The lens cap design thread

[fasteddie]

You asked for it, you got it. A sandbox for SPY lens cap design work. To recap:

It started with Data's design for a Tri-v lens cap, covering the flood and the aspherical lens, but leaving the reflector lens uncovered, so you would have light in a hurry, even with the lens cap on.

(Insert pic here)

Several things followed:

• A change in who would be creating the lens caps (saabluster).
• Creation of an interest thread which will hopefully become an order thread some day soon.
• Interest in caps for the spy 007 and 005.
• Interest in a loop for attaching the cap to the light.
• Interest in materials and colors.
• Interest in covering all 3 Tri-v lenses vs. just 2.

 

[fasteddie]

reserved

 

[fasteddie]

I'll get it rolling. In order to satisfy both the 2 and 3 lens crowd, could the cap be made so that the third cap could be neatly trimmed away?

 

[saabluster]

I'll get it rolling. In order to satisfy both the 2 and 3 lens crowd, could the cap be made so that the third cap could be neatly trimmed away?

It could be cut away but whether or not the end result would be called "neat" would probably vary person to person.

One alternate solution is for me to make a clear plastic cover that would fit over the MC-E but fit on the ID as opposed to covering the outside. This could be left in place semi-permanently and still allow the use of the MC-E. In theory I could also tint it various colors to allow for a colored beam. I could even make the face of this part with a lens element to very gently pull the beam in a bit.

Then we would be talking about just covering the aspheric or reflector or both.

 

[Data]

It could be cut away but whether or not the end result would be called "neat" would probably vary person to person.

One alternate solution is for me to make a clear plastic cover that would fit over the MC-E but fit on the ID as opposed to covering the outside. This could be left in place semi-permanently and still allow the use of the MC-E. In theory I could also tint it various colors to allow for a colored beam. I could even make the face of this part with a lens element to very gently pull the beam in a bit.

Then we would be talking about just covering the aspheric or reflector or both.

That MC-E lens sounds great to me. Could you put a tiny o-ring groove around its perimeter so it can seal in place and that could hold it in place as well. Then taking it out would be done with sticking tape to it and pulling quickly. That would make replaceable parts easy to switch. We would need 0.5mm o-ing stock.


Cheers
Dave

 

[saabluster]

That MC-E lens sounds great to me. Could you put a tiny o-ring groove around its perimeter so it can seal in place and that could hold it in place as well. Then taking it out would be done with sticking tape to it and pulling quickly. That would make replaceable parts easy to switch. We would need 0.5mm o-ing stock.


Cheers
Dave

That can indeed be done.

 

[fasteddie]

How would that intergrate with a cover for the aspherical, or are you thinking about separate caps for each lens?

 

[saabluster]

How would that intergrate with a cover for the aspherical, or are you thinking about separate caps for each lens?

The MC-E cap would be its own deal. Then everyone would just need to agree on whether they wanted the other two both covered with one cap, or have two individual caps. Whatever you guys decide is fine. I don't have the pleasure of owning one of these so I don't want to push my opinion, only offer options. It should be noted that the more individual components there are the higher the price would be as it means more molds and masters.

 

[karlthev]

More $ but, more important to some I might think (after all, they just spent
$2K on their Tr--Vs!) would be keeping track of multiple caps in a real user world. I'm not sure I'd be too keen trying out my juggling skills in the dark.

One of the aspects of the beauty of this light (sorry if I'm condescending here) is the shear simplicity of operation--which could be compromised with multiple caps dangling from this work of art.....I dunno....



Karl

 

[jslappa]

If the MC-E can be protected with a semi-permanent optical lens, then surely the deeper asphere cavity would be even easier to protect. Going the optical lens route would also mean you wouldn't need to remove the lenses ever. I'd much rather lose a few lumens due to optical lens covers than to worry about scratches.

Either way, I'm in for the caps or the semi-permanent optical lens covers.

 

[fasteddie]

What about sticking to Data's original design, covering the asphere and the outside of the flood. That would still leave room for a second piece, the internally mounted optical lens cap for the flood.

I really dont think the reflector needs to be covered. A circular piece of screen protector will protect any flat glass lens.

 

[gtwace]

The Cap has to be heat resistant too in order to run the light with it on.

 

[saabluster]

The Cap has to be heat resistant too in order to run the light with it on.

The rubber I would like to use is extremely abrasion resistant. It is also heat resistant. It is what I use for the pre-collimator holder on the DEFT and it sits really close to the LED and yet survives. I would not use this for an incan but with these LEDs it should be just fine.

Here's another option. The rubber could be glow powder impregnated.

 

[RIDE]

The rubber I would like to use is extremely abrasion resistant. It is also heat resistant. It is what I use for the pre-collimator holder on the DEFT and it sits really close to the LED and yet survives. I would not use this for an incan but with these LEDs it should be just fine.

Here's another option. The rubber could be glow powder impregnated.

LOVE the glow idea!!!

RIDE

 

[mikes1]

Yes glow cap sounds good! It would be harder to lose somthing that glows. I am in favour of cap / caps for just the spot and flood, if some sort of attachment point could be provided that would be great. I also like the idea of a lens for the flood. In the grand scheme of things I don't think cost will be too much of an issue.

fasteddie,

Thanks for you work on this project :thumbsup:

Mike

 

[run4jc]

Ditto on the attachment point. on the lanyard that Dave supplied, there's a small loop - perhaps such a loop could be molded into the caps so that, if the owner desired, a piece of line could connect the two loops - thus when the cap is removed, it would 'dangle' but not fall...

:thinking:

 

[karlthev]

I like the attachment idea--similar to some binoculars with caps secured to the binos in the event that they "fall"...they won't "fall" very far...


Karl

 

[fyrstormer]

I already stated my interest for a 2-lense cap, though if a 3-lense cap were made instead, that would work fine too. I don't see any particular reason to protect the reflector though, since it has glass over top of it already. Besides, a 2-lense cap allows for the knob to be programmed so the first couple clicks just turn on the reflector, so the lense cap doesn't have to be removed when the user just needs plain old "normal" flashlight functionality.

I don't think I'd have any use for a an MC-E cap, because if I'm going to protect the MC-E then I might as well protect the A/R coating on the projector lense too. What I would sign up for is a silicone sleeve for the whole light, that would slide on from the front and protect the sides and the bezels. But that's a whole 'nother ball of wax.