted June 13, 2014 Share #17 Posted June 13, 2014 There are a lot of 3rd party lens caps that can be found in the back alley's of Hong Kong. For me, the original caps stay in the box, just in case I need to sell the lens in the future. These 3rd party lens caps... ... I haven't seen any 3rd party lens caps that are marketed as "leica products." they don't have the model number inside. However these are very different from the original lens caps. The biggest difference is the snugness. Leica caps fit snugly. There is a firm grip between the lens and the cap. The 3rd party ones do not fit as snuggly and can be wiggled loose easily - i.e. I could hold the lens, wiggle my wrist without touching the cap and have it removed. This has actually worked great for me when changing lenses quickly. I don't need two hands to remove the cap. And when the cap is on, and the lens is in my bag; everything is fit snuggly enough that there is no where for hte cap to fly off too. I suppose then in many ways, i prefer the cheap 3rd party caps to the ones produced under the leica brand. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Posted June 30, 2014 Share #18 Posted June 30, 2014 If it fits snug.... what's the problem? Use it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
payasam Posted July 2, 2014 Share #19 Posted July 2, 2014 Many black plastic M rear caps are made in India. This could be what Philip said. Some have the name LEICA inside -- and a man once sold me one of these as a genuine Leica product -- others don't. All seem to come from the same factory. The material is not good and the caps do not fit as smoothly and firmly as they should. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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