Slip-on Lens Cap for Rolleiflex 3.5F

I have a Rolleiflex 3.5F with original hinged metal lens cap. When I'm shooting, I find that I take the cap off and just drop it into my camera bag somewhere out of the way - I find it too fiddly to continually put back on and then remove again. But at the same time, I'm a bit concerned about potentially damaging the front elements of the lenses.

 

Does anyone know where I could get a slip-on-style lens cap that would fit a Rolleiflex 3.5F? I don't want something that engages with the bayonet mount - just something functional that can be slipped on quickly and easily.

 

I believe the Rollei Magic models came with a plastic slip-on lens cap which would also be sized correctly for the 3.5F, but I saw (a dinged-up) one on eBay once, and it didn't look like it would be too effective either - though maybe I should just trust Franke & Heidecke on that!

 

(Incidentally, before posting this question on Photo.net, I tried to post it on the RolleiClub website, but it disallows me from posting because my "message contains too few characters" - which I doubt to really be the case. I wonder if anyone knows if that forum there is still active?)

If you do a search on Ebay for "Yashica Mat Lens cap" you will find one offering for (two) plastic molded covers that go over both lenses. $7 delivered to the US. I have one of these for my 124's but seldom use it. I use a Bay 1 adapter to 49mm for both filters (from the slr kits) & a flexible, silicone rubber lens hood on the taking lens. Mush the shade down & a pinch-lens cap keeps the taking lens safe when hauling the camera about. Aloha, Bill

A Rollei 3.5 F is a Bay 2 mount, not Bay 1 so unfortunately the cheap eBay Bay 1 lens cap won't fit. I always use a lens hood on my Rollei TLR when shooting. The original Rollei ones are pricey on eBay but I think that Fotodiox was making copies for a more reasonable price.

The cap I have, and the ones on Ebay, do not use the Bay-? bayonet ring at all. They slip over the entire lens outer diameter. Nothing hi-tech, just a tight fit that has never come off my Yashicas when I have used them. Bill

Bill, the 3.5F like the Magic uses the larger Bay 2 fittings, so slip on caps made for Bay 1 cameras like Yashicamats won't fit. I wondered if a cap from a binocular or similar might do, but looking at my 3.5F, there just isn't enough clearance around the outside of the bayonet to hold anything in position. I normally keep a UV filter on it.