How best to lug spare lenses around

[bocaburger]

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I have three lenses and hope to get a forth if I have been a good boy and Santa loves me. I store them in a Fogg bag, but find it a little user unfriendly (a lovely bag, though!) so I usually find myself going out with only the mounted lens with me.

 

I wonder if there is some kind of bandolier or something that gives me easy access to the lenses when required.

 

Any thoughts on that?

 

Åmund

 

Photo vest aka waistcoat?

[usayit]

Am I correct that the lens carrier will not fit on an M8 or 9, due to its having a location lip on the top surface and the differing positions of the tripod thread on film and digital M's. If this is so, is there a case to press Leica to produce a different version for the digital M's. I think it is a very useful device. I thought of making my own with an old lens back cap but the lack of a positive lock and the thought of my 35 Lux dropping onto the pavement, put me off.

 

Wilson

 

My solution when I head out with 2 lenses and no bag.

 

YouTube - P1020185

 

It has its limitations but works fine when I go with either 35-75 or 50-90.

[wizard]

I use a LowePro Nova 1 camerabag for my Leica M gear. It is quite small, but will hold any Leica M + mounted lens up to a MATE and two additional lenses up to the 135apo. It will even hold four lenses if the fourth one is tiny, say a CV 4/21mm. I have never needed 3 hands to change lenses with this outfit, works like a charm for me.

 

Andy

[holmes]

Well nothings perfect. I said before and I saw someone had a hard side case but needed some good work on it. It sounds similar to the Leitz Leica hard side case I picked up from KEH. The top folds over, the handles pull up and snap. The strap can be held inside or outside the handles for shoulder carry. The leather is tough cowhide smooth and a nice color. There is a top tray for keeping stuff handy. Lift up that tray and you have a nice nice size working area. There is a center divider and two smaller flexible ones, giving 4 compartments. These are again flexible. I find I can carry one or two bodies and 2-3 lenses. As I said, the top lid handles all the miscellaneous stuff. To secure the case the handles snap together as well as an exterior clip, as on some briefcases.

[dpattinson]

Some photos of the bag showing how I pack it here

 

I use a Billingham Airport Stowaway. I can fit two lenses in soft pouches, and the camera with a lens fitted inside the bag (tight fit). I pick up old Contax G lens pouches as they are a good fit for M lenses and quite robust.

 

I put the two lenses in vertically, then the camera in vertically with the camera body over the shorter of the two lenses.

 

If I'm carrying the SF-58, I untab one end of the strap and feed that through the belt loop on the flash case then retab the strap. This way I can carry the whole lot in one bag - this is what I carry if I'm shooting an event.

 

I have one of the Billingham shoulder pads for the bag, helps keep it on your shoulder and spreads the load a little.

 

I have not seen a better bag for the purpose.

 

David.

[Åmund]

Rolo uses a Shootsac. It is supposed to be for lenses, but I've seen him stuff cameras in there also, BUT it's primarily for lenses. Grips them and keeps them safe.

 

Shootsac Products

 

Good luck and let us know what you settle on.

Falstaff

 

I think this looks like the thing I´m looking for, but the Leica lenses are so small and the demo video shoved a canicon in use. Will I be able to find the small 35mm in those huge pockets?

 

Åmund

[giordano]

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I thought of making my own with an old lens back cap but the lack of a positive lock and the thought of my 35 Lux dropping onto the pavement, put me off.

 

I made an adapter piece back in 2007 (http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/52226-m-lens-holder-m8-merged-thread.html). At the time some people warned that the baseplate fixings of the M8 (and now M9) wouldn't be strong enough. No problems so far, though I don't use it all the time and don't own any of the heavier lenses.

[dpattinson]

I think this looks like the thing I´m looking for, but the Leica lenses are so small and the demo video shoved a canicon in use. Will I be able to find the small 35mm in those huge pockets?

 

Åmund

 

Interesting, but for a walkaround bag I'm not sure I trust neoprene - the neoprene camera covers I've used aren't waterproof - actually they hold water and in many situations that means your gear is in a sauna.

 

I also doubt the usefulness for M lenses, seems the pockets would be way too deep and it's rather a large bag to carry two lenses (and no camera) in.

[farnz]

If you have 3 lenses there's always the Leitz lens Turret (OROLF) with the added advantage that the lenses can be changed faster than with any other method..

 

Pete.

[Falstaff]

I think this looks like the thing I´m looking for, but the Leica lenses are so small and the demo video shoved a canicon in use. Will I be able to find the small 35mm in those huge pockets?

 

Åmund

 

Not a problem at all, they fit in nicely and come out easily. Also, it is very light so carrying it is not an issue.

 

David, I cannot comment about being waterproof......

 

Rolo should come in on this, but I know he has been out of town, will flag it up for him.

Falstaff

[wlaidlaw]

If you have 3 lenses there's always the Leitz lens Turret (OROLF) with the added advantage that the lenses can be changed faster than with any other method..

 

Pete.

 

....but Pete, the baseplate would not fit on an M9 ;-(

 

Wilson

[wlaidlaw]

I made an adapter piece back in 2007 (http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/52226-m-lens-holder-m8-merged-thread.html). At the time some people warned that the baseplate fixings of the M8 (and now M9) wouldn't be strong enough. No problems so far, though I don't use it all the time and don't own any of the heavier lenses.

 

John,

 

I did think of doing something similar, as I have been recently playing around with extended base plates for flash and modified a Metz 32-38 for this purpose. Ffordes do have a S/H lens carrier at the moment. I decided in the end, it was just too "Heath Robinson" (Rube Goldberg on the other side of the pond) and I keep hoping that Leica will realise there is a market for an M8/9 model. I am off to Africa in a few days, snow permitting, and the thought of having a MATE on the M9 with my 135 T-E underslung is attractive.

 

Wilson

[farnz]

....but Pete, the baseplate would not fit on an M9 ;-(

Hmm, perhaps not, Wilson, although this thread didn't appear to be about the M9 in particular.

 

Is the problem that the M9's dimensions are different to film M's and the lenses in the Turret wouldn't register with the mount?

 

Pete.

[wlaidlaw]

Hmm, perhaps not, Wilson, although this thread didn't appear to be about the M9 in particular.

 

Is the problem that the M9's dimensions are different to film M's and the lenses in the Turret wouldn't register with the mount?

 

Pete.

 

Pete,

 

My comment was slightly "tongue in cheek" for this extraordinary device making your M3 into a Paillard Bolex look alike but it would not fit for two reasons. I seem to recall there are curved location lips which would be too narrow in both directions for the larger M8/9 bodies and the fixing screw which goes into the tripod socket would be in the wrong position.

 

Wilson

[Åmund]

Interesting, but for a walkaround bag I'm not sure I trust neoprene - the neoprene camera covers I've used aren't waterproof - actually they hold water and in many situations that means your gear is in a sauna.

 

I also doubt the usefulness for M lenses, seems the pockets would be way too deep and it's rather a large bag to carry two lenses (and no camera) in.

 

Well, I don´t think the waterproofness will be an issue. The camera is not weather-sealed, so I´m very careful not to take it out in rough weather.

 

Thanks all the same!

 

Åmund

[Rolo]

Interesting, but for a walkaround bag I'm not sure I trust neoprene - the neoprene camera covers I've used aren't waterproof - actually they hold water and in many situations that means your gear is in a sauna.

 

I also doubt the usefulness for M lenses, seems the pockets would be way too deep and it's rather a large bag to carry two lenses (and no camera) in.

 

Your negative opinion about something you have no experience of is worrying. People here want to base their decisions on facts, or at least user experience. You offer neither.

 

Neoprene IS waterproof - fact ! The bag material IS waterproof, but the bag is not sealed and in a storm rain would enter the main compartments from the top opening. By the same token Goretex is waterproof providing you don't compress it, by sitting in a pool of water - another fact.

 

Sauna ? - you're scaremongering here.

 

I have many bags and I find the Shootsac perfect for my Leica M equipment. I was presented with a Domke 803 earlier this month and so far and WITH my limited experience, I'd give the 803 5/10 for M use and the Shootsac 9/10.

 

The Shootsac is less than half the weight, hugs the body, carries more equipment, takes up 1/2" layer of space in a suitcase, Pelican case etc. I frequently carry lots of gear on a Pelican 1600 and just drop the Shootsac on top of the kit before closing the lid; then work out of the Shootsac on location. Because it's flexible, it bends around your body and even when loaded will allow me to wear the sac under my outer garment, thus protecting everything inside from the elements. Try that with a Domke or Billingham ! It also keeps my bag out of sight when on the street.

 

It has a removable cover and most of the time mine is detached. That's because gear is gripped by the neoprene and won't drop out by accident and the apertures are self closing so that nothing can drop in. It has six pockets, each of which will accommodate an M body, or two lenses (protected in velvet Leica Service Dept bags in my case). I nearly always have 3 lenses and one or two bodies with me and when shooting, one body is in the hand for most of the time. The sixth pocket will have spare batteries, SD card holder etc.

 

The centre compartments are big enough to accommodate an M body with lens fitted lens, although I admit that the 75 Lux on the M9 is a stretch and I don't like doing it. interestingly, easier to fit than that combination is a Rolleiflex TLR, or a Hasselblad with 80mm as the end profiles are quite small. So yes, an M9, Rolleiflex/Hasselblad and and 3 lenses, of film etc.and that's without stacking lenses on top of each other. Not toooo heavy either.

 

The pockets are deep enough to keep the lenses safe, but the neoprene stretches easily to access. With lens hood fitted most lenses rise about half way up the pocket, but again the soft neoprene allows your hand to grip the lens fully. It also allows you to re-insert the lens without fear of it not being safe. I haven't tried it, but I think you could pick the bag up by the bottom corners and hold it upside down and the contents wouldn't fall out.

 

I also use this bag all the time for my wedding work with a Canon outfit and wear it for a 12 hour day, keeping my gear instantly accessible and secure. The 1D Mk IV body is too much of a stretch for the main compartment and the Sac would no doubt suffer if it was forced regularly. A 5D would fit easily. I now carry the M9 + 2 leica lenses, plus two Canon lenses, plus a 580-II flash and spare batteries along with the 1D IV in hand.

 

It's only my experience, but I hope it counters the poor info above.

[farnz]

... Neoprene IS waterproof ...

As an Engineer I agree with Rolo on this one - in this application.

 

Neoprene, or to give it its chemical name "polychloroprene", is a polymer and an elastomer (elastic polymer), which means it is made of chains of monomers. Water molecules (H20) are physically smaller than the voids in chloroprene molecules (H2C=CCl-CH=CH2) because carbon is a relatively large atom. Water will eventually migrate through any polymer because they are all carbon-based but we're talking years rather than moments.

 

A polymer needs to be immersed in water for several years for the water to be able to migrate through it. For example "dry" SCUBA diving suits are made of Neoprene and its pretty important that water can't pass through it during a dive.

 

A more apt term might be that Neoprene is water repellent rather than waterproof.

 

Pete.

(Apologies for the science.)

[dpattinson]

Your negative opinion about something you have no experience of is worrying. People here want to base their decisions on facts, or at least user experience. You offer neither.

 

Neoprene IS waterproof - fact ! The bag material IS waterproof, but the bag is not sealed and in a storm rain would enter the main compartments from the top opening. By the same token Goretex is waterproof providing you don't compress it, by sitting in a pool of water - another fact.

 

Sauna ? - you're scaremongering here.

 

It's only my experience, but I hope it counters the poor info above.

 

Terribly sorry to have caused any worry

 

So I went and checked the neoprene camera case that I mentioned having used. Which I stopped using because it held water. It turns out I was wrong, the neoprene probably is water-repellent/proof, but the nice fabric they coat it in is not. Once it gets wet, it stays that way. It holds that water quite effectively, in fact I'd describe it as hydrophilic

 

Quite possibly the bag you're using has a different fabric coating? Or maybe it's a different kind of neoprene to the one Optech use? Maybe you could try wetting it and let us know?

 

Heaven forbid anyone would ever use a Leica camera in wet weather.. but should they do so, then any water getting into a bag made of the same fabric coated neoprene that Optech use would stay there until it evaporated out (like a tiny little sauna wrapped around my camera, once I get inside a nice warm cafe). Now you might ask - how could water get inside a waterproof (repellent) bag? Well, if you put a wet hand in there to pull out a lens for example, or put a rain splashed camera body in there while you open your umbrella.

 

You're correct, I haven't used the bag you describe - however I offered my opinion based on my experience with having used at least one neoprene bag. Being rather unafraid of using my camera in the rain, I nevertheless prefer to put it away into something that is a bit less hydrophilic than my optech case seems to be, something I can easily wipe out when I get a moment to do so.

 

It seems to be a moot point anyway - as the OP doesn't take his camera out in rainy weather.

[wlaidlaw]

I think part of the confusion is that neoprene is available as impervious sheet and as a cloth covered open cell sponge material (commonly used in wet suits). Obviously the cloth covered sponge is not waterproof, whereas the solid sheet would be. For example, I think the Leica M8/9 Ever-Ready Neoprene Case-M I have, is made from the spongy cloth covered material and would have very limited waterproofing/rain proofing capabilities. I do have concerns along the lines that David has, that if it did get wet, it would wick this through to the inside and be a "cold sauna" for the camera inside.

 

Wilson

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Hallo,

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[dpattinson]

I think part of the confusion is that neoprene is available as impervious sheet and as a cloth covered open cell sponge material (commonly used in wet suits). Obviously the cloth covered sponge is not waterproof, whereas the solid sheet would be. For example, I think the Leica M8/9 Ever-Ready Neoprene Case-M I have, is made from the spongy cloth covered material and would have very limited waterproofing/rain proofing capabilities. I do have concerns along the lines that David has, that if it did get wet, it would wick this through to the inside and be a "cold sauna" for the camera inside.

 

Wilson

 

I thought the same thing, so I checked Wikipedia on Wetsuits. They indicate that the neoprene used in wetsuits is actually waterproof. The thin layer of water inside enters via the openings, and is tolerated because the bubbles trapped inside the neoprene are effective enough insulators. It appears the idea that wetsuits become soaked and the trapped water provides insulation is an urban myth, possibly partly derived from the water loving stretch fabric they seem to be coated in