Lens caps:
If your lens is threaded for filters, lens caps are universal.  Order a cap to fit the threads on your lens.  These caps will also fit filters.  Very thin filters can be tricky for any lens cap to fit if there's not enough thread for the cap to engage.

For lenses without filter threads, caps are made to fit specific versions.  If your lens is not listed, please send me a message.  I can check if an existing product will fit your lens.  If not, I can usually fit a lens cap with just a couple of measurements.

Lens hoods:
If your lens is not specifically listed, do not assume something similar will fit.  Zemlin Photo hoods are designed to very precise standards.  If there is any question, please ask.  I usually have to have a lens in my hands to fit a lens hood.

Zemlin Photo hoods are designed to make a large telephoto lens easier to live with—from attaching the hood to packing up after a shoot.

Attachment: 
A secure bayonet-style mounting system prevents the hood from loosening or falling off during use.  A lock ring attaches to the lens with the bayonet features required to mount the hood.  All current hood designs require a lock ring.  The required lock ring is included with your hood order.  With the lock ring in place, the factory hood will not fit.  Mounting the lock ring to the lens is quick and easy.  If your lens has a factory bayonet mount hood, the ring mounts a little differently that on lenses with a screw-clamp hood.  Be sure to review the instructions that come with your lens hood kit.

Protection: 
The hood shades the front element and provides a buffer against bumps and incidental contact. Lightweight, durable ABS construction stands up to field use.  The hood attachment easily supports the weight of the camera and lens when you stand the camera on the mounted hood.  When you shoot without a hood mounted, the Zemlin Photo lock ring provides additional protection to the most vulnerable area of your lens.

Handling:  
For many lenses a Zemlin Photo hood is lighter than the factory hood.  The bayounet-mount design is much easier and convenient than the screw clamp design.  It's faster to get your hood mounted and ready to shoot.  On lenses with factory bayonet-mount hoods, Zemlin Photo customers find the hoods more robust and reliable in demanding conditions. Depending on the model, options include shorter hood lengths and filter-access sleeves that let you adjust a filter without removing the hood.

Packing: 
A shorter hood can reduce weight and the space your lens needs in a bag and make it easier to move between shooting and transport. Pairing it with a Zemlin Photo lens cap also makes covering the lens quick and straightforward.  Two-piece hoods give you the option of having a short hood when it's convenient or a longer hood with the additional protection is required for rain or very harsh lighting.

Mounting details, dimensions, and features vary, so check the listing for your particular lens to choose the setup that best suits how you shoot.

A short hood can be helpful when space is confined, or in windy conditions it's easier to stabilize the lens with a short hood as it's less of a sail.

A longer hood is helpful in rain, mist, or snow - or dusty conditions - it can help keep the front element clean. A longer hood can also help keep incidental light off the front element for better contrast when shooting backlit subjects, or in very harsh lighting, such as full sun on new snow or white sand. 

 Since there’s not one perfect hood for all conditions, I also offer the two-piece hoods.

A little heavier, a little larger diameter, and a little more expensive – but more versatile. To go along with a two-piece hood I offer the mini 2nd section for when you are shooting with only the first section of the hood. It’s totally optional, but it protects the bayonet features, adds the Skid Pad feature, and cleans up the look of the first section when used along. It’s also one more little thing to carry around as it doesn’t stow on the hood when not in use.

Since the original hood cannot be used on the lens with the Zemlin Photo lock ring in place, a 2-piece hood give you the versatility of using with a short hood or a longer one without having to carry two lens hoods

See Choosing a hood length question (above).

We provide a high quality 1.5mm hex key needed to install the lock ring on your lens.  With the lock ring in place, the factory hood cannot be mounted on the lens.

When mounting your Zemlin Photo hood, it will rotate freely up to an initial stop.  Apply a little more torque and the hood will click into a locked position.

The force required to lock/unlock your hood can be adjusted by loosening or tightening the lock ring mounted on the lens.  The initial target for the gap in the lock ring is just enough for the 1.5mm hex key wrench to turn with very slight contact with the ring when turning.

Tightening the screw to close the gap will reduce the lock/unlock the force on the hood.  Loosening the screw to increase the gap will increase the force needed.  As long as the ring does not rotate or shift on the lens when mounting or removing the hood, it is not too loose.

The force to lock/unlock the second section on a two-piece hood is not adjustable.  We aim to have the second section lock/unlock easier than the first section so the second section can be removed without unlocking the first section.

Zemlin Photo pinch-style lens caps are similar to standard lens caps.  The caps are designed to be more secure, and cannot be removed by squeezing the outside of the cap.  The finger grips must be used to release the cap.

The spring and screws are stainless steel.  High-strength thread locker and a precision torque driver is used when installing the screws, so there is no risk of the screws loosening over time.

Zemlin Photo lens caps mount in the front of the lens and do not interact with the lens hood at all.  Whether you have the factory lens hood or a Zemlin hood, the cap can be inserted and removed from the lens regardless of the state of the hood – mounted, reversed, or removed.

Caps to fit lenses with filter threads will also fit standard filters.  Very thin filters can be challenging with any lens cap if there is not enough thread for the cap to engage.

We have special caps to be used with the KASE filters on large, prime, telephoto lenses.  130mm, 145mm, and 150mm caps are available to fit KASE filter kits.  Measure the diameter of the filter in your kit to confirm the correct cap.

The information provided in listings online about KASE kits is inconsistent and often incorrect, so simply take your own measurement to confirm.

Hoods that are listed as MATCHING the original lens hood will work with the same hood sleeves.  Diameter and lengths match the OE hoods.

If the hood listing says it matches the LENGTH of the original hood, the diameter will be different.  The original sleeve might work, or it might not be a good fit.

LensCoat and Chasing Birds will make custom sleeves to fit all other Zemlin Photo lens hood.  Contact us for a drawing of your hood and we will send a PDF drawing as well as contact information for both companies.  RolanPro does not make custom sleeves for Zemlin Photo products.

Components for lens caps and lens hoods are manufactured on customized 3D printers using glass-reinforced ABS plastic.  Parts are then fitted and assembled by hand to ensure precision fit and reliable operation.

With over a decade of experience with 3D printing, Zemlin Photo achieves very precise parts with high quality fit and finish.

Most lens hoods can be ordered with or without the Skid Pad feature – no price difference. The Skid Pad feature is a tough, grippy, urethane ring embedded in the front face of the lens hood. This adds anti-slip when the camera/lens is placed face down on the hood on a smooth surface like a table top or hardwood floor.  If you stand your lens on the end of the hood, the Skid Pad is recommended as it protects the front edge of the lens hood.

You can choose Orange or Clear for the Skid Pad color. Once installed the clear material is essentially black. It's the same durable, wear resistant material either way.  Color options are VERY limited for this material.  Red, yellow, or gold are not available.

The Skid Pad is standard on all lens caps.  You can choose either Orange or Clear.

The lens hood attachment will support the weight of your lens and camera without issue. 

Zemlin Photo manufactures eyepieces for Nikon mirrorless Z bodies.  The Z9, Z8, and Zf all have the same bayonet-style attachement.  The Z7, Z6, and Z5 series use a slide-on mount.

I offer eyepieces with the same molded silicone components for both series of cameras.

I wear glasses when shooting and I designed the eyecup to work well with or without glasses.  The silicone cup is very soft and does not push hard on eyeglasses.  It works well for shielding extraneous light.

The Zemlin Photo eyecup folds back to reduce space required for storage.  The material has no memory and will return to the original shape even after an extended time.

When putting a camera away in your bag with the Zemlin Photo eyecup, I recommend placing a thumb or finger over the eyecup so the silicone does not experience excessive pulling from the side of the camera bag.

All Zemlin Photo items are made to order.  Most orders ship within 1-3 business days.  Small items often ship the day of the order.

Within the US, small items like eyepieces and lens caps ship by FedEx 2-Day.  Hoods will ship by USPS Priority Mail.

International orders usually ship by FedEx International Connect Plus.  To some addresses, International First Class Mail is the only affordable option.

You will receive a shipping notification with tracking when we prepare your shipping label.

The web site does not have the ability to collect import duties at the time of checkout. International customers will be contacted by the carrier (usually FedEx) to pay import fees.  That can happen before or after delivery.

No-questions-asked returns: 30 days

Contact Zemlin Photo (karl@zemlinphoto.com) to arrange a return for any reason within 30 days of delivery of order. Zemlin Photo will pay return shipping and will refund the original purchase price in full* when the return is received. Original shipping charge will not be refunded.

*If your order is custom engraved, customized items will be subject to a 25% customization recovery fee to cover materials and labor. We can offer 100% credit for the Zemlin Photo online store on customized returns. You will receive a discount code for the amount of your returned purchase and no refund.

Zemlin Eyepieces: 1 year warranty from delivery of order.

Lens Hoods and Lens Caps: 2 Year warranty from delivery of order.

Contact Zemlin Photo (karl@zemlinphoto.com) to initiate your warranty claim. Zemlin Photo will replace your item with an identical product at no charge limited to one replacement per product. Warranty covers accidental damage. Customer will be responsible for any shipping charge over $10 US.

The Videos page on the web site has instructional videos as well as customer reviews.  If you have posted a review that is not on my web site, please let me know so I can add it.

I am always adding new lenses to the portfolio of products.  In general, I have to have a lens in my hands to do the design work.  The fit of the lock rings to the lens is designed for a very precise fit and I use several different techniques when designing to confirm an exact match.

On some older lenses, there’s a chance an existing product will be compatible.  A few measurements with digital calipers may be enough to confirm.  If you believe an existing hood will fit your lens and you have digital calipers that can take diameter measurements, I can let you know what I need to confirm the fit.

If there’s a lens you’d like to see that is not currently listed on the site, send me a message.  I will put your contact information on the request list and let you know if products for that lens are listed.