Lens caps -- what do you do with them while shooting?

[250swb]

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I suppose the dexterity needed to catch them is good exercise for the reflexes, but the Leica lens cap is one of the most useless pieces of plastic ever designed and deserves to be left at home in a place where you can forget where you put it.

[thighslapper]

Being mostly a landscape photographer I have Formatt Hitech polarisers on my 3 zooms all the time as they also double as the mounts for the filter system.

All the lens caps have been 'retired' and replaced by Optech neoprene lens covers which don't rattle loose in a bag .... or get wedged stuck on like the Leica caps..... and provide better protection from scrapes and bumps. 

At least the SL lens caps are flat ..... unlike the TL ones which are pointlessly domed so you can't stand them, or the lens plus camera, objective end down. 

[johnbuckley]

On 5/21/2019 at 12:05 PM, jaapv said:

Well leaving them at home stopped me from losing them all over the landscape.

Jaap - you will appreciate this. A few years ago, while on safari in Botswana, our jeep stopped while a lion and lioness rested post coitus. Somehow, fumbling with my lens, I dropped the lens cap on the ground by the side of the jeep. The driver/guide ever so quietly opened his door, stepped out and retrieved the lens cap, all in about two seconds. Both lions, fifty feet away, came to attention. The guided handed me my lens cap and urged me to stick it someplace safe, and I think I know just where he had in mind. My family has never let me live it down.

[jaapv]

If somebody is interested in looking for them: I have three in South Luanga, two in the Selous and two in Ruaha, and an untold number in various other parks.. My problem in not so much dropping them over the side of the vehicle with Lions or suchlike around as I can always return to retrieve them, but I lose them when hiking...

Two have been stolen by Vervet Monkeys, BTW.

[robgo2]

The cap always goes in my right front pants pocket, and I put it back on the lens when I am finished shooting a set, which could be an entire day. If I store the cap anywhere else, I will probably end up forgetting where.

Edited May 23, 2019 by robgo2

[AndreasG]

Usually in my shirt pocket, if I forget, eventually the washing machine keeps them for me.

[Liehn Jean-Claude]

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[Andrew Wittner]

Just bought a lovely collapsible silver Elmar 50/2.8. I can collapse this lens into the body of my M240 and leave it like that with no cap on, only a UVa filter and its screw-on lens hood in place, and the lens is optically too close to the shutter blinds to cause any sun damage, so no cap needed. 

[otto.f]

8 hours ago, Andrew Wittner said:

Just bought a lovely collapsible silver Elmar 50/2.8. I can collapse this lens into the body of my M240 and leave it like that with no cap on, only a UVa filter and its screw-on lens hood in place, and the lens is optically too close to the shutter blinds to cause any sun damage, so no cap needed. 

Brave! I always use my cap on this lens to prevent dust. It’s an old style cap with felt in the inner ring and thus never falls off 

[Gobert]

My beloved wife is safe guarding it.

[MarkP]

They're left at home. The hood and filter stays on the lens.
If I'm on a longer trip they are put away in a pocket of my camera bag for the day's shooting. 

[hmathias]

 

 

On 5/22/2019 at 5:36 PM, robgo2 said:

The cap always goes in my right front pants pocket, and I put it back on the lens when I am finished shooting a set, which could be an entire day. If I store the cap anywhere else, I will probably end up forgetting where.

See note below, From the Leica SL and Leica M10 Manuals:

"Notes:

• To protect against dust getting into the interior of the camera, it is important always to have a lens or a cap attached to the camera body.
For the same reason, when changing lenses, work quickly and in an environment that is as dust-free as possible.

• Camera or lens rear caps should not be stored in your pants pockets as they attract dust that can get into the camera when they are attached."

 

[IkarusJohn]

36 minutes ago, hmathias said:

See note below, From the Leica SL and Leica M10 Manuals:

"Notes:

• To protect against dust getting into the interior of the camera, it is important always to have a lens or a cap attached to the camera body.
For the same reason, when changing lenses, work quickly and in an environment that is as dust-free as possible.

• Camera or lens rear caps should not be stored in your pants pockets as they attract dust that can get into the camera when they are attached."

 

I don't read that as applying to the front lens cap ...

So, you get lint out of your pocket onto the front element?  Easy to fix.  Lint or other marks on the rear element is a different story, as is transferring the lint or other fluff or dirt from the rear lens cap to the rear element, then onto your sensor ...

Edited May 28, 2019 by IkarusJohn

[robgo2]

15 hours ago, hmathias said:

 

 

See note below, From the Leica SL and Leica M10 Manuals:

"Notes:

• To protect against dust getting into the interior of the camera, it is important always to have a lens or a cap attached to the camera body.
For the same reason, when changing lenses, work quickly and in an environment that is as dust-free as possible.

• Camera or lens rear caps should not be stored in your pants pockets as they attract dust that can get into the camera when they are attached."

 

I always blow on the inside surface of the cap and check for any obvious dust before replacing it on the lens. Whether or not that helps, I know from experience that if I store the cap anywhere other than my right front pocket, I will fumble around trying to find it. Not worth it. 

[mnsh]

I mostly photograph in the countryside with plenty of time.  I keep them on the M8 at all times to avoid splashes, scratches, and sunlight, and also compose and focus with it on.  Then I take it off just to expose and take the photo then replace.  My lenses are all very clean still.  It goes in a jacket pocket for a moment.  The place not to put it is in the camera case because it will fall out unnoticed.  I sometimes wear a Billingham vest which is great, but you need a system of what goes in which pocket as there are so many pockets you can forget where something is.

[thebarnman]

I just put it into my pocket.

 

[antigallican]

On 5/22/2019 at 6:16 PM, thighslapper said:

Being mostly a landscape photographer I have Formatt Hitech polarisers on my 3 zooms all the time as they also double as the mounts for the filter system.

All the lens caps have been 'retired' and replaced by Optech neoprene lens covers which don't rattle loose in a bag .... or get wedged stuck on like the Leica caps..... and provide better protection from scrapes and bumps. 

At least the SL lens caps are flat ..... unlike the TL ones which are pointlessly domed so you can't stand them, or the lens plus camera, objective end down. 

Is there an Optech cap which fits the 24-90 with the hood on? I use an Optech with my Q and thinks it probably is better than the weird lens cap on that.