Reviews
"I cannot recommend these lens caps highly enough," said wildlife photographer Arnoud Quanjer. "I am extremely happy with this lens cap. It’s light, flat and it does what it should do...protect the front element of the lens."
Posted on an Italian photography site called Jumper News: "It seems impossible to dedicate a message to a "cap", right? And instead, it is useful and ingenious idea: How many of you, who use telephoto lenses, can be found in the difficult situation that needs to protect the lens, perhaps during a break in the shooting, but you have no desire or time to remove the hood. At this thought Don Zeck which produced a plug that allows for this functionality, now available for most Canon lenses (200mm by 800 mm f/1.8) and that should soon be available for the purposes Nikon (200, 300, 200-400, 400 , 500 and 600 mm VR)."
Chris B. said "Get a Don Zeck lens cap!! They're not inexpensive but you really do get what you pay for. Well-engineered, very easy to use. I've used them on all my big glass including the 300/2.8."
"If you have issues with Don's cap, you should contact him personally. Since his is NOT a massive operation (I believe it's him and his wife) you can email him, and he usually gets back within a short period of time. I've found him to be very eager to please... so yeah, the cap might be a bit expensive but the customer service is outstanding!"
From the Fred Miranda Photography Forum: "The best $50 I ever spent is on the Don Zeck lens cap for the 300 f2.8 IS/400 f4 IS DO. Easy to put on and take off with the hood in shooting position, offers tremendous protection."
From the Open Photography Forum:
Better Canon long lens cap
Hello,
Recently I needed to find a better lens cap for my 500/4 IS. The Canon cover is bulky and cannot be used with the hood in the shooting position.
Several folks have posted reports of using the Tupperware lids. I purchased these but found that they had several shortcomings. They were very difficult to use with the hood in shooting position, nearly impossible to use with gloves in cold weather and, in my opinion, were too flimsy to really offer much protection for the front element when packed and traveling.
Then I found the lens caps made by Don Zeck.
These are machined pieces of very tough polypropylene, about 1/2" thick. Unlike with the Tupperware, with this lens cap on your front element is truly protected. It is solid.
Because of this I feel comfortable traveling with my 500/4 with the hood reversed and the Zeck lens cap in a Kinesis long lens case. This is important to me, as many of the planes I end up on are the smaller commuters. I with the Zeck cap and the hood reversed I can get my 500/4 and a pro body (and some clothes, battery chargers, etc) in a Kinesis 511 long lens case. This will fit in the overhead of any commercial flight. And because of its toughness, putting the cap at the base of a Kinesis case causes no worries, whereas the Tupperware left me concerned. Between this and some pockets in a coat I know that none of my camera gear will be checked, no matter what kind of plane I end up on.
With the hood in the shooting position and the optional "loop", putting the lens cap on/off with the lens in shooting position is very easy. On a recent trip in cold weather many others with the same lens thought it overkill that I was putting the lens cap on when we were walking between locations, thinking that the hood was enough to protect the lens. However, with blowing snow, all of them ended up with melted snowflakes on their front elements. I imagine the same would be true in any windy environment, be it with sand, dust or whatever. Having a cap that goes on/off easily, with the hood in shooting position, with gloved or bare hands for me is a real necessity.
The final thing that sold me on the caps was their construction. These are thick pieces of plastic with rubber o-rings to fit them into the opening of the lens. The Tupperware covers work, but these work perfectly – a tight fit with solid protection.
Disclaimer: I realize this sounds like a bit of a commercial. I have not received any paid or non-paid endorsements from Don Zeck. I purchased the lens caps and feel that they are the best option on the market – just wanted to share this with others. Btw - the caps are made for all the Canon super teles.
Steve
www.finesart.com