Nikon starts introduce the next generation lens cap, Snap On Lens Cap in year 2003 if I am not mistaken. Long before that, Tamron has been using this design for all their lens caps. I wonder what takes Nikon so long to come out with a very smart design lens cap, not sure if it is patented and Nikon licensed it from others...just a wild guess...

Nevertheless, it is good to have the original Nikon lens cap on Nikkor lenses, especially the smart and useful Snap On Lens Cap!

Why another cap?

No...not just another cap but A NEW CAP! With the snap on lens cap, photographers can now remove and snap on the lens cap to the lens much faster and easier! In my opinion, the most important and useful reason to have the snap on lens cap is especially when one uses lenses with hood! There is no way you can cap/close the lens cap deep into the lens hood reaching the lens if you are using the previous old design Nikon lens cap (possible? but you are endangering your lens being scratch but the lens cap if you slip it...).

Photo on the right shows a very clear picture of how the snap on lens cap can be very very very useful! With an ordinary lens cap, I can still cap/close the can with the hood on, but it requires extra careful and slow. This is still possible as the hood is a petal flower type (this is a Tokina 17mm wide angle lens). But if your lens hood is a round even type, there is no room for your fingers to still click to the old type cap and slot into the hood. ®

¬ Photo on the right shows the same lens (Tokina ATX PRO 17mm f3.5) without the hood on. With the much bigger catches at the edges as compare to old design lens cap, one can cap on / off the lens cap much faster and easier than before!

Good news!

All new lenses from Nikon now comes with the new SNAP ON LENS CAP! In fact, I have also notice that new Tokina lenses are now come with the new type of Snap On Lens Cap as well! At the moment, I see Nikon, Tamron and Tokina are using this new generation lens caps for their lenses. Not so sure about Sigma, but Canon is the old that still using the old type design of lens cap...I wonder why...

Old Lens New Cap?

Yup, you can buy this Snap On Lens Cap separately from the manufacturer. Nikon sells this lens cap as accessories to their lenses, Tamron sells their Tamron brand of snap on lens cap as well. Have not seen the Tokina lens cap selling seperately yet...

Price?

Less than US$10, smaller one are at lower price, 77mm being the largest that Nikon offers, Tamron have size upto 86mm that I have recently bought one for my Nikon 72mm Circular Polarizer. Matin has also produced their own brand of Snap On Lens Cap with extra string connected to the lens (to avoid lost/drop of the lens cap).