jhluxton Posted September 27, 2020 Share #1 Posted September 27, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) Since I started building up my collection of M gear in 2016 I have found that of three lenses I now have my Elmarit 28mm f2.8 has the most annoyingly easy to lose lens cap. But I have never had problems with the 35mm Summicron or 75mm Summarit caps. Since buying the Elmarit in 2017 I find it has popped off umpteen times and as it is my favourite lens is probably used most. Two years ago it went missing after a visit to a castle in Wales - I ordered a replacement from Leica UK - cost £22. At the same time I needed a new set of of Ultravid binocular lens covers as the rubber hinges on my old set had perished, in fact this was the second time I have needed to replace the Ultravid covers. Those more substantial caps were sent free of charge, as had the previous pair a few years earlier - they appeared to be worth more like £22 than the thin plastic Elmarit cap which probably costs less than a £1 to make Shortly after the replacement Elmarit cap arrived I discovered the original cap, presumed lost at the castle, had fallen under a seat in the car. However, over the past couple of years I have mislaid this cap several times - at many locations - however - I was always able to go back and find it, even once where it was dropped in a car park several hours previously. Recently I had taken to popping it in my shirt or jacket pocket when taking the camera out of the bag for a shooting session and only putting it back on when the camera was returned to the bag. Unfortunately, yesterday on a visit to the Talyllyn Railway it looks as though it has lost its ninth life! After spending the morning shooting trains at various locations and then taking a walk around the scenic Dolgoch Falls I discovered the cap wasn't in my pocket nor on the camera when I joined my booked train in the afternoon. I had hoped I would find it in the car - but sadly not this time. Unless the railway have found it - I have just sent them an email it has finally gone! Looking at the design of the cap the way it clips over the lens hood - just does not appear very well thought out. I wonder if this is the most easily lost of the M lens caps and how much Leica make in selling replacements! Anyway I am down to my spare - before using it I am going to print a sticky label and stick it on the inside. Anyone else find this cap the most easily lost?? John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 27, 2020 Posted September 27, 2020 Hi jhluxton, Take a look here Elmarit 28mm - the most easily lost M lens cap??!!. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
250swb Posted September 27, 2020 Share #2 Posted September 27, 2020 I think over the years the 14043 35mm Summicron hood cap will have been collectively the most lost, I've lost mine twice, the first time I had to replace it, the second time I found it two weeks later while doing the same walk. Best thing is to not bother with them and put them back in the box. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhluxton Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted September 27, 2020 7 minutes ago, 250swb said: I think over the years the 14043 35mm Summicron hood cap will have been collectively the most lost, I've lost mine twice, the first time I had to replace it, the second time I found it two weeks later while doing the same walk. Best thing is to not bother with them and put them back in the box. I have always found the 35mm hood cap to be quite firm unless one inverts the camera then it might slip off but kept the camera right way up the slide on fit seems to hold it in place. With the plasticky Elmarit which relies on two fine flanges to grip the hood it seems to take nothing to cause it to pop off. I am a bit of a fusspot about lens caps always have been as I consider them to be an important part of protecting a lens. The deep hoods on the Leica lenses mean I have never bothered fitting a filter to protect them. Perhaps I should rely on a filter instead? John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted September 27, 2020 Share #4 Posted September 27, 2020 My similar lens hood cap on the 35mm Summicron lens was very vulnerable, lost and replaced once. Now, my lens caps live in my camera bag ALWAYS. They are removed when lifting the camera and go into a pocket inside the camera bag, the same pocket, every time. It is a very poor design and should have a life-time guarantee. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 27, 2020 Share #5 Posted September 27, 2020 2 hours ago, jhluxton said: I have always found the 35mm hood cap to be quite firm unless one inverts the camera then it might slip off but kept the camera right way up the slide on fit seems to hold it in place. With the plasticky Elmarit which relies on two fine flanges to grip the hood it seems to take nothing to cause it to pop off. I am a bit of a fusspot about lens caps always have been as I consider them to be an important part of protecting a lens. The deep hoods on the Leica lenses mean I have never bothered fitting a filter to protect them. Perhaps I should rely on a filter instead? John I gave up after losing the same 28mm cap too many times, same too with the 24mm and the 35 'Lux........I now use this kind of thing with quite a few of my lenses: https://www.ffordes.com/p/SOR-18-015869/lens-cases/10x-neoprene-lens-covers There's other makes and designs but the attractive thing about these is that they also protect most of the lens too when they are on, when they're not just stuff them into a pocket or bag. They're cheap enough to lose now and a again too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted September 27, 2020 Share #6 Posted September 27, 2020 6 hours ago, 250swb said: I think over the years the 14043 35mm Summicron hood cap will have been collectively the most lost, I've lost mine twice... Agree...except that I lost mine just once... 😁 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom.w.bn Posted September 27, 2020 Share #7 Posted September 27, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) No problem with the cap, sits tight enough for me. Zeiss lens caps are much worse, but they are made of plastic. You hear it, when they drop to the ground. A rubber cap makes no noise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted September 27, 2020 Share #8 Posted September 27, 2020 Of my Leitz/Leica lens caps, the one that falls off the most is the 60mm clip-on for my 21mm pre-ASPH. Reason being that it is designed to be shared with lenses that have built-in retractable lens hoods (75 Summilux, misc. R telephotos) that add to the external diameter of the front of the lens. On the 21, it overhangs the lens like a tam o' shanter, and the release tabs are vulnerable to being pressed by, well, anything. Vehicle carpets, foliage, door frames, my camera bag/strap, my hip. Usually it makes an audible snap when it comes loose, and a loud clatter if it falls on a hard surface. But I have about 4 spares stashed away that I've grabbed cheap when I run across them in used bins ($5-15). Just in case. Not much experience with hood caps - in the era of most of my lenses (early 1980s) Leitz didn't consider them necessary. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted September 28, 2020 Share #9 Posted September 28, 2020 Lens cap or hood cap? If your missing one is a hood cap, i would check that your hood is a 12526, not 12524 because the later comes from the last century when real Leica men did not know what a hood cap is so the nubs of the hood are not pronounced enough to retain any hood cap. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmahto Posted September 28, 2020 Share #10 Posted September 28, 2020 I guess we are talking about hood cap. I have lost (and found) my Elmarit’s hood cap on the beach. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted September 28, 2020 Share #11 Posted September 28, 2020 11 hours ago, adan said: Of my Leitz/Leica lens caps, the one that falls off the most is the 60mm clip-on for my 21mm pre-ASPH. Reason being that it is designed to be shared with lenses that have built-in retractable lens hoods (75 Summilux, misc. R telephotos) that add to the external diameter of the front of the lens. On the 21, it overhangs the lens like a tam o' shanter, and the release tabs are vulnerable to being pressed by, well, anything. Vehicle carpets, foliage, door frames, my camera bag/strap, my hip. Usually it makes an audible snap when it comes loose, and a loud clatter if it falls on a hard surface. But I have about 4 spares stashed away that I've grabbed cheap when I run across them in used bins ($5-15). Just in case. Not much experience with hood caps - in the era of most of my lenses (early 1980s) Leitz didn't consider them necessary. I thought it was just mine. Reassuring to know it’s not personal 😉 I just leave the lens cap at home Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted September 28, 2020 Share #12 Posted September 28, 2020 On a statistical sample of one I would agree with the OP. I've lost it once, and paid an arm and a leg for a new one in Leica Mayfair. My lens caps live in my back pocket when the lens is in use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmahto Posted September 28, 2020 Share #13 Posted September 28, 2020 In general, I have learned to remove the cap in the beginning and keep it off till shoot is over. Sometimes till end of the day. Because M is a rangefinder and it is easy to shoot without noticing cap is on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steamboat Posted September 28, 2020 Share #14 Posted September 28, 2020 Lens cap? That comes on the lens when you buy it. Right? I couldn’t tell you where *any* of my Leica/Leitz lens caps are located. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhluxton Posted September 28, 2020 Author Share #15 Posted September 28, 2020 Well interesting follow up to my original moan yesterday about losing the lens cap. Despite emptying my pockets checking the camera bag and the neoprene cases I keep the cameras in when in my camera bag there was definitely no cap on Saturday nor Sunday when i had a second look and a good search of the car. I wasn't able to download Saturday's photos until today. What happens when I take the body with the 28mm on out of its case? The lens cap falls to the floor. It certainly was not in there on Saturday afternoon, I had not checked once but several times. All I can think of it managed to become stuck in the "nose" of the case, how it didn't fall out I don't know as when I am shooting I don't always put the case back on but leave it flapping around on the neck strap. Well anyway - now have my original cap and I can put the spare back in the drawer. I am going to print some sticky labels for my caps with my details on and the promise of a £5 reward. for anyone going to the trouble of returning them - might be cheaper than paying out over £20! John 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lysardman Posted October 2, 2020 Share #16 Posted October 2, 2020 You're lucky the 28mm lens hood cap is still available. I lost my 14043 35mm Summicron hood cap on Plymouth Hoe 2 years ago and have muddled through without it, until I 3d printed my own as shown in Leica M-lenses: 35mm f/2 Summicron ASPH hood cap, which works well Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayD28 Posted October 3, 2020 Share #17 Posted October 3, 2020 On 9/27/2020 at 8:05 AM, wda said: My similar lens hood cap on the 35mm Summicron lens was very vulnerable, lost and replaced once. Now, my lens caps live in my camera bag ALWAYS. They are removed when lifting the camera and go into a pocket inside the camera bag, the same pocket, every time. It is a very poor design and should have a life-time guarantee. I generally keep the hoods on all time and the lens and/or hood caps on the shelf but if I think I might need lens cap (never a hood cap) I put them in plastic baggy and tuck them in the zippered compartment on the back of the bag that I rarely access. I don't have to worry about sand or salt water where I shoot but if I did I'd probably use caps regularly. I lost a hood for my 50mm DR and it pained me to buy the replacement. I'm fairly certain that I took it off and simply misplaced it because it fit securely. Hence I just leave the darned things on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted October 3, 2020 Share #18 Posted October 3, 2020 Quote Elmarit 28mm - the most easily lost M lens cap??!! I've had my 28 Elmarit four years now - haven't lost mine. Yet... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijohansson Posted November 15, 2020 Share #19 Posted November 15, 2020 There's actually replacement caps available on Ebay nowadays. Just search for Leica 14043 or Leica Elmarit cap, I guess that's the one you're after. I lost my hood cap last summer, they are definitely easy to loose. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radost Posted January 3 Share #20 Posted January 3 Just lost mine. I am thinking of 3d printing one that locks around the hood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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