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Cheap lens caps

John_SD
Whiz

Does anyone know of a cheap source for lens caps? I seem to lose mine in the field. The cap I had for my Canon 18-135mm  STM costs $8, which seems high. 

 

I do keep a UV or polarizing filter on, especially in some of the harsher environments. Once in the field, I remove the cap for the day, but I like to keep a cap on until then. Or do you guys dispense with the cap entirely?

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

2 or 3 years back I bought some center pinch caps (all as 77 mm replacements but there is a good variety of sizes available) from an Ebay seller based in China for under $3 each & free shipping. Took 2 or 3 weeks but they fit great & were worth the money. I bought lens hoods from another seller & they worked great too but took longer to get here.

"A skill is developed through constant practice with a passion to improve, not bought."

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17 REPLIES 17


@ebiggs1 wrote:

I hardly to never use or have a lens cap.  Most full timers and pros don't use lens caps at least the ones I know don't.  Mostly goes back on when I put the lens away in its bag where it does a magnificent job of protecting it.


I have to confess I'm baffled by that. Ernie loves lenses. He's owned most of the lenses Canon has ever made and a good percentage of those made by several other manufacturers. Full timer or not, how can such a committed connoisseur eschew lens caps? It's like a coin collector storing his collection in a plastic bucket.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

"It's like a coin collector storing his collection in a plastic bucket."

 

I beg your pardon, I use Tupperware !   Smiley LOL  Lenses are just tools.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!


@ebiggs1 wrote:

I hardly to never use or have a lens cap.  Most full timers and pros don't use lens caps at least the ones I know don't.  Mostly goes back on when I put the lens away in its bag where it does a magnificent job of protecting it.


Well, about the only time I put the cap back on is when I am finished in the field. As I say, I usually have a filter on (UV or CP), as I am often in the desert or around tidepools.

 

I never keep the cap on in the field, or walk around with it, as I have missed some shots that way and learned early on that a shot missed is gone for good. You can't pose wildlife like you can friends or family. But once done for the day, I like to put the cap on as I would rather it absorb any undue scuffs, bumps or jostling around rather than a B+W filter. YMMV.  

diverhank
Authority

I replaced all of my Canon older lens caps with the center-pinch after-market ones.  They work just as well.

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Diverhank's photos on Flickr


@diverhank wrote:

I replaced all of my Canon older lens caps with the center-pinch after-market ones.  They work just as well.


If you say so. Center-pinch caps are usually thicker in the middle, and not all lenses have enough clearance to accommodate them. I believe that's why Canon tends to use center-pinch caps on their telephotos, but not on their wider lenses. If you use Canon's intended cap, the lens won't get scratched.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Happily there were no such scratches...(I had made sure there was enough room). I've been using them way before Canon comes out with their own.

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Diverhank's photos on Flickr

" If you use Canon's intended cap protecto filters, the lens won't get scratched."

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!


@ebiggs1 wrote:

" If you use Canon's intended cap protecto filters, the lens won't get scratched."


Yup.  And, I admit to being blind in one eye makes me a real goofball when it comes to replacing a lens cap.  

 

Sometimes, I reach to remove the lens cap, only t find out that I already removed it, and I smearing the lens filter.

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