Alternative front lens caps for ZMs?

[Paddy C]

I've never given lens caps much thought until the ZM. The front one is horrendous. There's just no other way to put it. I'm constantly dropping it, having it spring out of my hands, or fumbling with it to get it back on.

Is it possible to buy and use a different cap for these lenses? Do such things exist? If so, how would I go about getting one?

 

[Roger Hicks]

I've never given lens caps much thought until the ZM. The front one is horrendous. There's just no other way to put it. I'm constantly dropping it, having it spring out of my hands, or fumbling with it to get it back on.

Is it possible to buy and use a different cap for these lenses? Do such things exist? If so, how would I go about getting one?

Dear Paddy,

OpTech hood hats. No contest: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/review optech shower cap.html. I loathe the Zeiss caps (but love the lenses) too. So far I've lost two Zeiss caps and broken one...

Cheers,

R.

 

[Paddy C]

Roger, thanks for the hood hat link. I've never seen these before but they do make sense.

And I suppose I should have done a quick ebay search before asking because there are lots of generic caps around.

 

[peripatetic]

This is so weird. They seem fine to me, but obviously some people really can't get on with them. *shrugs*

Do you take them off then put them on a lot? I take mine off at the start of the day. Put it on if I'm changing a roll, but apart from that it stays in my pocket until the end of the day, when it goes back on and the camera goes into a bag. Why is that so complicated?

 

[kshapero]

Front lens caps? There is such a thing? I haven't used them in years. And yes Zeiss and their maker Cosina make crummy lens caps.

 

[Roger Hicks]

This is so weird. They seem fine to me, but obviously some people really can't get on with them. *shrugs*

Do you take them off then put them on a lot? I take mine off at the start of the day. Put it on if I'm changing a roll, but apart from that it stays in my pocket until the end of the day, when it goes back on and the camera goes into a bag. Why is that so complicated?

You never change lenses, then?

Cheers,

R.

 

[Tom A]

The only who likes the Zeiss/Cosina caps is our cat. Mr B. They fly off and skip along on the floor and he chases them and bats them under a couch. Well, at least I know were they are. I almost never use them - always a hood as a bumper and I try to put them in the bag so that they dont face some solid object. It is not only CV/Zeiss caps either - some of the Leica ones are not too "bright" either. The 35f2 Asph and 35f1.4 Asph rubber ones slide off too - lens caps by Rubbermaid!

 

[fuwen]

I have no problems with the 46mm caps but find it difficult to use the 43mm ones, only when using the caps with the hood mounted on the lenses. Maybe my hands are smaller so less issues with the 46mm ones.

I always leave the hood on the lens and so far still surviving with both the 46mm and 43mm caps, have not loose any of them yet : D

 

[Benjamin]

Dear Paddy,

OpTech hood hats. No contest: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/review optech shower cap.html. I loathe the Zeiss caps (but love the lenses) too. So far I've lost two Zeiss caps and broken one...

Cheers,

R.

What an excellent idea. Thanks for sharing Roger.

 

[ZeissFan]

I've always disliked the lens caps when the hoods are attached.

And even without the lens hoods, the caps are too lightweight and not really secure. These were poor designs.

Love the lenses. Hate the lens caps.

 

[peripatetic]

You never change lenses, then?

Cheers,

R.

Aaah, I get it now.

Actually generally not. I tend to choose a lens for the occasion. Usually a 50, very occasionally a 28. I generally leave the other lens at home.

If I think I will be needing lots of focal lengths I take my DSLR and a zoom lens. *shudder*

 

[Roger Hicks]

The problem with the Op/Tech hoodies is that there's no hard protection in front of the lens element, and they take two hands to attach. And unless you have a bag with you (in which case why are you using the hoodie?) you have to stash it somewhere... It's not as thin and pocketable as a lens cap.

I use (a rather large) one for my Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS lens.

I think you might find things rather different with the smaller ones.

Assuming you have the lens shade on, there's enough space between the cap and the glass that there's no real need for hard protection. Even if you poke with your finger, the hood-hat won't easily go back to the glass.

I find I can put them on one-handed with small lenses, especially those having 're-entrant' hoods (the sort that flare out and taper in again like this <_>) though I sometimes do use two hands. But I'm seldom in a tearing hurry to put hoods on, though I sometimes do want 'em off in a hurry. I've been known to pull the hood-hat off and just drop it on the ground, once or twice, when I've been out hiking with the hood-hat on for protection while still having the camera more handy than in a bag.

And I just stuff 'em in a pocket (usually the back left jeans pocket) in exactly the same way as a hard lens cap. Sure, they're bulkier than hard caps but they're also soft and crushable. They take up the same sort of space as an old-fashioned cotton handkerchief.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Aaah, I get it now.

Actually generally not. I tend to choose a lens for the occasion. Usually a 50, very occasionally a 28. I generally leave the other lens at home.

If I think I will be needing lots of focal lengths I take my DSLR and a zoom lens. *shudder*

Fair enough. I just don't like zooms, and I'm not that keen on SLRs, D or otherwise. I started using hood-hats because my standard lens for 30 years has been a pre-aspheric 35/1.4 Summilux, the sort with the filter in the hood so you would have to remove the hood in order to put the cap on.

With the other Leica lenses I own, I just use the Leica caps, as I do with the Voigtländers and the Kobalux, but with the Zeiss lenses I find hood-hats a lot more useful and I also use them with the two Summiluxes I have on loan (21 and 24) because their slip-on caps tend to fall off, as noted in the review: http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/reviews summilux 24.html

Cheers,

R.

 

[ssmc]

this may sound blasphemous, but...

this may sound blasphemous, but...

I've never given lens caps much thought until the ZM. The front one is horrendous. There's just no other way to put it. I'm constantly dropping it, having it spring out of my hands, or fumbling with it to get it back on.

Is it possible to buy and use a different cap for these lenses? Do such things exist? If so, how would I go about getting one?

When I got my hands on a 35/2.8 I realized within a few minutes I would not be using that incredibly fiddly cap (and I could see myself dropping it off some cliff or something and having to cough up who knows how much for a replacement). I happened to have a few good-quality 52mm filters lying around (shooting mostly B&W I would also need to invest in new 43mm filters). So I bought a B+W 43-52mm step-up ring and use my existing filters with the excellent and cheap new-design Nikon 52mm cap. I suppose you could always black out the "N". The whole assembly is only very slightly larger in diameter than the lens body. Here's how it looks without the cap:

 

[f16sunshine]

B&h sells Tamron branded pinch on caps that are just so great! Highly recomended.

 

[kram]

Another vote for the Nikon caps (not sure if they do them in 43mm or 46mm) The ZM caps are poor, but IMHO better than the ones for the Mamiya 7. The worst cap EVER, the on the Roelli 35B, it rests on the lens -no grip what so ever (maybe mine was just worn) it is truly naff.

 

[uhligfd]

I think you need a cap that fits inside the hood and not into the inside of the hood onto the lens. Problem solved?