Sigma rear caps are better

JJ_SO

Just a confession: after 3 years using Nikon I still have troubles to unscrew the rear caps. Wrong direction and either way the caps (LF-1 as LF-4) are too tight or too lose. Sometimes I transport the stuff in a bike bag and if the rear caps are not tightend enough, they get loose after some bumps. Because I tightened them sometimes a bit too much, I had problems to unmount the caps, especially in a situation I would need a third hand.

Now, after discovering what Sigma did with their LCR NA II caps for the new lines of lenses and enjoying the smoothness of putting their caps on and off with only one hand necessary, I ordered for each lens a Sigma rear cap. After all they were not more expensive than the old Nikon LF-1 caps and it's great to use them. Why?



I can remove the cap by holding the lens and unscrewing the cap with my thumb and index finger and mount the uncovered lens to the camera in my other hand.



How did they do that?



Those three elements are designed like a spring. They grab the counter part of the lens' bayonet, but they don't need to be "screwed". They just stay in place with little physical effort. Nikon's caps are really stiff, therefore one needs to tighten them and because I still turn in the wrong direction when I want to remove the cap, I tighten them unwillingly again. That's not possible with the new Sigma caps.

And another habit I kept from those front caps with the slippery surfaces (to my fingertips): always when I buy a new lens I engrave some deep tracks into the handles of the front cap. I use long nose pliers with some teeth on them. Now the caps don't slip so easily off my fingers.

Msmoto

Yes...absolutely...the Sigma rear cap is so much easier to use then the Nikon, and the front cap as well. Great point JJ_SO

JJ_SO

Thank you

dissent

oh, jeez; now there's something else I'm gonna feel compelled to buy . . . @-)

Ade

Hmm, need to try one of those!!!

Photobug

I also need to try one of these Sigma caps. Sounds really good.

One of my Tamron lens has a Tamron rear lens cap and I hate it. The Nikon rears are better than Tamron. They don't come off easily.

JJ_SO

Make sure its's one of the new caps, if you want to try. LCR NA II was the order number of mine.

NSXTypeR

I agree- the Nikon rear caps really aren't that great. They are vague and can slip off with just a little friction.

Actually, the older Nikon caps are better- on my dad's FM2 at least, the body cap and rear lens caps are both opaque plastic. They're pretty thin but grip quite well to the lens at least.

From what I've seen, Nikon also used to make metal rear lens caps. Moose Peterson seems to have a couple. They look pretty, but in practice I don't know how practical t hey are.

Msmoto

I have some of the new and old Nikon rear caps...Neither come off easily. Actually require two hands (old) while the Sigma rear cap is removable with one hand.

FlowtographyBerlin

Ordered. :-) Thanks for the hint.

QuintonHurst

I second the thoughts regarding the Sigma lens caps. They are very nice and much easier to remove (on purpose) than the Nikon versions.

hawkdl2

i used some expiring ebay bucks and bought one to give it a try. It came in today and it works great on my new 85 1.8 where the original nikon cap fit very poorly - would not stay tight. the sigma works like a dream. Thanks for the tip.

spraynpray

Hey JJ_SO: Nice tip - I agree with you on all of the shortcomings of the Nikon caps. Where did you order your sigma caps/how much were they?

Everybody else: If you have problems with the front cap popping out of your fingers when attaching/detaching your cap with the lens hood in place you could try something I do: I stick small rectangular pieces of sticky backed silicone rubber onto the inner area that JJ_SO scratches deeply with pliers (I typically use the waste part from those small packs of cupboard door buffers). You will find perfect grip without resorting to the scratching technique (which doubtless works, this is a reversible alternative).

Now if only somebody had as good a tip to get Nikon to release the D400.... :-?

JJ_SO

Hey spraynpray, after asking my Swiss dealer and waiting a bit too long for the answer, I asked Sigma Germany. Each cap was 9,- € + shipping of 2.- €, but only in Germany. So I ordered and picked them up from my relatives to who the caps were sent. After ordering, I got the Swiss price, as usual just the double €-amount in francs.

Maybe I order two or four more to glue them pairwise opposite side together, like I had it before. It just have to be a quite good Epoxy 2 component material. It simplifies lens changing, as long as the lenses are no heavy telephoto ones. I don't nee to hold three independant items. And there's bit better used space in my bag. On second thought, that was a good idea (not mine originally) when I only had two lenses of "normal" dimensions.

spraynpray

Sounds like a good idea, but you should key the surfaces heavily with coarse a media to break the glaze and give the epoxy something to grip as otherwise you could have an 'oh-oh'.

I may do that with my 35 & 50.

JJ_SO

Little bit sanding, dust-free surface and then in the oven with 100°C. After 10 minutes it will keep up to 2500N/cm². So, given the surface of 14.25cm², it will hold 27.979 N. Should be enough for two 800mm

Martin

I have a lens hire business and often lenses are returned with the rear Nikon lens caps replaced with Sigma ones, until now I didn't like the fact that I was loosing the Nikon logo from the bottom of the lens, after reading this I now realise that this can only be a good thing :-) I agree, the Sigma caps are much better!

Golf007sd

Well I just pulled the trigger and ordered 10 of these bad boy \:D/ >-

bland

I'll be ordering them as well. Thanks for this in info JJ_SO. My end caps are constantly coming loose and falling off of my 28-70 & 70-200.

JJ_SO

If they start up a "SIGMA rear cap division Ltd", I'll send them this thread to get us some shares for free

mikep

ill try when i lose a nikon one

TaoTeJared

I use Lens Mount Cap from OP/Tech - double mounts (use on both sides


I also have glued two old Nikon rear caps together.
The other kind is the colored ones from DSLR Color Cap
I'm always losing body caps and wanted to use color to denote different primes in my bag. They are much easier to see for sure.

Sigma rear caps are good as well.

NSXTypeR

Just curious, doesn't gluing the two rear caps together make it take up more space if you're not storing the lenses in an optimal position?

I'm not seeing how that is useful. Can someone enlighten me on this?

JJ_SO

Depends, what you see as "optimal position". A body with a battery grip takes a bag which should be 17-20 cm deep to store it in an upright position. My bags are 23 and 26 cm deep, so I'm wasting space because most lenses I own are 11 cm long with caps. Only tele lenses/zooms are long enough, that you have not to dig deep to grab 'em. Glueing two rear caps together is basically the same as putting one lens into the bag and using the space above for another lens - only without the damper or pad between. Don't know how to call this little cushions with velcro.

Also, sometimes I go "slim", with one body and one or two lenses. With that glued caps you always only need one hand to hold two lenses, that makes it easier to change. It's more for primes, I'd say, bur with them I found it very useful.

Golf007sd

Ok just finished changing all my Nikon rear lens caps with the Sigma's. Ladies and gentleman by all mean get rid of the Nikon ones....the Sigma Nikon lens cap are far, far superior.

I place my order directly with Sigma via their website...they seemed to have the best price @ $4 each.

Thanks JJ_SO for bring this to our attention.

JJ_SO

Today I saw an iPhone cover with the text "Calm down and go shopping"

$4 is pretty cool, I paid 9 € per piece Anyway, it's worth it. I also have now double deckers, but next time I'll be more careful with gluing at higher temperatures. 100°C only, if the oven delivers stable temperatures.