Lens cap fix?

[JimG]

None of the lens caps on any of my Leitz lenses fit tightly enough to stay on the lenses for long. I see that there is some kind of fabric on the insides of the caps that looks petty worn on these 65+ year old lenses. Is there a fix for this? (I'm way to cheap to replace them if I don't have to.

 

[Nikon Bob]

You could remove the old material and replace it with some new felt or similar material to get a tight fit.

Bob

 

[VictorM.]

If the caps are original Leica: fill the cap with water. Wait a few minutes until the fabric is damp. Dump out the water. Leave the cap to dry, inside facing up, overnight. Replace on the lens very carefully and slowly. The water causes the fabric to swell as it dries, restoring the tight fit. Don't force the cap back on the lens; you could tear the fabric loose from the cap. This technique doesn't work on old Canon caps.

 

[Stu W]

Since the original Leica caps are probably worth about $30 apiece, why don't you just use $3 snap caps. They stay on better and losing them doesn't hurt very much.

 

[JimG]

Stu- Thanks for your suggestion. I never would have guessed that anyone would pay so much for Leica lens caps. It's hard to admit but for me some of the pleasure of using these lenses is that they belong to another age where a plastic lens cap somehow doesn't feel the same.

 

[Kim Coxon]

Hi Jim,
The fix I usually use for the push on metal caps is to use the self adhesive felt that Jon Goodman supplies with his seal kits. A whole kit is only $10 but I am sure he would just send the felt if you asked him. It comes in 2 thicknesses and it has worked on every metal cap I have tried so far and it also works well on most of the plastic push on ones.

Regards
Kim

None of the lens caps on any of my Leitz lenses fit tightly enough to stay on the lenses for long. I see that there is some kind of fabric on the insides of the caps that looks petty worn on these 65+ year old lenses. Is there a fix for this? (I'm way to cheap to replace them if I don't have to.

 

[JimG]

Thanks Kim 'll try that.

I just read in the book 'Magnum' that according to Cartier-Bresson's wife Morath he used rubber jam jar covers instead of lens caps. And tied them to his Leica with a length of shoe lace. I won't try that one but at least it didn't seem to hurt his work any.

 

[richard_l]

I use the self-stick felt which is used to keep metal ashtrays, lamps, etc. from scratching table tops. Usually just a short strip (maybe 1/2" to 1") on top of the old fabric in the cap takes up enough slack to make for a snug fit.

 

[Kim Coxon]

The felt from Jon is similiar but much better quality. It is much more flexible and doesn't shed any "hairs" or dust like some of the self stick felts do.

Kim

I use the self-stick felt which is used to keep metal ashtrays, lamps, etc. from scratching table tops. Usually just a short strip (maybe 1/2" to 1") on top of the old fabric in the cap takes up enough slack to make for a snug fit.

 

[jlw]

Another handy source for felt strips is a dead 35mm film cartridge -- just extract the light-sealing strips from its "lips." It may be too thick for some caps, though.

 

[Jon Goodman]

Hi, Kim. Thanks for mentioning the self-adhesive fabric. Sure...I'd be happy to send some to anybody who wants/needs it for the cost of mailing. In fact, I've saved a piece of this which can't be sold as first rate (yes, I have very strict quality control standards for the seal kits). It got wrinkled in the shipping of the roll, and all this means is the backing paper is somewhat crumpled. The nice thing about this stuff is that it is 1mm thick, and for lens cap repair or the repair of sliding lens hoods, it really is very nice and normally just what you need.
Jon

 

[Seele]

You can also hold the felt against the spout of a boiling kettle; the steam will revive it too.

 

[JimG]

Anachronistics Unite

Anachronistics Unite

I'm an anachronism myself and I appreciate the Modernest School in design. But what an Anachronistic Modernist is, is unfortunitly over my head.

Thanks for your suggestion Seele. What happened was I removed the existing felt and noticed that fabric and cap were both still tacky so I reveresed the felt, replaced it onto the cap, put the cap back on the lens over night and it's been snug tight since.

 

[Seele]

I'm an anachronism myself and I appreciate the Modernest School in design. But what an Anachronistic Modernist is, is unfortunitly over my head.

That got you thinking, and that's the whole idea 🙂

Thanks for your suggestion Seele. What happened was I removed the existing felt and noticed that fabric and cap were both still tacky so I reveresed the felt, replaced it onto the cap, put the cap back on the lens over night and it's been snug tight since.

Different manufactures used different ways to fix the felt into the inside perimeter of the cap, and very often the old felt can be revived. I sure hope that the current Voigtlander caps can go the distance.