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One solution to the Q's terrible lens cap: A custom designed, 3D-printed lens cap


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Fellow Q owners,

 

I have owned a Q now for slightly over a year, and I love the camera. As Q owners, I'm sure we all appreciate how our camera delivers incredible performance in a small and lightweight package that isn't laden with confusing menus or options. I think Leica really hit a home run with the Q, and sales of it since its launch are a testament to how great of a camera it is. 

 

The one major issue that I have had with the camera since day 1 though is the lens cap. Why did Leica ship with such a terrible lens cap on the Q? Based on my experience carrying the Q around, the lens cap simply does not work for anything other than protecting the lens while the camera is sitting still. My Q lens cap is dented and scratched from all the times that it has inadvertently gotten knocked off from the hood of the lens while I have been walking around with the camera on a strap, because there is nothing more than a tiny amount of friction holding it in place. The slightest brush is all that is needed to remove the lens cap from the smooth an irregularly shaped lens hood surface. I may be the only person who feels this way about the Q lens cap, but I was a professional photojournalist for 6 years, and I've never had a worse experience with a lens cap than the one that is provided with the Q, which I think is striking given its price point. 

 

Over the past year, I've begrudgingly put up with this frustrating experience, because there is no aftermarket lens cap for the Q that would work due to its unique shape. But last Christmas, I got myself a 3D printer to begin experimenting with physical product design. One of the first projects that I took on in December was to design myself a lens cap for the Q that would actually work the way that a lens cap should. My three design goals were: 

  1. The lens cap must remain on the camera in normal usage, even if the camera body is brushing up against me while it swings during a brisk walk
  2. The lens cap must be easy to take off when needed
  3. The lens cap must visually match the design of the Q and be simple and robust.
Over the past month and a half, I have gone through 12 different prototypes of the lens cap (the first one shown in the middle in the photo below was a simple cover printed in yellow plastic that came free with the printer).

 

prototypes_zpscv4aflz5.jpg

 

During that time, I have tried different approaches to the design of the lens cap, and even experimented with three different sizes of o-rings as seals for the lens cap. Finally, this weekend, I landed on a design that achieves the three goals for the lens cap that I laid out, while also remaining within the resolution and design limitations of my printer, ensuring consistent print-to-print results.

 

Screenshot%202017-02-11%2014.09.53_zpss3

 

The lens cap is printed in black PLA plastic, and it snaps securely into place to protect the lens from dust and moisture It is of light to medium weight for its size, and it is extremely rigid. The inner piece of the lens cap snaps into the inside of the lens hood, and remains in place with friction. 

 

3b36288d-905d-44b6-9c46-62f903c56c01_zps

 

I moved away from the o-ring seal approach for simplicity, as the o-rings never consistently sealed with a satisfying feel, and the simple friction seal seems to do the job perfectly well with less complexity. As you'll see in the attached photos, the lens cap has facets on each side that mirror the slope of the surfaces on the lens hood. The purpose of these facets is to prevent angles of force that would allow the lens cap to be brushed off like the stock Q lens cap. This ensures that, once placed on the hood, the lens cap will remain securely in place until the user chooses to remove the lens cap, and not a moment before. 

 

P1270008_zpshotihlf4.jpg

 

At the bottom of the lens cap, I added a small tab that allows you to easily pop the lens cap off by breaking the friction seal. Without this tab, you would have to use your nail to catch an edge to pull the lens cap off, because the facets on it make it impossible to exert enough force otherwise (see this brief video showing the lens cap in action). As you can see in the photos of some earlier prototypes, I experimented with putting a 'Q' emblem on the lens cap, but I ended up removing it to increase the print consistency by reducing structural complexity, and also to allow the user to position the thumb tab at the top or bottom of the lens cap simply by flipping it 180 degrees (at the moment I like having the tab at the top as it feels most natural).

 

As this is a 3D printed product, it is made up of a series of tiny plastic "slices" that bind together, and that in aggregate create the lens cap. Structurally it is very sound- this will not break, no matter how many times you drop it (I have printed a small, thin cube out of the PLA plastic and was able to stand on it without it breaking). The fact that this lens cap is 3D printed means that the finish of the lens cap is not a smooth plastic surface, or a perfectly uniform matte one either, but the texture of the Leica Q body actually matches and compliments the texture of the lens cap- a convenient coincidence. 

 

P1270005_zpsqza7oaof.jpg

 

If other Q users would be interested in this lens cap, feel free to send me a PM. I have a full time job in software now, so 3D printing is not in any way related to my profession and is at this point a side hobby, but if enough people want to purchase one, I can carve out some time to print a series of these lens caps, process them, and ship them out over a weekend in the near future.

 

Thanks for reading.

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Looks cool, but I will say, that I have a 49mm generic center pinch style lens cap that I got off Ebay for $2.99 that fits on/off just fine with the lens hood attached.  Just need to tilt it slightly when you take it on/off, so I don't know if there is really anything fancier that is needed, at least for my needs, but, I certainly hope you well with the venture

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From Amazon I bought a great solution. Never falls off yet is easily removed, folded into a pocket for reuse after shooting.

Less elegant but perfect protection for the lens hood and lens filter, mine is a year old and the lens hood remains unscratched

OP/TECH USA

4.5 out of 5 stars 87 Reviews

OP/TECH USA 8001262 Hood Hat - Mini (Black)

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A magnetic metal version of this would be awesome, if you ever decide to do that consider me your first backer to the project.

 

Interesting idea, but I don't think that would work- the Q lens hood appears to either be aluminum or magnesium, neither of which exhibit magnetic properties in a way that would work for this application.

 

I just checked with a fridge magnet and it wasn't even slightly attracted to the metal of the Q's hood.

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I think this looks quite neat. Totally agree that the stock lens cap is useless.

 

Have you any ideas what it may cost?

 

I'd love to get people's feedback on the lens cap, and so far about 3 people including yourself have expressed interest.

 

I'd be happy to make and ship the first 5 lens caps to people within the CONUS for $20 each delivered to your door. I realize this may sound like a lot for a piece of plastic, but to that I say:

 

1) Most lens caps are pieces of plastic

2) Leica lens caps are at least $30 or higher

3) There is no custom-designed solution for the Q hood that I have seen out there

4) As well all know, the Q lens cap sucks- this one works exceptionally well. While the other solutions proposed here also seem viable (normal lens cap slid into the hood, or a lens condom), I would argue that neither are as elegant to use in the field.

5) I'm just a dude with a 3D printer, not a manufacturer in China with cheap labor and a global logistics supply chain to drive down costs. I have a full time job that keeps me busy, and like all of us, I value my free time. 

 

If anyone is interested in trying one out, feel free to send me a PM and I can get to printing this weekend. 

Edited by IronLion
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I stopped using a lens cap a few weeks after I bought the Q and haven't missed it. I do use a protective UV filter. Most of the time the Q sits in a comfortable bag. Easy to grab and shoot then put it back. It works well for me.

 

Makes sense. I think this dates back to my photojournalism days and working in all sorts of environments and weather, but I just got so used to using lens caps all the time because of a few times early on in my career when I had shots ruined by gunk on the lens.

 

For better or worse, I feel like my camera is naked without a lens cap- when I pull my camera up to take a photo, the last thing I want to have later is to have a shot be negatively affected because of a dirty lens (although in reality, this probably is very rare even with lots of dust on it, but the lens cap makes it easy to guarantee). This paranoia may also be exacerbated by the fact that I never use UV filters on my cameras. 

 

Perhaps someday I will learn to let go... 

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From Amazon I bought a great solution. Never falls off yet is easily removed, folded into a pocket for reuse after shooting.

Less elegant but perfect protection for the lens hood and lens filter, mine is a year old and the lens hood remains unscratched

OP/TECH USA

4.5 out of 5 stars 87 Reviews

OP/TECH USA 8001262 Hood Hat - Mini (Black)

+1 using the OptTech mini since 1 year and never looked back to the original lens cap

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I'd love to get people's feedback on the lens cap, and so far about 3 people including yourself have expressed interest.

 

I'd be happy to make and ship the first 5 lens caps to people within the CONUS for $20 each delivered to your door. I realize this may sound like a lot for a piece of plastic, but to that I say:

 

1) Most lens caps are pieces of plastic

2) Leica lens caps are at least $30 or higher

3) There is no custom-designed solution for the Q hood that I have seen out there

4) As well all know, the Q lens cap sucks- this one works exceptionally well. While the other solutions proposed here also seem viable (normal lens cap slid into the hood, or a lens condom), I would argue that neither are as elegant to use in the field.

5) I'm just a dude with a 3D printer, not a manufacturer in China with cheap labor and a global logistics supply chain to drive down costs. I have a full time job that keeps me busy, and like all of us, I value my free time. 

 

If anyone is interested in trying one out, feel free to send me a PM and I can get to printing this weekend. 

 

 

Count me in. Afraid I don't live in the US but would be happy to pay a little extra for shipping to the uk?

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I must be the only one still liking and using the standard supplied lens cap (with or without the hood, usually without) 

 

Still as good as new after fourteen months of continual use. 

 

I've grown to love its simplicity, eccentricity and effectiveness  :wacko:

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The original poster's cap looks great and I'm also very interested in the OP/TECH solution and will try to track one down in London.

 

I've had my Q for a few months and, to-date, I tend to take the cap off and leave it off while I'm walking around.  Mind you, I've come close do dinging the lens hood on a couple of occasions (so far, so good), so I think I'll get something practical to protect it ASAP.  I'm just glad that my lens cap is a snug fit over the lens shade. 

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I carry my Q in a bag and use a wrist strap.   For the times I need a lens cap on my Q I simply do this:

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited by MT0227
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