Random musing: why does the design of Nikon’s lens caps make more sense than that of Canon’s?
I’ve lost count of the number of times in which I had fumbled while trying to remove a Canon lens cap from between the lens hood. The releases on a Canon lens cap are at the sides and they are partially obscured when you have a lens hood fixed to the lens; to remove the lens cap, you would have to rotate the cap to an angle where both releases are aligned with the open spaces between the petals of the hood. It almost seems as if Canon designers never took into account that people would actually use lens hoods.
On the contrary, the releases on a Nikon lens cap are in the middle of the cap. There are two advantages to this design: firstly, it is much, much easier to reach into the lens hood and release the lens cap. Secondly, if you accidentally brush your lens against something, the chances of the lens cap popping off are lower. Don’t laugh, but that has actually happened to me before; I bumped a lens against a street fixture, the lens cap went ‘Twaaang!’ and rolled merrily down a pavement. The chase which ensured was not a glamorous picture at all.
After a recce today, during which I alternated between dropping the lens cap while removing it and smudging the lens while trying to cap it, I went down to the local store and bought Nikon lens caps to replace all the Canon ones.
Maybe it’s just me—in that I have no luck whatsoever with lens caps—and while it may be a small or even non issue with some users, it bothers me a fair bit. And, no, I do not believe in tying a lens cap to the body and having it flap madly in the wind when I’m trying to take a picture.
Minus one to Canon for ergonomics.
On an aside, it is interesting how more and more Nikon accessories are finding their way onto my EOS body; first, it was the DK-21M Magnifying Eyepiece, then it was the Nikon AH-4 Hand Grip. Now it is the Nikon lens caps. These days, my mentor, who is a Nikon user, smirks everytime he sees me.
34, male and very Cancerian. Often irascible, even if he is prescient to his emotions. Lives for the resonance of beautiful passages, cinematic magic and aural bliss. Dabbles in 
Can’t say I’ve had this problem yet. But I did purchase a cheap and nasty cap for a 50mm lens. The push-section to release the cap protrude so far from the lens that I cannot get a sun-hood around it! Thanks for the tip. Now that I have read your story, it will surely happen!
This might be a solution to my problem. I do a lot of bushwalking with my camera and it doesn’t take much to pop the lens cap off.
If I’d not encountered the same issues as you, I’d not have Googled “Canon lens cap replacement.” Ah, sweet vindication. I’m actually considering the dangling-on-a-string cap for mine… the replacement cap for what I recently lost. And, yes, since snapping a shot on-the-fly, it’s very critical to get the cap off without having to rotate the camera toward you to get those 2 buttons aligned. I always thought it was just me. I’ll get a Nikon. Thanks for the post!!!
You’re welcome, G-man. Glad to know I’m not the only one who thinks Canon lens caps don’t work from an ergonomic standpoint.
Will sounds like you guys are having lots of trouble with caps. I’ve been taking pictures for 35 years, landscape and wildlive. Do a lot of walking in the woods,I use a lens hood all the time. I DONT put a cap on the lens, with wildlive you have to be ready. In 35 years I’ve never scratchced a lens. So walk carefuly and be ready, leave the caps in the bags. So easy.