Lens Cap Preferences? Leather, Plastic, Metal?

[consummate_fritterer]

In my experience, the metal screw-on are (usually) better protectors. I state 'usually' because sometimes lens makers don't account for the spacing needed to keep the cap (or filters) from rubbing the center of the lens. Second best are plastic slip-on style because they're very convenient and don't pop off as readily as pinch-style caps do. I don't like pinch-style caps unless none others are available in the right size.

[lucaas]

For brass barrel lens, I like leather push-on caps. It looks better because the color and style of the lens and caps match. I haven't had issues with fungus on the leather cap. They are stored in a cabinet with silica gel packets. The leather caps I have were ordered from China. They are hand made of nubuck and not expensive at all. They can also make lens cases for the small lenses.


For modern lenses, plastic push-on caps work fine for me. If the glass elements are too close to the cap, I store or transport the lens horizontally.

[jim10219]

I prefer the plastic push on kind. They're cheap and I haven't run into an issue. If they get too loose, you can heat them with a hair dryer and reform them slightly to fit. The push on metal kind are too heavy and fall off too easily. Also them and the leather type usually have velvet interiors which is just asking to decay and cause dust. I don't like the metal screw on kind because they're too cumbersome, and I've had enough issues with getting filters stuck on lenses to trust them.

But, ultimately I don't think there's a whole lot of real world difference between them. I think the plastic push on type being so cheap and easy to find is the primary reason why I mostly use them.

[Steve Hamley]

I like the velvet-lined stiff leather push-on caps if I can get them. Screw-in aluminum is fine but is more of a bother in the field.

I test my OEM plastic push-on caps, and if I think that they will touch the lens as tested by pushing on the middle with my finger, they get replaced, usually with a better cap or S K Grimes caps which require that you send the lens to them for proper fit. The S K Grimes caps are not expensive compared to most lenses.

Cheers, Steve

[Vaughn]

Since I often use them as shutters, they need to slip on and off easily without shaking the camera.

[Jody_S]

Metal. I keep quite a number of lenses in a small cabinet, which means they're stacked 2 or 3 high. For the larger brassies, I make rigid cardboard and leather slip-on caps following the instructions posted here some years ago.

[Pfsor]

I test my OEM plastic push-on caps, and if I think that they will touch the lens as tested by pushing on the middle with my finger, they get replaced, usually with a better cap ...

Cheers, Steve

One primitive but efficient way of stiffening the plastic caps is to glue to their outer side a conveniently bend aluminum strip (1cm wide, 1mm thick). The glue must be thick enough (a contact cement will do) to cover the usual lettering that these plastic caps use to have on their centre part. If you want to make the beast aesthetically more acceptable you can put on the strip a label indicating the cap's diameter. The metal strip prevents the cap to deform under pressure and to touch lens surface.

One more thing - before you close the bettered cap with your lens let it dry perfectly and loose all the fumes emanating from the glue - the fumes are harmful to the film.

[Jac@stafford.net]

One primitive but efficient way of stiffening the plastic caps is to glue to their outer side a conveniently bend aluminum strip (1cm wide, 1mm thick).

Too complex. I put a fresh piece of lens tissue under the cap.
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