Lens caps... arrrgh!

[Horatio]

I keep forgetting to remove the lens cap on the Nokton before tripping the shutter! It's no issue with the 90mm Elmar as I don't have a cap for it. Typical newbie error, but I think the SLRs have spoiled me, as it's pretty obvious when the cap is still on in that situation. Is it just a matter of getting used to the RF/VF paradigm? Learning new habits?

Anyway, I'm planning to put a yellow filter on the lens soon, then I won't have to fool with the cap.

 

[raydm6]

Can be frustrating. Luckily, I haven't done this yet as I usually have a UV or B&W filter and/or lens shade attached and forgo the lens cap.

 

[santino]

Just make sure you don‘t have a cloth shutter...

 

[Horatio]

Just make sure you don‘t have a cloth shutter...

Good point!

 

[Rob-F]

Can be frustrating. Luckily, I haven't done this yet as I usually have a UV or B&W filter and/or lens shade attached and forgo the lens cap.

This is a very good habit. It has the added benefit of being ready to take a shot quickly, without having to deal with the lens cap!

Just make sure you don‘t have a cloth shutter...

I developed the habit, years ago, of keeping a hand on the Leica to tilt it down when ever the sun is liable to shine into the lens. It is so automatic now that I do it without thinking. You can also use a heavy lens that will tilt the camera enough (and of course a lens hood makes some difference too).

 

[Malcolm M]

Just make sure you don‘t have a cloth shutter...

Has anyone, ever, in real life, accidentally burnt a hole in a shutter? Roger Hicks relates, in one of his books, that it took several minutes with an f1.4 lens to start black cloth smouldering. I once failed miserably to light a cigarette with a 105mm f2.5 Nikkor.

 

[BillBingham2]

I stuck the lens shade on my lenses all the time and got plastic caps from cans that went over them. The color difference allowed me to notice them when I was bringing the camera to my eye.

Alternatively, a ring of colored electrical tape might do the same for the original cap too. A bit more permanent than tape might be colored nail polish around the rim.

B2 (;->

 

[Horatio]

I stuck the lens shade on my lenses all the time and got plastic caps from cans that went over them. The color difference allowed me to notice them when I was bringing the camera to my eye.

Alternatively, a ring of colored electrical tape might do the same for the original cap too. A bit more permanent than tape might be colored nail polish around the rim.

B2 (;->

Interesting idea. I can definitely see part of the lens in CL the viewfinder. Something bright or shiny should be easy to detect, if I have enough presence of mind.

 

[wolves3012]

Has anyone, ever, in real life, accidentally burnt a hole in a shutter? Roger Hicks relates, in one of his books, that it took several minutes with an f1.4 lens to start black cloth smouldering. I once failed miserably to light a cigarette with a 105mm f2.5 Nikkor.

Not accidentally but I did run some tests a few years ago. The results are on here somewhere. I used some shuttercloth off-cuts and a Jupiter 8 (50mm f/2) and tried at different f-stops until it burnt. At f/2 it's pretty quick (a second or so) but by f/8 you have to try hard and hold the image still for long enough. By f/16 I don't think it could be done.

The reality is that it is very much possible but you'd need to be pretty unlucky. You'd need to have a fast lens, wide open, de-focussed slightly from the film plane and onto the shuttercloth and stand with the camera aimed straight at full sun, preferably noon-day. Frankly, I think it's something to bear in mind but not obsess over. A camera on a neckstrap is just not going to aim itself at the sun in normal situations.

 

[Dogman]

Has anyone, ever, in real life, accidentally burnt a hole in a shutter? Roger Hicks relates, in one of his books, that it took several minutes with an f1.4 lens to start black cloth smouldering. I once failed miserably to light a cigarette with a 105mm f2.5 Nikkor.

No, but I once burned a spot on the seat of my vehicle while changing lenses. I had a 35mm Summicron in my hand, stopped to read my assignment sheet again and notice a thin plume of smoke coming from the seat cover. Apparently it was a perfect storm. And cheap seat covers.

Lens caps are for storage or carrying a lens loose in the bag. I use clear or UV B+W filters on all lenses when I'm out shooting. I will use lens hoods too if they aren't too unwieldy and large.

 

[jamesj]

I just misplaced my Nokton metal lens cap. Im always scared here in the AZ sun it will do something to the shutter. I keep lens shade as well as a B+W XS PRO filter on it.

 

[valdas]

Luckily, it never happened to me, maybe because I use RFs with built in meter (M6, R2a). With the cap on I immediately see that there is something wrong with the exposure metering...

 

[David Hughes]

Not accidentally but I did run some tests a few years ago. The results are on here somewhere. I used some shuttercloth off-cuts and a Jupiter 8 (50mm f/2) and tried at different f-stops until it burnt. At f/2 it's pretty quick (a second or so) but by f/8 you have to try hard and hold the image still for long enough. By f/16 I don't think it could be done.

The reality is that it is very much possible but you'd need to be pretty unlucky. You'd need to have a fast lens, wide open, de-focussed slightly from the film plane and onto the shuttercloth and stand with the camera aimed straight at full sun, preferably noon-day. Frankly, I think it's something to bear in mind but not obsess over. A camera on a neckstrap is just not going to aim itself at the sun in normal situations.

In reality when the camera is put down the thing will be on its base or back. Chances of the sun being in just the right position to burn the shutter cloth are - I reckon - pretty low.

Regards, David

 

[David Hughes]

What gets me about lens caps & lens hoods is how expensive they are, how easily lost and how difficult to replace with the correct one.

So they get carefully wrapped up and stored. Cheap lens hoods are easily available and just as good. And a cheap vividly coloured plastic lens cap is fitted as a full-time replacement. You can get them in a lot of different sizes and colours. I use, for example, yellow ones on the 28mm lens and so on for quick identification.

Look at the price of a Zeiss or Leica cap or hood and then compare with the Chinese versions if you don't believe me.


Regards, David

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

Yep, all my RF lenses get a UV or yellow filter as soon as I get them, and the caps go into storage.

Thus far the Australian sun is yet to burn a hole in my M2’s shutter 🙂