# Patent: Canon working on lens cap technology!



## Canon Rumors Guy (Jul 11, 2019)

> A patent showing a new type of lens cap/lens hood that stays affixed to the lens has appeared from Canon as been uncovered by Canon News.
> This lens cap design stays attached to the lens and also doubles as a lens hood for convenience.
> This design may have some usability concerns with dedicated lens hoods and filters, but could still be the right solution for some people.
> From Japan Patent Application 2019-113645:
> The present invention works as a lens hood function at the time of shooting and as a lens protection function at the time of non-shooting, thus eliminating the need for lens cap attachment / removal and barrier opening / closing operations. .



Continue reading...


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## Canon1966 (Jul 11, 2019)

I would take IBIS over this any day.


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## Local Hero (Jul 11, 2019)

Looks very similar to the JJC and Ricoh caps that were popular a few years ago.

For example the Ricoh LC-1.


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## Quarkcharmed (Jul 11, 2019)

It'll probably have issues with standard filters and filter mounts.


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## uri.raz (Jul 11, 2019)

I dislike the idea.

One has to move four parts to open the lens, rather than one.

If one of the hinges breaks, the customer has to leave the lens in a lab to be fixed, rather than buy a cheap plastic cap.

It isn't a real lens hood replacement, because it doesn't cover the corners. Also, the hood length isn't necessarily equal to half the front element's radius.


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## canonnews (Jul 11, 2019)

uri.raz said:


> I dislike the idea.
> 
> One has to move four parts to open the lens, rather than one.
> 
> ...



it's just a lens cap, it can be taken off the camera.


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## unfocused (Jul 11, 2019)

As someone who seldom uses a lens hood because of the extra bulk it adds to the camera bag, I actually might like this idea.


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## unfocused (Jul 11, 2019)

Canon1966 said:


> I would take IBIS over this any day.


Because In Body Stabilization and Lens Caps are comparable technologies.


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## Yakodzun (Jul 11, 2019)

What about new FF DSLR camera for the replacement of 5DS R? So much water under the bridge!


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## flip314 (Jul 11, 2019)

unfocused said:


> Because In Body Stabilization and Lens Caps are comparable technologies.



You could build a lens cap with OIS - put a front element into the lens cap that worked with all lenses of that filter size. Then you can release lenses without the front elements and only have to pay for OIS once, rather than for every lens.

I'm sure that shouldn't be difficult, haha...


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## mb66energy (Jul 11, 2019)

Very good idea and I am mentally working on a solution of a lens hood which can be retracted (like that of EF 5.6 400) and closes the lens font element with some petals. But a good 3D printable design is not easy (especially for 3D printers which are available for mortals).

While I always use neutral filters (B&W 010 MRC consistently) I would like to have some further protection: I "lost" a 77 mm filter because some plastic element inside a jacked damaged the coating while I wore the camera under the jacked. And if it doubles as a simple (= not 100% perfect petal shaped) lens hood it would be welcome. I do not use lens hoods anymore - sometimes I use my hand but sometimes a would appreciate a third hand or that the hand is not in the image.


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## TAF (Jul 12, 2019)

mb66energy said:


> Very good idea and I am mentally working on a solution of a lens hood which can be retracted (like that of EF 5.6 400) and closes the lens font element with some petals. But a good 3D printable design is not easy (especially for 3D printers which are available for mortals).



I've had very good luck with the on-line companies that will 3D print any file you send them. Most of the big ones have machines that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet they charge only about $25-50 an hour machine time. Best of both worlds.

Stratasysdirect has done high quality work for me (at work). (I'm just a customer, no connection otherwise)


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## mb66energy (Jul 12, 2019)

TAF said:


> I've had very good luck with the on-line companies that will 3D print any file you send them. Most of the big ones have machines that are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet they charge only about $25-50 an hour machine time. Best of both worlds.
> 
> Stratasysdirect has done high quality work for me (at work). (I'm just a customer, no connection otherwise)



Thanks for the tip / the URL! I am a very satisfied owner of a ZORTRAX M200 which can do very fine ABS prints but 1mm thickness is the minimum for stable constructions so it is maybe a good strategy to opimize my design and send it to the service provider you mentioned for doing a metal print.
With my printer I made my own glasses because I needed glasses where I can rotate the lenses: I have stronger cylindrical lenses with roughly 2.5 dpt. and I need to adapt the axis angle twice the day. While I can look very good with these glasses maybe i do not good look designwise, they are a little bit clumsy  But the world is a world of compromises. And maybe I will let someone print a new version in titanium - titanium printers are not the cheapest investment for home use !


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## analoggrotto (Jul 13, 2019)

unfocused said:


> Because In Body Stabilization and Lens Caps are comparable technologies.


The same, actually. .


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## analoggrotto (Jul 13, 2019)

Stuff like this does show that Canon is still fundamentally brainstorming new tweaks and features to make a better picture more convenient or at least make a dedicated camera more convenient to the masses.


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## SecureGSM (Jul 13, 2019)

analoggrotto said:


> Stuff like this does show that Canon is still fundamentally brainstorming new tweaks and features to make a better picture more convenient or at least make a dedicated camera more convenient to the masses.



I smell a dash of sarcasm with that.. Can I have some more of that stuff, please... I am missing the point here. Please enlighten me


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## analoggrotto (Jul 14, 2019)

SecureGSM said:


> I smell a dash of sarcasm with that.. Can I have some more of that stuff, please... I am missing the point here. Please enlighten me


I'm really and truly not being sarcastic, stuff like the power zoom base, lightweight 10-18 STM, miniaturized full frame RP, miniaturized high feature M50 which is wildly popular, etc. show that Canon is thinking about this differently. We here do hope that they give technical performance a swift bump but at the end of the day what does that 10% advantage really do versus a camera that is easier to travel with and use? I already saw this article reposted on a local photog "club" and people were happy for a solution to their missing lens caps.


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## SecureGSM (Jul 14, 2019)

analoggrotto said:


> I'm really and truly not being sarcastic, stuff like the power zoom base, lightweight 10-18 STM, miniaturized full frame RP, miniaturized high feature M50 which is wildly popular, etc. show that Canon is thinking about this differently. We here do hope that they give technical performance a swift bump but at the end of the day what does that 10% advantage really do versus a camera that is easier to travel with and use? I already saw this article reposted on a local photog "club" and people were happy for a solution to their missing lens caps.


right... ok. so if one of the "blades" is half open cause you incidentally bumped into an obstacle or pushed while hanging of your shoulder... you cannot notice this in your veiwfinder. right? A rhetorical question. outcomes: corner vignetting, diminished exposure. Happened to me a lot with some lenshoods not being attached properly in the past.


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## analoggrotto (Jul 14, 2019)

SecureGSM said:


> so if one of the "blades" is half open cause you incidentally bumped into an obstacle or pushed while hanging of your shoulder... you cannot notice this in your veiwfinder. right? A rhetorical question. outcomes: corner vignetting, diminished exposure. Happened to me a lot with some lenshoods not being attached properly in the past.



Thats a perfectly valid point to the robustness and reliability of this particular device. All of those little pieces, yikes. I for one just cram my 70+mm lenscaps in my back pocket or they just get pulled off in my thinktank bag when I'm getting the camera out. Lens hoods stay at home, too clunky.


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## SecureGSM (Jul 14, 2019)

analoggrotto said:


> Lens hoods stay at home, too clunky.


I absolutely shoot with a lens hood on. Always. I shoot crowded venues and people keep walking and bumping into your camera hanging of your heaps randomly.I shoot with a pair bodies on dual strap. lens hood is a essential front element protection for me. better safe than sorry


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## analoggrotto (Jul 14, 2019)

SecureGSM said:


> I absolutely shoot with a lens hood on. Always. I shoot crowded venues and people keep walking and bumping into your camera randomly. lens hood is a essential front element protection for me. better safe than sorry



No problem here, minimal if any problems with flaring and such. I do keep a hoya HD UV filter on everything for protection. Always switching lenses as I prefer primes, and just cant coordinate hoods.


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## masterpix (Jul 14, 2019)

Never lost a lens cap, howver, broke many of those floppy things. I don't think this will last long in anyone camera bag, especially when one is changing lenses frequently.


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