Dept. of minor irritations: Everyone knows you should protect your lens by keeping your lens cap on. And having a UV filter is almost obligatory. The problem is that once I put a filter (a B&W) on my new 50mm Summicron, the lens cap no longer fits very well. While you can get the cap to (lightly) attach to the filter, the slightest bump is enough to knock it off.

I'm sure someone out there in this crack band of Leica professionals has seen and solved this problem before. Any suggestions?

-- Jay D (jayd@netvigator.com), October 30, 2001

Answers

Jay, I think you may have crossed a bridge too far. Filters and lens caps seems a bit much. When I get a lens, I put a UV filter on it and toss the lens cap in the box with the packing and warranty card. I have yet to break, or even scratch a filter (although I did recently dent a $60 Leica filter on my 50 'cron). The lenses are always ready to shoot with. Works great! Now if I could find a way to eliminate the rear lens cap...?

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), October 30, 2001.

Jay, The other side of that coin is "Don't use a filter unless really necessary in rough conditions or for special effects". Maybe I am just lucky but in 30+ years of photography, have never damaged a lens. I keep the original lens cap on my SLR lens except when actually taking a picture. If you are using an M camera, will have to be careful to always remove the lens cap before taking a shot. LB

-- Luther Berry (lberrytx@aol.com), October 30, 2001.

I know that I am probably out in the wilderness somewhere on this issue, but, I do not use uv filters OR lens caps. But there is always a lens hood on my lenses. Many years and much use, no scratches yet.

-- Steve LeHuray (icommag@toad.net), October 30, 2001.

Jay

You are right - I don't use UVs at all unless in a salty spray/sandstorm environment, but I do keep caps on most of the time. I think the sensible solution is either to use filters and do not obsess about caps, or use caps and no filters -- or be like Steve and be a total rebel...

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), October 30, 2001.

I have the same thing with my current 50-what a lousy lens cap!I have been meaning to get a different cap--B&H sells push on plastic caps in just about every size imaginable. A 47mm should fit OVER the hood, and I just measured 40mm on the outside of my B+W filter.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), October 30, 2001.

A Kaiser 40mm push-on lens cap works on a Leica E39 filter. B&H has them for about $6 each. Buy more than one, as you will lose it sooner or later.

-- David Cunningham (dcunningham@attglobal.net), October 30, 2001.

After paying $40 or so to replace the Leica lens cap that fits over the hood on the 35mm lens, I solved the problem in the following manner. I bought a couple of Sima *fixed mount* lens cap retainers, then glued Velcro dots to both the retainer cord end and the Leica lens-shade cap. Other lens caps also have Velcro dots attached now, so I can switch as needed.

As a separate issue, I understood that keeping the lens cap on the M6 lenses was essential to protecting the shutter curtain, as well as the lens. (There's nothing between the lens and the shutter curtain, so prolonged exposure to direct sun could actually burn a hole in the shutter curtain.)

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), October 30, 2001.

Hold a small nail ina pair of pliers, and heat it (the nail, only, as much as possible) up over the gas flame on your stove. Notice that the inside of the cap has a couple of ridges that actually do the work of holding the cap on the lens. Drag the hot nail down the inside of the cap similarly to the ridges that are already there, to make the cap grip tighter. If you're clever you'll figure out how to do only the part that touches the filter (which is smaller than the lens diameter--that's why you're having a problem). That way you decrease the effective diameter of the cap in that area enough to grab the filter, too. Don't get carried away--just a couple of new ruts will throw up enough new ridges to do the job. Experiment.

I don't know if you can actually accomplish this, but nevertheless, it's what I did and it worked.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), October 30, 2001.