Lens Caps... How Much Do They Affect Lens Value?

Mike1234 · Feb 10, 2010

calceman said:
Guess you uncovered your plans and wont sell here to any of the people that care about caps coz they know your lenses didnt have any before. Getting so many caps will take some time, and you are the one to decide if spending that time+money is worth it. You could always do a test run and put up 2 identical lenses, one with and one without. Since I personally dont care about caps, I might be interested in a lens coverring 8x10 at infinity without caps and with a 20$ discount I will make my caps out of my dedicated collection of jam container lids.

Nope... no plans to keep covered. I never try to deceive. They'll all be listed here eventually and the ads will state whether the caps are new, generic, or original. I don't eat jam so I have none of those lids. I have used all kinds of things as caps thbough... plastic 135 film canister lids, soda pop bottle caps, coffee can lids, all kinds of things.

I'm still undecided... still watching for replies.

Barry S · Feb 11, 2010

The lenses will be harder to sell if you buy caps. Why? I assume you have an oddball assortment of older large format lenses. Many will generate marginal interest and if you buy caps, you'll have to tack on the extra cost and will probably be more psychologically resistant to lowering the prices. In turn, the initial higher prices may be enough to deter buyer's interest in marginal lenses. Your potential customers are likely to be more like calceman (and me)--looking in your bargain bin and happy to scrounge their own caps to save some money.

Mike1234 · Feb 11, 2010

Hmm... the older and more senile I get... the more I doubt my judgement. Please keep the responses coming. I need the guideance.

mikebarger · Feb 11, 2010

Two lens in identical shape one with and one without same price... sure who won't take the one with caps.

I pick up caps here and there and probably have something to fit a right priced lens already.

Mike

Mike1234 · Feb 11, 2010

Yes, Mike. However, you and a few select others in the photo world are frugally different like me... cheap-ass bastages. It's been my experience that there are far fewer "CAB's" than those who want an easy/quick ready-to-use solution.

Are two "brand new" "perfectly fitting" "generic" caps... say for a Kodak 127mm EKtar... worth $15-20 to you? Would you pay $114-119 rather than $99-104 for one with a bottle cap on the back and a Tamron cap on the front... or no properly fitting caps at all? Breaking even is okay with me provided you choose mine with new perfectly fitting generic caps over another with useless crap caps so I sell mine faster.

I'm still fighting my prejudices. My gut feeling now is to only buy caps for lenses that will bring the most cash and will sell the fastest.

stillsilver · Feb 15, 2010

Personally, I’d cap the glass that would get the bigger $s and not bother with the rest.

Mike

Mike1234 · Feb 15, 2010

Where would you draw the line on lens market value? I'm still having trouble realizing that most people won't pay the "at cost" difference for perfectly fitting caps. Again... it's just my prejudices but I definitely would pay the difference to save myself the time and a lens already with perfectly fitting caps vs. useless or no caps saves me time. I'd have to either find or buy the caps anyway no matter what value the lens. If I buy a lens, regardless of value, it means I want it and good caps are worth the cost... to me. But, again, that's just my way of looking at it.

Curt · Feb 15, 2010

I'll cap off the discussion by saying that 100 year old lenses that have no original caps can be just as valuable as if they had the original caps. Some of those original caps are not that great having deteriorated through the decades. Metal screw-in caps do a great job of reaming out the threads of the lens.

Curt

Mike1234 · Feb 15, 2010

Curt... so you'd suggest screw-in metal caps provided they don't contact the glass? These are usually cheaper than the plastic push-on types which makes absolutely no sense given the materials and machining involved but it's true. BTW, I like metal caps too for the ultimate protection. However, I suspect most people would prefer the instant push on - pull off type. I could be wrong... I often am.

Okay... so you've stated your opionion about 100 year old lenses. But what if said vintage lens is worth $200 with perfect glass. You're going to buy new caps for it anyway so why not just pay the extra $20 with them already installed? It saves you the time/effort.

I know I'm simultaneously stubborn and dense but I just can't wrap my head around the disinterest in buying well-protected optics at the actual cost difference for new caps.

Nige · Feb 15, 2010

How did you end up with so many cap-less lenses?

2F/2F · Feb 15, 2010

Curt, I feel very fortunate to have the original slip-on brass front cap for my c. 1850 Voigtländer Petzval...and apparently very fortunate that it was a slip on and not a screw on!

Ektagraphic · Feb 15, 2010

Now that's a lens!

2F/2F · Feb 15, 2010

Ektagraphic said:
Now that's a lens!

It is!

I just need to rig up a flange so I can shoot with it! I have procrastinated badly on this front.

I also want to make some apertures for it, so I don't need to shoot it wide open.

It is a shame that it does not have the original pinion and flange, being such an early Voigtländer Petzval (#3611, c. 1850, made in Wien, not Braunschweig). If it did, I might just sell it to a nut instead of using it.

Mike1234 · Feb 16, 2010

Nige said:
How did you end up with so many cap-less lenses?

Years ago I bought and sold a lot of photo items but I took ill and had to quit. Many of these are removed from Graflex cameras. Others are from big kits I bought to break up and still others I bought just because they were a good deal at the time. This was all pre 9/11. Values dropped like a rock back then and never fully recovered. The 10/08 recession took another big toll. I'll feel very lucky to break even on everything but expect to lose money overall. At any rate, I really need to raise cash so off they go along with about 50 Graflex and misc. other cameras and gobs of photo this-n-that's.

Mike1234 · Feb 16, 2010

I'm almost afraid to ask what the tab was on that lens.

2F/2F said:
Curt, I feel very fortunate to have the original slip-on brass front cap for my c. 1850 Voigtländer Petzval...and apparently very fortunate that it was a slip on and not a screw on!

Mike1234 · Feb 16, 2010

2F/2F said:
I just need to rig up a flange so I can shoot with it! I have procrastinated badly on this front.

What's the diameter/pitch? Who knows... maybe I have one to fit? I have a couple of huge old brass TT&H and a couple other large ones.

Denis R · Feb 16, 2010

doesn't matter $

waiting for the .xls list of lenses, each mount on it's own tab

calceman · Feb 16, 2010

Adding caps will cost more than shipping... Why not offering free shipping instead of going through you cap ordeal?

Mike1234 · Feb 16, 2010

calceman said:
Adding caps will cost more than shipping... Why not offering free shipping instead of going through you cap ordeal?

Because with free shipping I'd be losing money and I've already cut my prices to the bone. I want to either break even with the caps and sell them more quickly or take the same time to sell them and increase the profit a bit.

RocketRick · Feb 16, 2010

Mike1234 said:
I'm almost afraid to ask what the tab was on that lens.

No, the Tab is next to the lens, not on it.

Thingy · Feb 17, 2010

I have bought a Schneider & a couple of Nikkors, in mint condition, without their original lens caps and it didn't bother me that the original lens caps were missing. What mattered was that I bought the lenses from a reputable dealer and the actual lenses, etc were mint. Apart from my Schneider 120mm HM Macro, all my LF lenses now have Lee adaptors and the white plastic lens covers on the front element.

Mike1234 · Feb 17, 2010

Thingy said:
I have bought a Schneider & a couple of Nikkors, in mint condition, without their original lens caps and it didn't bother me that the original lens caps were missing. What mattered was that I bought the lenses from a reputable dealer and the actual lenses, etc were mint. Apart from my Schneider 120mm HM Macro, all my LF lenses now have Lee adaptors and the white plastic lens covers on the front element.

Would you have paid the extra $20 for the Schneider with new Schneider caps and another $20 for new Kaiser caps on the Nikkor? You still had to invest the $$$, right?

Lens Caps... How Much Do They Affect Lens Value?

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