No joy finding a lens cap...

DougK · 10-12-2004

HELP! I'm desperately trying to find a lens cap and or UV filter suitable for my Trip 35

. Matt Denton's website says that a 45mm slip-on or a 43.5mm screw-in filter/cap will work, but I'm having a horrible time finding one, even with the mighty Google on my side. Can anyone here suggest a source for these elusive beasts? I even tried eBay, but didn't have much luck there. I would really, really like to find one so that I can feel comfortable using this as my everyday take-along /leave-in-the car camera without fretting over scratching up the lens, even though it is pretty well recessed.

Thanks in advance everyone,
Doug K.

Brian Sweeney · 10-12-2004

I have taken to inserting foam strips inside of the more common lens caps to "downsize" them for hard to find lenses. I have also started using teflon tape, like that used for faucet fittings, to thicken filters. You could try the more common 43mm filter size, some teflon tape around the threads, and onto the 43.5mm Olympus.

FrankS · 10-12-2004

At the moment I'm using a slip-on lens cap (over a lens shade) made to fit the shade's diameter with a strip of suede glued on the inside diameter of the cap.

Rich Silfver · 10-12-2004

Two places that I'm almost sure could help you out are (emails):
1) info@vintagecameras.co.uk
2) service@lutoncameras.co.uk

This may also be an option for you but not sure about fit: http://www.2filter.com/prices/products/schcaps.html

And...for some great sites for classic camera equipment (ssshh..): http://www.ukcamera.com/collect/

I do believe I have the original olympus cap and hood - but not giving them up

back alley · 10-12-2004

skylight filter

lens cap

Rich Silfver · 10-12-2004

..and even a hood

back alley · 10-12-2004

is that the one at camera hunter?
yeah, i saw that too.
lol!

joe

DougK · 10-12-2004

I knew I was coming to the right place to ask the question...

Thank you all for your kind suggestions! Joe, you had the winning suggestion, that was exactly what I was looking for and I snapped it up posthaste!

Doug K.

DougK · 10-12-2004

Oh yeah, and thanks Rich, I wound up grabbing the lens hood too

Doug K.

back alley · 10-12-2004

glad to be of service.

and as a small side note - for the sake of rff history - i note that this is my 2000th post!!

joe

peter_n · 10-12-2004

CONGRATULATIONS Joe!!

Doug K: You tried eBay? There's a slew of 43.5mm stuff there...

Maybe you mis-typed?

DougK · 10-12-2004

Peter,

Yeah, I probably did mis-type, although I could have sworn I hadn't seen anything there before and I'm usually good at searching for this stuff... maybe I caught slow spots in between auctions or something, I dunno... anyway, all is now well in my world. Maybe we should pass Joe an oxygen mask though, he's at a pretty significant altitude

Doug K.

back alley · 10-12-2004

doug k,

i think ebay's search engine is not always up to snuff.
sometimes i get a hit and sometimes nothing.
ya just gotta know where to look.
joe

wlewisiii · 10-12-2004

Typos. That's a real thing to look for. Think what you want, then check all they typos for it.

You'd be surprised what can come up...

William

denishr · 10-13-2004

Awww, c'mon guys, where's your resourcefulness?
I mean, if you were camera fondlers, and wanted to have everything original, then OK - by all means, look for the originals.
But, if your only goal is to have a functional part, i.e. lens cap, hood, etc., you can make it yourselves!

The attached photo shows solutions to my problems - pill bottle caps which I use as lens caps for my Leica and Russian lenses. With a little effort, you can also make a rear lens cap - the translucent one shown on the Elmar C (black) lens in the photo is from a deodorant spray, and something like that could easily be used to protect the Jupiter 12 rear element....

The black "tube" in lower right is a lens shade for the same 90/4 Elmar lens (works great!), from the same pill bottle - just spray-painted in black to reduce reflections.

Denis

Pherdinand · 10-13-2004

Most if not all photo stores (at least here in NL) have junk boxes with lots of lens caps and some hoods, flash cables, filters etc. I'd try there first.

oftheherd · 10-13-2004

Wow denishr, neat! Thanks.

pshinkaw · 10-13-2004

This place has a lot of adapters. You can adapt the 43.5 to a more common size, including Series filters. They are very good, and ship fast.

http://www.2filter.com/

-Paul

DougK · 10-13-2004

Neat ideas, Denis! I' was considering doing something like that except I don't have anything close to the right size (I've used the PVC pipe lens shade thing before, though, works great).

Doug K.

rover · 12-28-2004

Quote:

Originally posted by pshinkaw
This place has a lot of adapters. You can adapt the 43.5 to a more common size, including Series filters. They are very good, and ship fast.

http://www.2filter.com/

-Paul

You never know what you will find when you do a search.

This place is right around the corner (well, a couple towns over) from where I live. I think I will take a ride and report back to the gang.

rover · 12-28-2004

Just a note to give a thumbs up to these guys, www.2filter.com, also known as The Filter Connection.

I made the trek over to see them today and found it to be a nice little place. They do not have a retail store, but I called before hand went over to their location. They have offices in the second floor of a strip mall. Their stock is pretty extensive and well organized in bookcases throughout their offices. The woman I spoke to was very nice and very happy to help me. I asked about some Series V retaining rings, but they did not have them in stock. She did give me a price, around $3.50 I think, and said she can order one and have it really fast for me.

We talked a little about their advertising. She says the owner used to advertise in photo mags, but doesn't anymore as they get significant business from the internet through search engines now.

All in all a nice experience. It was nice to see the way an e-business is operated. It is a real place with real people there. Prices seem right, so I think I will make up a list of do-dads and thingy-ma-bobs that I need and place an order from them for take out, not delivery!

back alley · 12-28-2004

thanks for the mini review ralph.

i checked out their site looking for some oddball stuff (40mm yellow, series 6 for canon) but didn't find anything.
did they mention if they have stock that is not on the website?

joe

rover · 12-28-2004

I didn't ask. I would suggest that you email or call them. They seem to have resources to order from and my be able to supply it. They had a 40.5 hood and some 40.5 filters I asked about, but did not have others in stock.

I should have taken Huck Finn with me. He is a much better conversationalist and would have found out a lot more important stuff to share with everyone. Maybe I can suggest this as our next field trip.

back alley · 12-28-2004

i think i'll email them, but closer to payday!

joe

dll927 · 03-31-2005

Given the fact that all recommendations are that an RF camera NEEDS a lens cap to avoid damaging the shutter, I think anyone who sells a lens without a cap ought to be hung out and dried. Certainly that applies to businesses, if not to individuals. Unfortunately it isn't that way. Not long ago, I purchased a Zorki-6 from Yuri at Fedka, and it arrived without a lens cap. When I e-mailed him about caps, he replied that there was no problem for a J-8 on a Kiev, but he couldn't supply for a Zorki (Industar-50) except by robbing another camera. Somebody ought to go into the lens cap business!!