DaveyDonut Offline Upload & Sell: Off
|
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Why $1.70 Chinese LC-XX eBay lens caps suck | |
Just figured I'd pass my experience on... I wanted to get all the "updated" LC-XX lens caps with the double pinch action for all of my lenses. I had great luck with the rear lens caps on eBay... got a bunch of knockoffs from China for like $.99 that are identical to OEM. So I figured the front lens cap would be good too. I bought 10 of them for the various lenses. The odd thing here is that EVERYONE has left positive feedback for these $1.70 ebay lens caps, like the ones I bought here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/260832870014 I am literally the only one who has left negative feedback due to quality issues. I don't get it, because they suck.
First, the symptoms: They never seem to fit on well... it's hard to get them to hold at all, and they fall off all the time. I'd have my lenses in my bag and when I'd come to pull them out the cap had fallen off. I'd be just walking along with the camera around my neck and the cap would fall off a lens. Don't even think of barely touching it to anything, cause it'll surely fall off (and has). The "action" on the pinch is terrible. Not smooth at all, and binds up all the time. They are also a lighter shade than OEM, and look terrible mounted on the black lens.
Since the eBay seller got upset when I left negative feedback I decided to take a photo and send it to her. Upon further inspection, you can see why (sorry for the blurry photo.. hand held with a 105mm macro lens and it's dark out):
An OEM Nikon 52mm cap is on top, and cheap eBay one is on the bottom. The things to note:
1. The Nikon threads are real threads. They actually curve (have an angle), to match the curvature of the real threads on the lens. They mate much better due to this. eBay "threads" are just parallel, perpendicular ridges, not actually threads that rotate up. Thus they do not mate well with the real threads of the lens. This is probably the biggest problem with having them fall off.
2. The Nikon cap has THREE sets of threads, eBay only has two. This allows the the lens cap to just have more contact area with the threads.
3. The threads on eBay cap aren't as deep. They are more rounded, not as sharp, making them not bite into the threads on the lens as well.
4. Difficult to see, but you'll notice the bottom lens cap is a slightly different shade. The top lens cap (OEM) is much more "black"
Generally I've had great luck with these cheap Chinese stuffs on ebay (flashlights, rear lens caps, step up/down rings, chargers, batteries, etc), but these are terrible. And BTW, I will STILL buy the Pixel grip for the D800E once my body arrives. :-) Anyway, just thought I'd pass the info along...
David
|