It's the little things that often make a disproportionate difference and for those of us given to obsessing about small details, some such small details can be all but life changing. These lens caps (for this user) are such an item. The whole 'marginal gains' idea was made high profile by Dave Brailsford and the Team Sky cycling setup (even though US Postal had been doing it a decade earlier). Kase continue to uphold the principle of looking for small improvements by research and, critically, by listening to customer feedback.
Ever since the concept of filter holders attached by adapter rings was introduced in the late 70's by Cokin and others there has been an issue about how best to protect lenses while leaving the filter attachment rings in place for quick changing. Back when I originally used Lee, there were push on polythene caps that, while functional, were too much faff for me to be bothered with. Others, including Kase have used similar solutions. None have really worked well for me. The ideal is a cap that fits the filter ring and protects while in the bag and in transit moving between locations. It must however attach and remove easily.
When packing away to leave a location completely, I do tend to remove and repack all accessories and replace them all in their allotted storage positions. While needless in some ways, it does ensure that nothing is ever left behind. For shorter hops, a cap on the filter ring is ideal for me. Other users prefer to fit the filter rings permanently at home and use the caps from that point onwards.
The beauty of these silicone caps is that they stick magnetically to the filter attachment rings and stay put effectively. They attach very positively and go on and off with one hand. I never managed to use any of the other alternative options but I'm using these every day. They are perfect, simply perfect.
At £15 each they are not exactly cheap but they cost much less than equivalent sized ordinary lens caps from Nikon, Canon etc and half the price a Zeiss user would pay.
There will be those that view such small details as a frivolity, there are not. They make a difference. They allow a photographer to concentrate on the key process of making photographs and to devote the maximum time to that rather than to managing equipment. When conditions are challenging this can equate to the difference between catching that moment of fleeting light and missing it altogether.
I should point out that I bought these myself at full RRP, no discount and no review incentive. I’m writing the review because I believe that they are a simply brilliant piece of kit.