Center Pinch Lens Caps

I just ordered the new Canon EF-II center pinch lens caps for my 3 lenses. I hope they are as good as advertised. I'll post my initial impressions Wednesday evening.

I've been buying the Bower ones. Zero quality issues. Just work. Haven't seen a Canon one yet up close but I can't imagine their worth $10 more per cap.

msowsun wrote in post #15780655
I stopped using the cheap center pinch caps right after that. One sure way to scratch a front element is to have it grinding away on dirt and debris on the bottom of the bag. (I don't use "protection" filters, but that's another topic)

That's why I'm storing lenses with the front element facing up instead of down. Any lens cap can fall off. There are many people who've lost their lens caps, the original OEM ones because they managed to knock it off or have it not properly attached (which is very very easy to do with any pinch type cap). The push on caps are better in that regard. My original Fujifilm pinch cap that came with the X20 accessory set is one of those OEM caps that are very easy to attach incorrectly and thus prone to fall off. The push on cap my X20 came with is much sturdier, it simply stays put.

Then there is also the fact that OEMs try to make money off their accessories. In quite a lot of cases the OEM part is as good or even worse then the aftermarket ones. The same applies to well known brands. Batteries are well known for this. You want to stay away from well known brands such as Duracell as much as the very cheap noname ones. The quality of both are far less then the brands that actually known how to make a proper battery.

In the end it all comes down to what quality you got for whatever it is you pay. If that is enough for your liking then it is a good product. The brand doesn't really matter. Let's not forgot how powerful marketing can be, it is very easy to fall for it!

Mackeral wrote in post #15775719
Regardless, the OEM versions are better quality. It's just the way it is.

true. built to a consistent and higher spec. i'm not against the knock-offs if they are cheap and work to my satisfaction though.

[QUOTE=msowsun;1578065​5]A few years ago I bought a few of the cheap center pinch caps on ebay.

I like to store my lenses in my bag facing down in the bag with the rear cap facing up so I have easy access when changing lenses. It didn't take too long and I discovered one of the ebay center pinch cap had fallen off. I thought it may have been a fluke and thought nothing of it. A few days later it happened again.

I stopped using the cheap center pinch caps right after that. One sure way to scratch a front element is to have it grinding away on dirt and debris on the bottom of the bag. (I don't use "protection" filters, but that's another topic)[/quote]

maybe you should store your lenses with hoods on then

Darn backorders.. -___-

So who has had a lens get scratched by a cap coming off in a bag?
Mine have come off a few times (funny enough not eBay ones) but if the lens is face down it just sits on the cap, it doesn't move around.
I know in theory anything can happen, and its better to be safe than sorry, but I doubt there are many that have actually got damaged for real.

Sorry for the delayed update. I got my 3 Canon center pinch lens caps Wednesday evening as promised. The quality is worth the extra $s for me. I had previously ordered the inexpensive eBay ones and the difference between the new Canon design and the inexpensive eBay ones isn't subtle.

dave_bass5 wrote in post #15797941
So who has had a lens get scratched by a cap coming off in a bag?
Mine have come off a few times (funny enough not eBay ones) but if the lens is face down it just sits on the cap, it doesn't move around.

I think you are more likely to lose one than you'll have one scratch up your lens. It is possible since gear moves around in a bag when you carry it, put it down, etc. It probably needs a few times before it can actually scratch it.

@Phoenixkh: in what way are they better and which knock offs do you have?

ylw,
I don't remember exactly which eBay center pinch lens caps I ordered but I have some with no logo and a couple with a Nikon logo, but all of them are knock-offs due to the price. I think I paid less than $3 each.
OK, I just checked and I ordered the inexpensive ones from
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/​gp/product/B005UTDW8I/
www.amazon.com/gp/prod​uct/B0029LH402/
www.amazon.com/gp/prod​uct/B004662ZZM/

dave_bass5 wrote in post #15778038
...Where is the extra cost going? Just because these are cheaper than the OEM versions why do people assume you have to pay that,because you have an expensive lens, otherwise you will damage it....

Maybe some dealer told them they will catch fire and damage the lens, like they tell them about 3rd party grips...

I use an MT-24EX Macro Flash and am always fumbling to take off and replace the cap.
So I bought a couple of inexpensive ones not so long ago, thinking that they would be
an improvement and couldn't be that bad.

How wrong could I be?
Straight in the bin.

Whenever I order a Canon lens I also order a center-pinch cap from HK.

But I keep the original cap just in case I sell the lens.

Canon is now switching over to making these, meanwhile they have discontinued making the old standard.

Result: You can't buy a 77mm lens cap made for Canon right now, of either style. lol
One is discontinued and out of stock, the other is new and not yet available.

82mm is currently in stock at B&H (after over a month of waiting). Still no 77mm's yet.