p.2 #2 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
I love how people that don’t have an issue with something always feel the need to ridicule those who have a complaint. I’m pretty sure we all can get our caps/lenses on but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t much easier to do when working quickly with TC swaps in the field with previous designs.
If you are someone who doesn’t have issue with a poor design then say that without downplaying other’s concerns. I guess it makes you feel special or something. And if you don’t like reading about people complaining then why are you in the thread and why on earth waste your time composing a reply?? Bizarre
p.2 #3 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
I hate putting on the new RF caps. It’s a pain to align the dots.
The only benefit I can see from the new design is that the caps cover the rubber weather sealing gasket, so not as much dust and debris gather on the gasket.
p.2 #4 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
So far I only have the 24-105/4 L and the control ring adapter for my R and R5. So that has to temper my work-around ideas.
Back in the day, I had Leicaflexes. To be charitable, they were POS. Pretty much the same for the lenses. One thing Leitz did right, though, was put 1/8 inch-3 mm diameter half ball red dots on the lenses at the mounting point. Perhaps a person can. find or make something similar, maybe even made out of tru-glo plastic like some pistol sights, and epoxy the things to the mounting point. There is room for such on the RF lens, less so for the adapter. And while we are making things out of red plastic, how about a red N for the middle N of the Canon logo on the viewfinder housing (almost wrote prism there).
If Tamron starts making RF lenses, maybe they will figure out how to make a good rear lens cap for the RF mount which can mount from any angle. Their pinch caps are still the best. Another thought, maybe a company like SmallRig can make decent RF rear lens caps.
As to why all of this is a good idea. If you are truly into wildlife photography, landscape, tool for that matter, you will learn that a good photo is more a matter of timing much of the time. And one then is changing out converters and or lenses on the move while concentrating on the subject, not wanting to be looking at markings on lenses and lens caps.
p.2 #5 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
Chimping wrote:
It’s a pain to align the dots.
It seemed that way. Then I bought these bright caps for my RF lenses and EF to RF adapters, and put a black mark on the side for alignment. Spendy for plastic, but I only needed a couple of them.
p.2 #7 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
Here's the RF caps linked to in my previous reply. This is the RF 50mm and I use another orange cap on an EF to RF adapter.These also make it easier to know which caps are RF or EF if I have several caps near each other. All my EF caps are black, with the exception of 2 yellow ones I keep on my tilt shift lenses.
p.2 #8 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
mikeinctown wrote:
Or one could just feel the indent with the fingers they use to put the cap on. I mean really, how did you ever put a lens on without looking at the orientation? Do you just smack it into the mount repeatedly until you get it right?
There's a difference between putting a lens on the camera and putting a cap on a lens. If I'm working at a table and can see the lenses easily, it's not an issue. However, in the field, I'm often working out of a shoulder bag, and if the camera is on a tripod, I regularly pull the new lens out of the bag, swap the old one and put it back INTO the bag with the rear cap off - remove the cap off the new lens and mount it to the camera, and then place the cap on the previous lens while it is still in the bag. With caps that don't require an orientation, this can be done without even looking....just reach my hand inside the bag with the cap and twist it on. With the RF caps, you often need to pull that lens back OUT of the bag, look at the orientation, put the cap on, and then put it back in the bag, which is more of a hassle than with caps that don't have a specific orientation.
p.2 #9 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
Jesse Evans wrote:
The bayonet mount has 3 flanges sticking out, and all are the same radial length. However, they are not spaced equidistant along the mount. There is one gap that is roughly 50% longer than the others. The lens cap is designed so that there are 3 internal flanges of the lens cap, and 2 are the same length, but 1 is extra long. This makes it so that the lens cap can only fit on in one specific orientation.
You can resolve this issue by removing the extra plastic from the inside of the lens cap such that it is the same size as the other flanges, then you can put the lens cap on in any orientation, but it isn't perfect, however when you need to cram them on in a hurry you can just push it on most of the time with little worry, and it doesn't get stuck like they do out of the box. As far as I can tell, there is no benefit to the Canon system for making the lens caps intolerable....Show more →
As a Design Engineer, when a long term known fundamental design feature has been omitted from a product that makes it better, especially one that doesn't add cost, and it's being easily added/modified by the user using files, Exacto knives and Sharpie pens or purchasing 3rd party replacement products then this tells me that a design fail occured. This just plainly reflects badly on the manufacturer.
I suppose that Canon may have held back including this feature as a marketing strategy of some sort for it to be added to a "new and improved" version of the cap later on down the road in order to sell more caps however I doubt this is the case as it would be a very petty thing to do considering that these caps are handed out as necessary items for continuous use with every lens sold. This feels like a simple run-o-the-mill oversight.
Don't get me wrong, this in not meant to be a brand specific rant, as a long time Canon user there's a lot that I like about their equipment however I've seen these types of annoying simple little missteps made in the past and also note that this is not unique to them or any other type of manufacturer in any other industry.
p.2 #10 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
Ultimately, the reason for this is the relatively asymmetric arrangement of the mount flanges, which I presume were designed as such to prevent the EF mount glass from being able to mount on an RF body in any way. Especially since they share the same mount diameter, and such. The consequence of this was a mount that is a bit lopsided. Now, while it's been noted that you can create caps that can secure any way, it's also noted that this is less secure in some orientations. And as such, I do get the decision was viewed as more important to ensure a host of people weren't erronniously mounting their EF glass directly to the RF camera and then wondering why nothing focused properly or worked. That's more important than an omnidirectional rear cap.
p.2 #11 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
"RF lens mount and camera body caps fit EF models, but the RF bayonet mount tab positions preclude EF camera body and lens mount caps from mounting on R-Series cameras and RF lenses"
p.2 #13 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
I've been using my R and my RF 35mm as well as the EF-RF adapter. I've never noticed the issue, I just rotate the cap until it drops into place. Now that you've mentioned this, I will suddenly start having issues. Its the power of suggestion!
p.2 #14 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
mikeinctown wrote:
Or one could just feel the indent with the fingers they use to put the cap on. I mean really, how did you ever put a lens on without looking at the orientation? Do you just smack it into the mount repeatedly until you get it right?
, back when I used M42 screw mount lenses, I didn't have to look at the lens orientation!
But, seriously, if a simple devise could have been originally designed to operate more easily, with a fix so simple that it can be DIY modded or stamped out by a third party, then it's a usability design flaw.
p.2 #15 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
Jman13 wrote:
Ultimately, the reason for this is the relatively asymmetric arrangement of the mount flanges, which I presume were designed as such to prevent the EF mount glass from being able to mount on an RF body in any way. ... That's more important than an omnidirectional rear cap.
Possibly, but means they've afflicted the RF system for its entire lifetime with a decision that has a minor benefit for a short period of time.
Despite all the field-testing by Ambassadors etc, this still went to production?
p.2 #16 · Why are the RF end caps so hard to put on?
mikeinctown wrote:
Or one could just feel the indent with the fingers they use to put the cap on. I mean really, how did you ever put a lens on without looking at the orientation? Do you just smack it into the mount repeatedly until you get it right?
The EF and FD lenses had a protruding red dot. I could feel it in complete darkness. That is completely gone, you can't put the lens on in darkness. I'd call this a regression.
The end cap does have this protrusion, but the lens no longer has a tactile marker. So it's basically pointless: you still have to look at it, or fiddle with it. The old cap could be easily applied without looking at it. Again, a regression.
, back when I used M42 screw mount lenses, I didn't have to look at the lens orientation!