[Leica] New use for a rear lens cap

[Mike Quinn <mlquinn@san.rr.com>]

Everyone understands that front lens caps are an abomination that eventually
end up in front of your lens as you are snapping important pictures.

I don't use them, so I thought I was immune. Sunday I found a new way to
goof up using a rear lens cap.

I was at the San Diego's Crew Classic rowing meet and dumped my 135mm Elmar,
with hood attached, face down in my bag between exposures.

I didn't notice that I'd left a rear lens cap at the bottom of the bag. It
turns out that a leica rear lens cap fits very snugly into the 39mm hood
(same hood for the 90 and 135 mm lenses). When I lifted the camera out
again, the loose rear cap had become wedged deep inside the hood. I never
saw it until I got home.

(This is the point where Ted Grant always says that somehow, miraculously,
all the important pictures came out fine.
No such luck. I just got the clear film back.)

I hadn't realized until now how I tend to keep images I've photographed in
my head until I see them in the negatives. Now I understand. We make the
prints to get the images out of our heads.

How am I going to get rid of these? Sigh.

Mike Quinn