double sided end cap connector?

[robola]

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In the interest of not having lenses bang into each other in a camera bag, is there an available coupler to connect two lenses together? If so I would appreciate details. Thanks

[hoppyman]

There are one or two available commercially which are an open cylinder (with bayonet in each end). You have to be careful that some lenses can protrude far enough into the middle to possibly touch the other lens.

 

I suggest that the best solution (and most inexpensive) is to buy a few aftermarket caps and glue them back to back. If you are very particular you can align them so that each lens has its orientation aligned too (if there are rectangular hoods for example).

[RoySmith]

The Op/Tech Double Lens Mount Cap for Leica has an inside depth of 13mm, a 65 mm outside diameter, and sells for US$15.95 + shipping. This cap does have o-rings which seal against the lens and a plastic divider between the 2 lenses to prevent them from touching.

 

The Leica Rear M Cap (Part No. 14269) that came with each of my Leica lens has an inside depth of 14mm deep, and a 50 mm outside diameter. The protruding bayonet of my Leica M lenses is about 6.5 mm.

 

The eBay 5 pcs Lens Rear Cap for Leica M caps are identical in size and shape to the Leica caps. US $17.25 with free shipping for 5 single caps. The ones I got even had Leica & 14269 inside the bottom of the cap, but in a smaller sized font than the Leica ones.

 

As hoppyman said - the eBay caps epoxied together would be a good solution.

[40mm f/2]

I got the Optech version and hated it: to large diameter and does not hold the lens well. Once a lens fell off when I was pulling it out off the bag (the only good thing it fell into the bag). I then also got some ebay caps and glued them together with some Loctite adhesive.

[TomB_tx]

I still use the Leitz 98205 Lens Coupling Ring I bought in 1969 for $2.25. Rugged and works well. However, you need to keep 2 lenses on it in your bag, as it isn't closed between the lenses.

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[jaapv]

And as said, the rear elements of wideangle lenses may hit one another.

The Optech one in my experience holds the lens very tightly, but is too shallow for some wideangles. Also, it will allow the lens to lock in just one position only, indicated by a slightly raised rib. That is maybe the cause of the lens not locking as mentioned above

[bill]

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Same as Tom, I have a couple. They are great, much better and smaller than sticking two caps together. I keep a body cap in my bag too, to cover the end if I remove one lens, although to be fair it seldom happens - one lens on, two lenses coupled, means one lens always on the body and two joined by the coupler.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[Shac]

Like Tom & Bill, I use the 98205 Lens Coupling Ring but for lenses without the rear elements of some of the wides protruding too far (a problem b/c of potential damage), I've epoxied a piece of plastic in the middle to block out dust etc. Works great and I've used it for years

[gyoung]

Me too, had it for donkeys years. I also epoxyed 2 caps together for Pentax and Nikon items, really works well in deep bags with short lenses.

 

Gery

[roverover]

Wow, this is an old post. I was recently seeking to find a solution to carry 2 lenses stacked together in a small bag. I found bought the current version of the "OP/TECH" dual cap unit,
but quickly discovered that wide angle lenses do NOT work with their Caps as the wide angle rear lens elements protrude a bit and the lenses do NOT fit into the caps properly.
I specifically want to carry a 28 and 21 mm lens set.
I took the advice i read here and bought 2 of the 14379 Leica caps and bonded them together... this worked far better.

This is a 28 and 35 set, but it works perfectly with my 21 mm lens as Leica Caps are designed to fit their wide angle models.

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Edited February 20, 2021 by roverover

[LeicaS2]

Roverover,

Nice photos

The Optitech solution is problematic beyond the depth issue and the fact that the lens may fall off. Those two issues would be bigger issues than the fact that for many M lenses the Optitech diameter is so much larger than just glueing two rear caps together. I was wondering why they would do that, but then realized they make these for Canon and Nilon lenses which have larger diameters than an M fitting. So I presume the outer diameter is the same across all brands. https://www.optechusa.com/lens-mount-cap.html

I also have the old grey coupling from eBay but as previously mentioned, wider angle lenses will protrude into the space needed for the second lens. Sure a 50 and a 35 will compactly match, but better not try to attach a 21mm, or a definitely a say 28 to a 21. Play it safe an glue two base caps together.

Jack

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[105012]

I designed a parametrised 3D printable one where you can choose the depth. Works well.

[roverover]

59 minutes ago, LeicaS2 said:

Roverover,

Nice photos

The Optitech solution is problematic beyond the depth issue and the fact that the lens may fall off. Those two issues would be bigger issues than the fact that for many M lenses the Optitech diameter is so much larger than just glueing two rear caps together. I was wondering why they would do that, but then realized they make these for Canon and Nilon lenses which have larger diameters than an M fitting. So I presume the outer diameter is the same across all brands. https://www.optechusa.com/lens-mount-cap.html

I also have the old grey coupling from eBay but as previously mentioned, wider angle lenses will protrude into the space needed for the second lens. Sure a 50 and a 35 will compactly match, but better not try to attach a 21mm, or a definitely a say 28 to a 21. Play it safe an glue two base caps together.

Jack

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Yes, I agree, other issues are present. The Op/Tec models are the same physical (large) size for all Brands, only the lens mounting cutouts change as far as I can tell. I also agree, they are not as tight fitting as the proper Leica Rear caps. The Leica Caps do cost more but they fit correctly and hold the lenses safely and tightly, it's Money well spent to protect the pricey lenses we love.  Bonding them was easy too.

[roverover]

59 minutes ago, 105012 said:

I designed a parametrised 3D printable one where you can choose the depth. Works well.

This sounds very interesting, have you any photos of them assuming you've made some?

[lct]

Serial number of the Leica Lens Coupling Ring for M lenses is 14838. Been using those for 30+ years. No problem. Just avoid mounting two protruding lenses altogether.

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[105012]

12 hours ago, roverover said:

This sounds very interesting, have you any photos of them assuming you've made some?

I have had one 3D printed (in red!), with shallow depth for my lenses, it holds two in about the space of a single Leica rear lens cap. With the parameterisation you can make any depth and it would be easy to modify the code to have different depths on each side, if I wanted that. I’ll take a picture some time and post it. Of course, this is an amateur effort and very much for use at my own risk 😁.

[105012]

On 5/30/2021 at 10:42 AM, roverover said:

This sounds very interesting, have you any photos of them assuming you've made some?

Hello roverover

Here are the pictures you requested, cheers.

Next to a standard Leica single sided rear cap (90 and 135mm lenses):

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The lenses conjoined using my double-sided cap (in red, because, well, you know...):

Edited June 4, 2021 by 105012

[Harpomatic]

On 5/30/2021 at 12:36 AM, LeicaS2 said:

Roverover,

Nice photos

The Optitech solution is problematic beyond the depth issue and the fact that the lens may fall off. Those two issues would be bigger issues than the fact that for many M lenses the Optitech diameter is so much larger than just glueing two rear caps together. I was wondering why they would do that, but then realized they make these for Canon and Nilon lenses which have larger diameters than an M fitting. So I presume the outer diameter is the same across all brands. https://www.optechusa.com/lens-mount-cap.html

I also have the old grey coupling from eBay but as previously mentioned, wider angle lenses will protrude into the space needed for the second lens. Sure a 50 and a 35 will compactly match, but better not try to attach a 21mm, or a definitely a say 28 to a 21. Play it safe an glue two base caps together.

Jack

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I have been using OpTech caps for a long time and be assured, lenses don’t fall off. At all. That is user error: maybe it was a wide angle and it didn’t twist deep enough because the rear element mount reached the back of the cap. If you want to use it with protruding rear elements lenses you just get the lens to minimum focusing distance and it works perfectly. Or maybe the lens was twisted on the cap without aligning it with the marker on the cap itself first, like you would on the camera.

The real issues are the diameter, which is stupid, and the rubber gaskets if you have Sharpie coded lenses: the coding gets wiped away straight away.

The diameter is not standard across lens mounts, I have Fuji X ones and they are much smaller in diameter, as they should be for Leica M. I don’t understand why they make them that big.

I also have two normal caps glued together (I use hot glue) and use this solution for every lens I have: much quicker lens changes. A double cap on a single lens. You get the lens out of the bag, take the one off the camera and twist it on the back of the one you just got out of the bag. Take that one off the cap and mount on camera. Pop the other lens with its double cap in the bag.

No fumbling, no risk of dropping lenses, much faster changing.

It really works for me.

Edited June 7, 2021 by Harpomatic

[roydonian]

I've use the Optech ones for more than a decade. The only problem is that - as others have said - lenses that have a lot of rear protrusion needs to be set to the minimum focussing distance. (I once came dangerously close to bouncing a lens off the pavement before I'd learned that lesson.)

I take care to match the red dot on the lens with the raised ridge on the double cap, and always give slight tug to the mated pair both before stowing them in my bag, and as I remove them from the bag. With my medium-size Hadley, I have partitions set to create a square cross-section compartment at either end of the bag, and a rectangular compartment between them. The camera (with a 50mm or 35mm lens fitted) goes in the centre compartment, while one lens or two fitted to an Optech double cap rides in each of the end compartments. My only gripe about the Optech is that I wish they'd copied the 'ridge with red stripe' used on the 14838 coupling ring.

As a former engineer, I would not trust glue to keep two standard caps firmly attached to one another...

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[rramesh]

When i take a lens from the camera, I usually lift it by the body. Sometimes the rear cap is loose and will fall. When you have two lenses fixed back to back, one needs to extra careful lifting the lens, as one might just fall. Doing this seems awfully risky.

I use a Billingham bag and I store one lens above the other with padded separators. Leica lenses are quite small and I don't see the need to store them back to back with glued end caps.