I keep both front and rear caps on my lenses in my camera bag, and work at keeping my camera bags squeaky clean inside. Given the cost of lenses these days, it only makes sense to do this.
My method of shooting does not involve much lens changing, even though I shoot only with prime lenses. I tend to take a look at my scene and subject(s), make a judgement call on which focal length will work best and then attach that lens. I will then work the scene until I have wrung every conceivable image out of it with that particular lens. If there are shots that would be better served by using a longer or shorter lens, I will change to that lens and make those images.
Long ago, I learned that the constant changing of lenses during the shooting process results in a ton of missed images or a ton of wasted time - or both. Less meddling with lenses equates to more images, which is the object of the game IMO.
I keep both front and back caps on my lenses when not in use. If I'm working out of a fixed location where I'm switching lenses I'll keep the caps off until finished. My bags all have individual compartments for each lens so they're not hanging into each other. Most if not all lenses have hoods and about half my M glass has filters at least the ones I most often use.
I've had several PJ friends that just threw their bodies and lenses in a bag and then carried it that way. Most of their glass over time had damaged glass and numerous dents and a lot of paint loss. I make my living with my equipment too but have more respect for it than that. In fifty years of photography I've never scratched a lens element.
Using your gear is one thing;
abusing it is quite another matter. Throwing your gear into a bag and letting the lenses and bodies bang in to each other and get dented and scratched is just not too smart in my humble opinion, but hey - to each his own, I guess.
Some people think it looks cool to have cameras and lenses that are "brassed." They think it makes them look like a veteran photographer or something. I'd rather take care of my gear and actually
be a veteran photographer with gear that still works and has not had to have hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of repairs due to mishandling/abuse. Again, JMHO.
@x-ray, I have not been photographing for fifty years yet, but like you I have never scratched a lens element. I did do a faceplant once, turning my 300mm f/4 Nikkor into two 150mm f/4 Nikkors, though. That sucked.
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