Adapter to Connect Two Lenses?

G

gehrm

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I heard that Leica made an adapter to connect two lenses together back-to-back for storage in a camera bag. Does anyone know what these are called and where I could find one?
 
Gunter Österloh calls them doubling rings, part number is 14838. They seem to be quite thin on the ground.

I was after one myself and asked Malcolm Taylor if he had any. He sold me a pair of Sonia (the font they use for their log is difficult to read and I thought it read Sorria or even Somia, but a Google search seems to pick up on Sonia - they're made in India) rear lens caps instead, as he says that they are the best quality caps available (and they even have the correct part number stamped into them). I've yet to glue them together, back to back, as I'll have to sand off the lips to provide more purchase for the adhesive.

Nick
 
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Such double rear caps are convenient, though if there's other kit in the bag there's often no protection against metal-to-metal contact.
 
The old Leitz rings circa 1970 were grey plastic but only good for connecting two lenses. They had two female bayonet but no center partition. On the good side that meant that you could store a deep seated lens like a Super Angulon back to back with most 90mm lenses. The protruding rear of the ultra wide angle sleeves inside the longer len.
 
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How about just crazy gluing two of the regular plastic lens end caps together?

Bob
 
My problem with these devices is that there's no locking mechanism. Also regular back lens caps become loose with use.
 
If you plan on gluing two caps back to back you'll always be risking them pulling apart. At the least, I'd roughen up the surfaces and use epoxy as the adhesive. One of the original advantages off the double bayonet ring was that it cost less than a pair of caps.
 
Nikon Bob said:
How about just crazy gluing two of the regular plastic lens end caps together?

Bob
Click to expand...

I did that and it worked fine. Never came loose so far ...

I added some tape around the join for extra security -- probably quite unnecessary.
 
If you want a secure way of holding two lenses together there's always the Benser Baseplate circa mid to late 1960's. Leitz marketed them in their catalog but they were made by Benser, a German company who also made high quality camera bags with fitted compartments. It consisted of two metal Leica M female flanges side by side, complete with locking buttons. It was "Leica quality" both as to finish and machining. It was held in place by a screw into the tripod socket and by the fact that it fit up around the edges of the camera's baseplate.

Spiratone later made similar, and much less expensive, copies for a variety of cameras.
 
I got a few s/h lens caps, and glued them together using extra-strong double sided 3M tape. Did the job about 2 years ago, and they still hold strong with basically 2 years of everyday use on them. I just tried to pull one apart, and they wouldn't detach from one other - you'd need to turn them back & forth for a while, while pulling, to be able to separate them.

Hope this helps! :D
 
I used to make double caps for my Nikons years ago. I did it with that nasty purple solvent that you use to assemble PVC plumbing pipe and never had one separate.

The key is using a plastic solvent to weld the two caps together, not just glue.
 
I just buy the black generic Leica M caps, and hold them back-to-back with Permacel P-665 Gaffers Tape. That way, I can take them back apart, when I want to reconfigure my camera bag. Do the same thing with my Minolta SRT caps, my Hasselblad caps, and my P6/Kiev caps.

I also use the Permacel Gaffer tape for L39 regular and L39 deep caps (like for my new 19mm Canon). Works just great.
 
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The grey "back to back" caps are fine in most cases. Smaller, lightweight lenses with less protruding rear elements are OK. The caveat is "DO NOT lift the two lenses by holding on to one and pulling up". The lack of lock on them will, according to Murphy's law" drop the most expensive lens, front glass down on the most gravel strewn part of the path!. I use for storage, two lenses back to back in a soft pouch is good for transportation only.
Al, the Benser base plate and the later Leica lens holder ensured that when the strap lug snapped due to the weight of the extra lenses (or lens in case of Leica's) - you dropped the whole package (Benser= camera/lens + 2 lenses) and Leica= 2 lenses and body. I have tried it!!!!
 
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