Help - just lost my third Elmarit 28mm lens cap !#@!

[Susan_NYC]

Two questions:

1) What's an economical way to replace the rectangular rubber lens cap for my elmarit 28mm/f2.8? (If I have to keep buying them, is there a "cheap" place to buy them?)

2) How can I keep the cap on? First I had nothing and of course the cap lasted less than a week. Then I bought a lens keeper "thingy" and the glue on the little circle on one end came off and the cap disappeared. I bought a different style keeper and the little "leash" that held the cap snapped off the elastic thingy that held it to my strap. I am left with only the elastic thingy on my strap.

Help!! (and thanks)
Susan

 

[tajart]

28 cap

28 cap

it looks like a cap would just serve to slow you down...
i have this same lens and love it. i don't have the cap and haven't found that to be a problem for my old m7.

 

[amateriat]

Susan: On my M-Hexanon 28 f/2.8, I've never used the cap, because I have the hood on full-time, which has been more than adequate for protecting the front element from assorted nasties (not a scratch in the five years I've had it, and it was my first lens with this setup, and it's been through a lot). I don't know if you have the equivalent Leica hood for yours, but I'd highly recommend it. Not cheap, but worthwhile.

- Barrett

 

[sepiareverb]

The square hood for the 35 'cron is like this too- I've been lucky, both times it has fallen off I've backtracked and found it lying upon the sidewalk. One of the few benefits of working in small-town VT. I suspect in NY it would be sold before you noticed it gone.

I've found that I put it on incorrectly unless I'm taking a lot of care to put it on right- it seems to catch, and the clasps (for lack of a better word- tabs maybe?) do catch, but the cap is too high on the hood- I leave a gap of space between the bottom edge of the hood and the bottom edge of the cap. (am I making any sense at all?) After realizing this I've been more careful to put the cap on s l o w l y and I've not dropped it since. I also have been keeping the cap in my pocket while shooting rather than replacing it after my shot- my thinking is fewer oppotunities for screwing up will raise my odds of keeping the cap.

Hope your not more confused than when I started this.

 

[mfogiel]

I am trying the following fix: since I use the 28 Elmarit on a Bessa R4A, and the rectangular hood vignettes a lot, I have bought a 49 to 52mm step up ring, and then added an old 52mm filter ring (I threw the filter away) then I bought for a few euros a 52 lens cap. This way I get a more compact lens shade and an unconspicuously looking rig... Will let you know about the flare/vignetting effects of this solution when I see my first rolls developed... BTW if you have the E46 version, just go from 46 to 49 and add another 49 ring+cap.

 

[aizan]

buy another cap and leave it at home. 😀

the most practical thing is to put on a b+w mrc filter and forget about caps and hoods. smash the glass out of another filter if you're worried about flare.

another option is to carry your camera in a bag, like a domke satchel. it's not as fast, but you can do without the filter and keep track of your hoods and caps. i go halfway on this idea by carrying the camera on a strap and putting extra stuff in a billingham airline.

 

[Pablito]

I have used this lens since 1996 - never used the cap. Like aizan says, put a good quality filter on it and forget the cap. Actualy I'm still using the same filter I put on in 1996 and even the filter is undamaged - and I USE the lens. Those cap-keeper gizmos are just going to get tangled up inside your bag and snag something which will then smash to the ground when you take the camera out of the bag. My motto is "simplify"

 

[Doug]

Since I keep a B+W haze filter on mine, I'm not sure why I put the rectangular cap on when the lens is not in use, but I do. Out shooting I leave the cap behind, or carry it in my pocket. Maybe I should just put that cap in the box so it doesn't get lost... 🙂

 

[back alley]

all my caps are stored in my aluminum case, safe at home.
the hood is enough for protection and if in doubt just add a good quality uv filter.

 

[Susan_NYC]

thanks for the tips about the disappearing hood cover/cap

thanks for the tips about the disappearing hood cover/cap

Thanks so much, everyone, for the tips about the hood cover. (I mistakenly called it a lens cap....) I'm taking your advice.

As many of you point out, the lens is actually protected already. I have the M8 with the uv/ir filter plus the rectangular lens hood. Although the lens/filter is always dusty, even slimy nyc dust doesn't seem to show on pictures. So I shouldn't worry so much. (This is my first not-point-and shoot - like a first child!)

Tomorrow I'll go to B&H and buy a camera bag that lets me grab the camera in a few seconds. (Using my backpack means I've been reluctant to ever put the camera away while I'm out every day.)

I'll buy hood cover #4 and leave it in my pocket/bag and put it on slowly and carefully and patiently when I use it. And no more cap keepers to tangle.

Thank you again for the advice.

-Susan

PS I apologize for posting in what I now see is the 35mm rangefinder forum instead of the digital forum, but I think everything still applies.

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[akalai]

Tomorrow I'll go to B&H and buy a camera bag that lets me grab the camera in a few seconds. (Using my backpack means I've been reluctant to ever put the camera away while I'm out every day.)

Susan, why not try out Crumpler Bags? www.crumplerbags.com

You guys in New York are lucky, there is even a custom make shop;

Crumpler Custom Bag Shop
49 8th Ave
cnr Horatio & 8th Ave
West Village

tel: 212-242-2537

You can take your usual everyday carry items into the shop and have the magic elves there whip you up something special just for you and your gear....otherwise the "regular" Crumpler bags are great as well...and there is another Crumpler general store in Soho;

Crumpler
45 Spring St.
New York, New York 10112
tel: 212-334-9391

Yeah so "BUY AUSTRALIAN-ish!" 🙂

 

[BillBingham2]

Susan,

This is more of a concept, but it should work. When walking around with the lens on the camera, leave it off. In the bag, use something like a shower cap (elastic to keep it in place) to keep the lens clean of finger prints and all.

If you use a backpack and love it, I'd suggest a Domke Wrap. They work great for me when I carry a camera in a brief case.

B2 (;->

 

[Susan_NYC]

filters, caps, wraps, bags, hoods, slingshots, and shower caps

filters, caps, wraps, bags, hoods, slingshots, and shower caps

Everyone - thanks for so much info.

To clarify: the filter on an M8 lens isn't an option. The M8 has a sensor color "issue" (nice word for "problem") and the Leica-supplied filters successfully prevent blacks from looking magenta

I've now checked the domke wraps on the b&h site...they're waterproof, which I need since I'll be in Ireland next month and understand I have to be prepared to get rained on, daily.

At B&H I'll also check out Slingshots and the rest, and now I have a good sense of what to look for. (Putting "slingshot" into the B&H search box returns 46 items...)

At the West Village Crumpler a while ago I got a cool backpack to carry my laptop and camera when I travel - but I need another bag for easy instant access to the camera for day-to-day use.

I see I'll need bags like I need shoes - different ones for different occasions/weather. (It's probably apparent by now that this is my first non-point-and-shoot/instamatic ever)

Thanks again, all.
-Susan