Tip of the day: Do not use lens caps when using your camera.
Lens caps are designed to protect your lens when it is in storage. They are not designed for use when you are using the camera. For obvious reasons: you want to see through your camera.
Amateur photographers think you “must” use a lens cap. Whatever indoctrination has driven them to this I do not know, but it does make me smile when I see people remove the lens for every shot, and then immediately put it back. A pro never does this: the moment the lens goes on the camera, the lens cap goes in the bag. Liberate yourself, and do the same.
If you feel like protecting your lens, use a clear filter (that too is something the pros seldom do, but there are times when it is useful, so I will get back to this in a later post).
If you feel you must use a lens cap, then at l;east do yourself a favour and use a generic lens cap:
These generic lens caps have two advantages:
- They do not cost $40 to replace. Instead, they cost around $8.
- They do not shout out “EXPENSIVE LENS. WEALTHY PERSON. STEAL ME!”.
Little things like this make all the difference, so you can concentrate on what is really important.
I’ve been inclined to use “UV Protector” clear filters, but a lot of my shots are also in the extremely dusty and corrosive environment of the Black Rock Desert. That prehistoric lake silt is like talcum powder and gets ~everywhere~. I see quite a few of us amateurs that keep our whole cameras in ziplock bags when not shooting. 🙂
Well yes, that is exactly the case I’ll get back to later: when DO you use a clear (“UV”) filter. Dust, sand (beach!), rain, snow, basically… 🙂
To be fair though… depending on what part of the world you’re in, having a DSLR with any larger-than-kit-lens will shout “EXPENSIVE CAMERA. WEALTHY PERSON. STEAL/ROB ME!”
But I agree… if its a matter of replacing them… generics would do just as well as name-brand ones. And having them off when out shooting is the way to go 😀