Why do lens caps fall off so easily?

[davidedric]

All lens caps seem to be the same hard plastic design, which clip into place. Except half the time they don't. Anyone any experience of lens caps which are more effective, and which can be attached and detached while a lens hood is in place. I know there are soft ones on the market, has anyone tried them? I really don't like having the cap attached to a string. Grrrr.

Or maybe it's just me.

Dave

[Manfred M]

I find that the lens caps work a lot better without a filter on the lens. My B+W Kässemann low profile polarizer will not hold a lens cap at all, so I don't even try.

When I am out shooting, I NEVER have a lens cap on the camera anyways, the second or two fumbling with a lens cap is more than enough time to miss a shot. The only exception to this it is raining and I want to have the extra insurance of keeping the front of the lens dry (lens hood will be in place too).

The only time the caps are on is when the lens is sitting in my camera bag. I couple of commercial photographers I know don't ever use the lens caps at all, even the rear cap; again just because it slows them down.

[tclune]

It may just be the lenses that I have, but I find that Sigma's 150-500 has the most temperamental lens caps (both ends) of any lens that I own. Other than that one, I have no complaints, and since that is the only Sigma I own, it may not even be generally true for Sigma. But it annoys me as much as Dave.

[Black Pearl]

I don't usually bother with the caps but when I do they tend to stay put and a very secure.

[DanK]

I haven't had any fall off.

I don't know what you have. the old-style Canon caps have buttons on the outside edge, which is a nuisance if you have a hood on. The newer ones have pinch buttons near the middle. You can buy aftermarket versions of those on eBay, e.g., this: http://tinyurl.com/k3m8d48. (You can remove the string if you can't find one without a string.)

Re losing them when they are off: I now have a Hufa-S clip on the straps of both of my bodies. The caps have never fallen out of them.

[davidedric]

I normally just have them on when a lens is in the camera bag, so it's when I'm taking the camera in or out of the bag, or changing lenses that I tend to fumble and drop the things. Maybe it's a lack of motor skills

[Shadowman]

Mine only fall off when inside my camera bag.

[davidedric]

Yes, I'll add that to the list!

[Kris V]

The lens cap on my Nikon stays put, but I have a Kodak bridge camera, where the lens cap is attached with a string.
Cap falls off just by looking at it.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

I have an old Minolta lens with a screw-on cap. Once on, it never goes anywhere. My Nikon lenses have the button squeeze type attachments for the most part and are only used when the lens is not in place on the camera, or if on the camera when the camera isn't being used. If I'm out and about with the camera the lens cap is usually in my pocket or not even with me at all. Guess you could say I'm paranoid about loosing them and haven't lost one yet, touch wood (as he raps his knuckles on his head).

[DanK]

You can buy rubber or neoprene sleeves that fit over the end of the lens and replace the lens cap. They look like this, but larger, for SLR lenses. I once saw one on a Canon 24-70 f/2.8, but I have no idea where you can get them.

[rpcrowe]

Optech distributes neoprene sleeves for lenses. https://optechusa.com/lens-sleeve.html I have two but, they also fall off easily.

Here are some other types but, I am not familiar with them http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELUXGEAR-LE...item35e90523b4

Center pinch lens caps tend to hold on a bit better than do edge pinch caps. http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-77mm-Fro...item4cf2718d77 I replaced all my edge pinch Canon OEM lens caps with superior Chinese manufactured center pinch caps for the price of replacing one Canon OEM 77mm edge pinch cap. When I bought my 300mm f/4L IS lens, the cap was cracked but, the lens was perfect in all other respects. These center pinch caps still won't work well with thin body filters or filters without forward lens threads. They do work great when your lens is wearing a sunshade/hood, as long as it has front threads available. It is easier to get at the center pinch mechanism when the lens is wearing a hood...

If you have front threads on your lens or filter, screw-in caps are the absolutely most secure. http://www.ebay.com/itm/77mm-77-Scre...item23475f9629 However, they are slow to remove and replace and you can easily, it the heat shooting cross thread the cap onto the lens. I would prefer a plastic screw-in cap (which would not hurt the lens/filter threads) but don't know if any are available.

I have not used this type of lens cap/hood but it looks pretty neat. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hoocap-camer...item5b07673330 However $49 USD is pretty expensive for a lens cap/hood.

Lens cap keeper http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-lot-Lens...66227760&rt=nc will anchor the cap to your lens...

I have a rubber cap for a slim filter - that always falls off.

[Mike Buckley]

Lens cap keeper http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-lot-Lens...66227760&rt=nc will anchor the cap to your lens...

Who would ever use 100 of them in a lifetime unless they are buying them and then reselling them at a higher unit price? They can be bought for about $3 each one at a time. I came upon an unusual sale recently and bought several for less than a total of $2 and that was in a brick-and-mortar retail store.

[rpcrowe]

I was just showing the type of lens keeper. This is a more realistic number for the photographer who doesn't want to sell the keepers..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5Pcs-Lens-Co...item487d35165f

Actually, I like to use a photo vest, reserving the top left pocket for my lens cap when I remove it from the camera. Keeping certain pockets for certain equipment helps me not to lose (misplace) the gear in the many-many pockets of a photo vest.

I have an extra 77mm lens cap. I was at an event shooting when this guy handed me a lens cap saying, I think you dropped this. I thanked him and dropped it in my top left pocket. I found two caps there when I was ready to reattach the cap. It was someone else who had dropped the cap, not I...

[William W]

All lens caps seem to be the same hard plastic design, which clip into place. Except half the time they don't. Anyone any experience of lens caps which are more effective, and which can be attached and detached while a lens hood is in place . . .
. . . I normally just have them on when a lens is in the camera bag, so it's when I'm taking the camera in or out of the bag, or changing lenses that I tend to fumble and drop the things. Maybe it's a lack of motor skills.

I assume that you are only commenting on the FRONT lens cap?

The issue that you outline is confined. I’d suggest you rethink your protocol. Carry the lenses that you need in the camera bag; have hoods on (the correct way around and ready for use) and the front lens cap off.

WW

[flashback]

I've found that super glue adequately keeps the lens cap from falling off.

[Glenn NK]

Have never lost a lens cap since I started photography in 1962. They never fall off, and I have a UV filter on every lens I own.

Maybe because I always use a lens hood and it prevents the lens cap from being bumped/brushed off?

[IzzieK]

I have lost gazillions of them in the house alone... then I found some of them and put them in a ziploc bag. Now I am never without..

[jcuknz]

I cannot remember a lens cap, back or front falling off But then with a lenshood in place 7/24, fitted as for use, I do not think I need to cap the lens*. I mentioned elsewhere to pursue this policy I cut the bottom of a lovely new like [ and better than any I had bought previosly for myself and inserted a super-market pottle to make room for the hood. ... when I bought my second FZ50 s/h prior to changing to MFT. It came with the hood reversed

* exception to this is my bug-eye which with its bulbous front element has a cap, which looks like a reversed hood, on all the time

Actually better than superglue which tends to run all over adjacent lens is a modelling aid made by Humbrol which dries transparent and clear ... not sure what its optical qualities are though.

[Mike Buckley]

Maybe because I always use a lens hood and it prevents the lens cap from being bumped/brushed off?

One of my lens hoods makes it impossible to position the lens cap inside the hood. The cap is attached to the end of the hood, so the lens hood doesn't act as a preventative.