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Lens caps are boring . . but . .
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 06, 2016 1:41 pm    Post subject: Lens caps are boring . . but . . Reply with quote
Acknowledgement: This post might be premature. I have not yet received my cap from China. So be on notice I could be full of prunes here. Still . . .

Too often my MF lenses come in without front caps. Usually I resort to the ubiquitous "pinch style" plastic caps which are readily available from China sellers. These protect the lenses, but they add nothing and they certainly are not original.

Many older MF lenses were equipped originally with metal, screw-in, caps which oftentimes had serrated front edges. Sellers want a fortune for original caps. For example, one eBay seller is hawking an original Angenieux cap I need for $25!!! Shocked Shocked Rolling Eyes Give me a break. $25 for a lens cap! Crying out loud.

Anyway, most of my needs are much closer to Vivitar than to Angenieux. But where to find metal caps like the old Vivitar caps? Well, here is what I'm trying:

Click here to see on Ebay

I found that auction confusing at first and I STILL might not understand it. But I'm hopeful there is a "pony" buried somewhere beneath that pile of s***. The fact of the items being in two parts is what confused me, and the auction photos are not great.

Q: So why post this now, prematurely? Why not wait until after your shipment arrives?

A: Two reasons. I'm posting in hope this might help other participants here in need of more original lens caps. I'm also posting with full awareness that, even if this works out, it might not be the best solution for metal lens caps. I'm posting in hope another participant here might be able to offer a better, less expensive, solution.

I only bought one item since really do not know what I will receive. But ignorance sustains hopefulness, and if things do work out I have need for many more of these metal lens caps . . . if that's what they turn out to be. Question


PostPosted: Thu Oct 06, 2016 2:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Lens caps are boring . . but . . Reply with quote
guardian wrote:
Many older MF lenses were equipped originally with metal, screw-in, caps which oftentimes had serrated front edges.


most of original older caps I seen (at least from the 70's ) are push on caps, not screw in?

that's why they are all lost, they fall easily

I have one exactly like this for my S-M-C 120/2.8



PostPosted: Thu Oct 06, 2016 2:50 pm    Post subject: Re: Lens caps are boring . . but . . Reply with quote
kansalliskala wrote:
guardian wrote:
Many older MF lenses were equipped originally with metal, screw-in, caps which oftentimes had serrated front edges.


most of original older caps I seen (at least from the 70's) are push on caps, not screw in?

that's why they are all lost, they fall easily

I have one exactly like this for my S-M-C 120/2.8



Agreed. Totally. I have some of those push ons.

But lenses I'm thinking of in the OP are presets from the 1960's.


PostPosted: Thu Oct 06, 2016 4:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Lens caps are boring . . but . . Reply with quote
guardian wrote:
The fact of the items being in two parts is what confused me, and the auction photos are not great.


I couldn't see anything in the listing suggesting two parts!

I have brought a handful of smaller screw in caps from china to modify for un-mounted filters (actually 25mm technical glass for enhanced spectrum photography)

I see no reason why these shouldn't work well, though I'd not seen the more common sizes before Smile


PostPosted: Fri Oct 07, 2016 3:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Groan. Really bad luck.

I just received a message from China saying Chinese customs returned my shipment to the seller. No reason was given. Seller will refund me but I must re-order and wait another month for my hoped-for metal lens cover to arrive.

Am NOT a happy camper.


PostPosted: Fri Oct 07, 2016 5:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Personally I don't care what kind of caps I have as long as they perform their intended function. That said, the old metal screw in caps are fiddly to take off/put back on, the push on plastic or metal ones tend to fall off easily and all the old plastic pinch style ones are all broken by now (at least the Minolta brand, a design flaw I suppose). But the newer cheap plastic ones from China are just perfect. I just bought a whole bag of them for $9 in a couple of sizes. They work perfectly, they're completely neutral looking (no branding) and they actually look nice with a faux leather pattern. No problems with customs and they arrived about two weeks before the estimated delivery date. What's not to like? Smile


PostPosted: Fri Oct 07, 2016 12:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
miran wrote:
Personally I don't care what kind of caps I have as long as they perform their intended function. That said, the old metal screw in caps are fiddly to take off/put back on, the push on plastic or metal ones tend to fall off easily and all the old plastic pinch style ones are all broken by now (at least the Minolta brand, a design flaw I suppose). But the newer cheap plastic ones from China are just perfect. I just bought a whole bag of them for $9 in a couple of sizes. They work perfectly, they're completely neutral looking (no branding) and they actually look nice with a faux leather pattern. No problems with customs and they arrived about two weeks before the estimated delivery date. What's not to like? Smile


No real disagreement. This is my first time ever to have trouble with China customs and I buy over there constantly. And all of my lens cover purchases in the past were of the plastic pinch type. So we are together on those two aspects.

Reason I am seeking metal screw-in covers, with the serrated edge, is for authenticity vis a vis my older presets, which originally shipped with such lens covers as that. Guess it will be a while before I know how I did. When I wrote the OP it already had been three weeks waiting for my shipment, which I expected any day. Now I'm back to scratch. Sad


PostPosted: Fri Oct 07, 2016 4:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Top tip - look for vendors selling caps in lots of ten. Works out ~ 25-40p (UK£) /cap.

Example; ebay item # 322142762338


PostPosted: Fri Oct 07, 2016 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
marcusBMG wrote:
Top tip - look for vendors selling caps in lots of ten. Works out ~ 25-40p (UK£) /cap.

Example; ebay item # 322142762338


That's a great bargain, I've paid £1 a cap at the camera fair, and some traders are selling them at £2 - and that's for second hand caps.
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