Clear rear lens caps are evil.

[removedacct2]

I took my Horseman 985 with a 6x9 back and one roll of film.
I hadn't used it for some time but instead some silly little 35mm cameras. These Horseman Technika-like are easy, just remember to remove the darkslide before taking picture, to put it back before remove the lens or the back, to change the focusing cam when changing the lens, set the lens at the correct infinity stop on the focusing bed. All this is like fingers memory but with lack of use on this environment fingers can forget something.
Some native Topcor lenses can sit inside the camera when it is closed, it's the case of the 150mm f5.6. Very convenient.
So there I was carefully composing, metering, focusing on the RF. Correct cam, film loaded and initalized at first frame, darkslide off, lens cap off. I took seven frames and for the last needed to change the lens. Put the darkslide on, remove the lens board and then.... I see the rear cap on....pfff....
Ok no problem, I wasted some time but I can rewind the roll in the darkbag and start again.
Hell, no, the lens cap is clear. Never use clear lens caps!

 

[Kino]

Ouch.

Maybe glue some black felt on the inside for future use?

Another suggestion is to glue a string to the lens cap and attach a brightly colored clip to the end of the string that clips to the lens board edge so it won't fit properly until you remove the cap/string/clip.

 

[John Earley]

I'm anxious to see how the images came out!

 

[Kino]

Maybe by accident you have discovered a novel way to "pre-flash" your film...

 

[abruzzi]

the easier solution is never to mount a lens with the rear cap on. I leave the 105 mounted on my VH, and the rear cap is never on when mounted, but in a pocket in the camera bag. Of course with the VH, I have to use the ground glass, so I won't have that problem.

Personally, I'd fret more about the lost time, than a $10-$15 roll of film. If you've already wasted 7 out of 8 shots, I'd just dump the roll and start again.

 

[removedacct2]

Maybe glue some black felt on the inside

the easier solution is never to mount a lens with the rear cap on. I leave the 105 mounted on my VH, and the rear cap is never on when mounted, but in a pocket in the camera bag.

I have a tendency to lose caps, filters, shades easily.
The 150 is the only one that sits always inside the camera because it´s the only one I have that fits in when camera closed, and i carry a 67, the big 105 and/or a 270 or some other in the bag and these are what I use most so the error factor with rear cap is minimal.
Anyway, velcro to the rescue:

 

[removedacct2]

I'd fret more about the lost time, than a $10-$15 roll of film. If you've already wasted 7 out of 8 shots, I'd just dump the roll and start again.

a 52kr roll of Retropan-320 , calculator tells 5,7$. Yes the little money is not an issue, nor so much the time, I was just taking some frames around the corner with the idea to test a developer. Not like I am back from a trip in Uzbekistan where I had shot 10 rolls in Samarkand with rear caps on ...

 

[Luckless]

This sort of mistake is something I could totally see myself making, and is one of the reasons why I've been looking to switch from lens caps to some sort of 'whole lens case' for my large format lenses. Even with a light proof rear cap, the annoyance of missing a shot due to a forgotten cap doesn't sound all that less just because I avoid spoiling the film.

That, and I have an annoying mismatch of lens caps for them, with a few missing a front or rear option anyway, so upgrading to a case instead saves tracking down suitable caps.

Having a lint-free snuggly fitting case that protects both the glass surfaces and the controls makes more sense than capping the glass and then sorting out a way to redundantly protect the rest of the lens itself.

 

[abruzzi]

a 52kr roll of Retropan-320 , calculator tells 5,7$. Yes the little money is not an issue, nor so much the time, I was just taking some frames around the corner with the idea to test a developer. Not like I am back from a trip in Uzbekistan where I had shot 10 rolls in Samarkand with rear caps on ...

ouch! I've wanted to visit Uzbekistan too. BTW, while I considered bringing a Fuji 6x9 on my trip to Spain, this was my biggest fear about bringing a rangefinder. Instead I'll bring an SLR, so I know if I left the lens cap on.

 

[removedacct2]

ouch! I've wanted to visit Uzbekistan too. BTW, while I considered bringing a Fuji 6x9 on my trip to Spain, this was my biggest fear about bringing a rangefinder. Instead I'll bring an SLR, so I know if I left the lens cap on.

just for clarity: I did not take 10 rolls, nor one roll, on a far away travel like Uzbekistan with rear caps on , but then who knows if it would not happen one day. The fact I made the mistake yesterday has been good as a lesson.

a mistake somewhat recently was to use a 6x7 220 back with a 120 roll and keep taking pictures after the 10th frames, not noticing the winding lever felt different. This last october in the fortress of Brest (-Litovsk) two young girls taking a walk, came to me, curious about the camera, so some chat and pictures of them, grey autumn day in the grim and solemn fortress contrasted by two smiling local beauties. Back at the hotel I realized the roll was 120 not 220, I had been doing portraits with no film... I can spend a week-end in Brest anytime but not experience the same encounter.

I often take the Horseman with the 67 lens, two more lenses, two backs in travels. The compromise in versatility/weight/space is hard to beat I think. I also like that the bellows/camera often attracts locals, specially at smaller places and some historical sites.