Are lens cap a MUST?

Whenever I decide to swap a lens back and forth, it takes me a while because of those annoying lens cap (front and rear element) and I was wondering if they are absolute neccesites. I see many people showing off their camera equipments w/o the lens cap in their camera bag and I would love to the same but I'm kinda worried of the risk of damaging the lens element.

For front element of the lens, I think putting on a uv filter along with lens hood will solve the problem; however, how about the rear?? Are there any solutions for this or should I just stick with the old lens cap on the rear for just in case?

I'd appreciate any kinds of suggestion

btw I do put a lens cap on both side when the lens are stored

For the front element, all you should be worried about is cracking it so a filter should take care of that. But it's better safe than sorry, so I always use a cap.

As for the rear cover, I never have it off (or subsituted for a camera body) for more than 1 minute at a time because that's where the real damage can happen. All kinds of dust can get in there, and even moisture can wreak havoc.

My two cents: just slap 'em both on, and taking them on and off takes, what?, eight seconds? I'd trade those eight seconds for a working $1200 purchase any day.

I always have both lens caps on whenever a lens is off my camera or I'm not actively shooting.

A UV filter may protect the front element, but then again what is going to protect the UV filter? Is it really worth risking damaging an expensive UV filter just to save three seconds of time?

As for the rear, I make a point of getting that thing on my lens as fast as possible. I don't want to end up dropping the lens without that and causing major damage to the mount. And I don't want any dust or moisture getting in their either. Same goes for the body cap. Like Henry said, it only takes a few seconds to put them on.

Really, is being able to "show off" your equipment without the lens caps worth potentially causing damage to a several hundred (or thousand) dollar piece of equipment?

Given that it only takes the best part of a second to take a cap off... is the risk to damaging or getting dust/other grit inside your lens worth it? (thinking rear element here moreso than the front, the front is more of a concern with scratching).

If you have trouble with Canon's caps Tamron and the like make pinch caps which are much easier for lenses with deep hoods if you take it on and off with the hood in situ.

My problem is the lens cap keeps coming off. I always make sure the caps are on but when I reach in my bag there goes the lens cap off again.

In my opinion the lens caps, both front and back, are essential. To keep the glass clean - it's so easy to stick a finger on a clean piece of glass - and to prevent scratches etc.

I am pretty anal about getting both caps on as soon as I can. But I have found working professionally on many professional shoots with other pro shooters-- many tend to not be as cautious as me-- I watched one keep both caps off and keep his stuff in his bag.......I would never do that!

My caps are on, both front and back. The only time I don’t replace the front cap is when it is mounted to the camera and I have a hood on else I replace the cap as soon as I have finished taking the pics.