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Summilux cap is not Lux


Tomek

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Considering the extraordinary level of ingenuity and engineering Leica has demonstrated in its cameras and lenses since the ur-Leica, it is remarkable how their lens caps and hoods demonstrate the design skills of a 12 month old with Lego. Either, like this one, they are carefully designed to be lost at the first contact with another object (to be replaced at great price, twice so far in my case), or (like my Vario-Elmar-SL 24-90) they are impossible to fit after just half a pint of beer. The hoods on my 23mm and 60mm TL lenses require extreme force to fasten and release (and, when reversed, hide the red button that tells you how to orient the lens for mounting). And every one appears to be different. I suspect the design of lens caps and hoods is seen as the traditional 'apprentice piece' that allows the Leica apprentice to become a fully qualified journeyman, as when a stonemason letter cutter apprentice has to design and cut a totally new and unique typeface as an alphabet.

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Couldn't agree more, Paul.  I rather liked the ventilated hoods (like the ridiculously expensive one for the 28 Summicron).  I don't mind the slide out hoods for the 75 Summilux, 50 Summilux and Noctilux, and I don't even mind the modest little ones on the wides (35-28-24-21 Summiluxes), but why oh why do we need the monstrosities on the two SL zooms, and why can't Leica make a good lens cap.  

 

The one on the 28-Summaron is going to disappear any day now.

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I use them too.

 

Let me explain. I like to keep Leica boxes of lenses and bodies I purchased. But something really bothers me in the idea of keeping empty boxes. If at least they contained something. Give them a purpose.

And then I realized the extreme importance of those little caps: one cap per box and voila! Each box has a purpose and my caps are useful.

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Best cap I've got is a generic Snap-On I just got for the Summilux 50mm BC. The hood is a monster, the push on cap is beautiful.. too beautiful to lose... so I bought a $4 craptastic plastic cap.  Grips wonderfully and never falls off while pulling the camera from the bag. No logo, so stealthy too ;)

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No cap, no filter. The hood alone is sufficient as protection against minor bumps in my opinion.

 

 

When not on the camera my lenses have both caps on. From first picture of the day to back home the front cap of the mounted lens is off. No filters.

100% with this. Putting a filter on a Leica lens does not make sense, unless you want to get special effects. As for caps they only go on when the lens is 'resting'. 

 

William

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100% with this. Putting a filter on a Leica lens does not make sense, unless you want to get special effects. As for caps they only go on when the lens is 'resting'.

 

William

A filter makes so much sense. So much that I avoid to purchase Leica lenses that were ised without filters.

 

I am a real world shooter, not a poseur nor a dude shooting while wearing 500$ smoking shoes. You should see my filters: all scratched. I am

Scared to imagine my lens' front elements if I'd have used them naked.

 

Again, I'm a serious shooter.

 

About image Quality, I doubt that your (or my) shooting skills match the image quality that any lens provides, even Tamron. Let's concentrate on out skills abd leave the pixell peeping to the amateurs.

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No scratches or filters on my lenses. 'Real' image quality in the sense of picture content is not affected by scratches, only by the ability of the photographer. As an article of faith, I never pixel peep. My comment was meant to convey that, in my view, it is not necessary to put a filter on a Leica lens unless you want to get special effects. I stand by that.

 

William

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Serious lens scraper

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

 

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