Easy Lens Changing

Pistnbroke

My policy has always been one lens one camera and having 6 Nikons makes this easy when on a commercial job. Now I am selling up and reducing to 2 bodies so lens changing will have to happen. I hate camera bags so that's not going to happen so how do you do it ...take lens off camera ..find lens cap in bag ..fit select new lens remove lens cap fit to camera .now some of this takes three hands etc …
So the solution is to mount two F mounts back to back and suspend them from your belt or whatever . I used two extension tubes and fitted the mounts back to back with a black plastic separator .
So now you have lens no2 hanging from your belt ..you take lens 1 off the camera and fit it into the empty F mount. Then remove lens 2 and fit it to the camera.
If you insist on a camera bag then glue two lens caps back to back and just swop the lenses end for end .
Photo below

[url=http://e-group.uk.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/100830][img]http://e-group.uk.net/gallery/data/500/PA310269.JPG[/img][/url]

spraynpray

I unlock my lens on the camera and place the camera on top of my bag, lens up. Then get my next lens out and remove the lens cap which I place in the bag open end up while holding the lens mount end down. I then remove the lens from the body and replace it with the new lens but do not lock it then put the cap on the old lens and replace in the bag. I then lock the lens onto the body.

This means my body is open to crud for the minimum time.

Pistnbroke

Exactly____ what a floored procedure ..do you have your bag on the ground? I think my concept needs thinking about on your part particularly if you glue two caps together ...whatever floats your boat.

spraynpray

It isn't as bad as you think, I do have the body on it's strap all the time so it can't fall anywhere. The bag can be on the floor, but sometimes round my shoulders if I am using the big messenger.

I do agree a better system would be good. Yours screams for the temporary use of a body cap to me?

Pistnbroke

I know hundreds have read this from the hits on the photo . So viewers next time you change lenses ask yourself would it have been easier if the "new" cap had been on the end of the lens you were changing to …..

Ton14

Heeee Pistnbroke good tip to use extension tubes, I do it the same for the last couple of years, only use Peakdesign stuff. I have the D810 with the 70-200mm f/4 on my belt, with the big shoulder strap, but the weight is on my belt and carry an extra lens (sometimes 2 with converter attached) on the following device:

https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/clips/products/lens-kit

I also have small cheap Arca plates on all my stuff, bought a couple of Andoer CL-50LS Quick Release Clamps by Aliexpress for € 12.- each and have the easiest, very quick and stable setup for a small flash system and small camera's.

Pistnbroke

Thanks for that Ton14....I got the idea looking as a pair of old Nikon EMs but realized the lens catch would not come off if I removed the mounts..Using two extension tubes is cheap @ £4 ea but you need a lathe.....beginning to think I was mad but now you show me a commercial one sanity is restored...I do think on the same lines two plastic caps back to back is a useful trick.
Great video here on how to do it
https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/clips/products/lens-kit#mosaic

Ton14

Fun he

When you don't want to have your lenses in the open, Think Tank just released new lens pouches. Here you can get the lens out from the top.

I put the lens, with the lenscap off and the hood on, up site down ready to use in the pouch. Now I can make a quick switch and the lens is protected.

https://www.thinktankphoto.com/collections/lens-case-duo-series

CaMeRaQuEsT

Since going all primes, I've been switching lenses a lot lately, so I've had to devise a little step by step for pulling off somehow quick and error-free (read: dropping something on the floor) lens changes. I currently only carry 3 lenses in my small sized shoulder bag (discontinued Tamrac 5531 from an Adorama closeout, $9.99 shipped, terrible latch): 20/2.8 AF, 35/2D and 85/1.8 AF. I always carry my bag by my right hip, strap over my left shoulder to prevent it from accidentally (or purposelessly by a thief) slipping off. One of the lenses is always attached to my D600 (duh!), the rest are left front side down inside the bag, with all the front caps off when I'm out busy shooting. No lens hoods since none of my lenses came with one, they wouldn't fit in the bag anyways.

The actual steps are as follow: I start a lens change by first hanging the camera strap on my neck if it's not there already (I sometimes shoot with the strap wrapped around my wrist), I can then use both hands to take out the "in" lens from the bag, remove its rear cap and place it in the the bag's empty camera compartment. Then I grab the "in" lens with my left hand, unmount the "out" lens from the camera with my right hand and finally mount the "in" lens to the camera. Both hands are now available again to cap the rear of the "out" lens and pack it back into the bag.

It takes a bit of discipline to pull this off cleanly every time, which is harder than you think since you are mostly concentrated in the scene in front of you that is calling for the lens switch in the first place, but you need to be into it, otherwise something (a cap if you're lucky, a lens if you're not) will be dropped on the floor.

Lastly, I'm only using old, genuine, shiny, made in Japan Nikon rear caps. They are easier to grab and to put on/take off than the new, dull finished caps. Was using Sigma rear caps because they're bigger and even easier to put on/take off, but they do loosen out pretty easily.

Pistnbroke

I suggest CaMeRa ...that you watch the video I posted above and you might change your thinking.
The Peak designs unit ranges from £50-£100 on e bay but I found this supplier at £30 inc post

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Peak-Design-Capture-LENS-Nikon-F-mount-inc-Capture-CLC-N-1-BNIB/113180787133

Ton14

You also want the beltclip to connect the thing, there is a very cheap one at the moment.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Peak-Design-Camera-Capture-Clip-with-plate-suitable-for-all-camera-makes/163339221763?hash=item2607c6bb03:g:UVwAAOSwQqZb1H2Q:rk:6:pf:0

CaMeRaQuEsT

Combined, that Peak Design solution costs more than any single one of my lenses! I don't go out to shoot commercially (my only comercial photo work is doing I.D. pictures, using a basic, 10 year old, $50 used Canon Rebel XS/1000D, its in-body flash and its kit lens), only for my own private enjoyment, and mostly doing family record keeping, so anything beyond an inexpensive bag and the camera's factory strap is just frivolous spending that takes away from a Michael Kors, Coach or Kate Spade leather handbag for the wife. The lens switch 12 step dance is gonna be it for me, for a long, long time to come...

But, really, it's quite fast and accident proof if you have it well practiced, besides the unused lenses are always kept well protected: if you happen to sit down carelessly you might end up bumping the lens hung from your double changing belt contraption against whatever you happen to have decided to sit on.

HankB

This system https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/clips/products/lens-kit (thanks for the tip, Ton14) is especially attractive to someone like me who often doesn’t bother with front lens caps. I use protective filters with the attitude that they are disposable (though I haven’t actually ruined one yet).

What I have been doing presently when carrying one extra lens in a belt mounted drop-in case is:

1. Remove “new” lens from drop-in case and hold it in my left hand with lens clocked so that the white lineup dots are properly oriented for mounting to the body.
   
2. Remove rear lens cap from new lens with right hand and stuff it between my 4th and 5th fingers on my left hand (the hand holding the new lens). Alternatively, I can use a shirt pocket if I have one.
   
3. Twist off the old lens with my right hand while pushing the release button with index finger. My left forearm keeps the camera from rotating while twisting off the lens.
   
4. Drop old lens into the drop-in case.
   
5. Mount new lens to camera
   
6. Attach rear cap to old lens (which is now sticking out of the case) with right hand
   

The only thing I have ever dropped is a rear lens cap, and then only because I didn’t stop walking for five seconds.

CaMeRaQuEsT

HankB said:

hold it in my left hand with lens clocked so that the white lineup dots are properly oriented for mounting to the body.

I'm gonna steal this part of your lens change procedure and add it to my choreography! I've been worried about bending the auto aperture arm from the back of the lenses when I'm mounting them with both hands holding a lens, "pre-clocking" the "in" or "new" lens will drop the probabilities of mismounting the lens down to close to zero. Good one HankB! Here we can also see the genius of the Nikon, or rather Zeiss Ikon engineers already from more than eight decades ago: the lens and body alignment marks are always clearly visible from the perspective of the user when the camera is hanging from his/her neck, you don't get that from a Leica or a Canon.

spraynpray

CaMeRaQuEsT said:

Here we can also see the genius of the Nikon, or rather Zeiss Ikon engineers already from more than eight decades ago: the lens and body alignment marks are always clearly visible from the perspective of the user when the camera is hanging from his/her neck, you don't get that from a Leica or a Canon.

Shame they designed the mount such that you have to turn it the wrong way to mount it! Every time I mount a lens that irks me.

CaMeRaQuEsT

spraynpray said:

Shame they designed the mount such that you have to turn it the wrong way to mount it! Every time I mount a lens that irks me.

That's also true, everybody's muscle memory has learned "clockwise to tighten, counter-clockwise to loosen" from the very first twist bottle cap one pops as a child. There the Zeiss Ikon engineers were just plain dumb, doing it different to Leica just for difference's sake. But this only gets me when capping/uncapping a lens, like one would a jar; my muscle memory for lens mounting/unmounting, OTOH, was set in stone a quarter century ago, that's why I always get it wrong with cameras other than Nikon's, go figure!

ggbutcher

Even after all the years, I still catch myself reaching for the aperture ring, to rotate it stop-to-stop to register the lens.

That said, I'm not into lens changing, only if I really need to. My tune would change if I needed to start using primes, for light/resolution needs or such. The available zooms handle web-resolution quite well, IMHO.

Pistnbroke

I have discovered another brand of lens changer .."Movo lens changer " I found this Canon (spit) version on ebay but you can get them from Amazon for Nikon .Evidentially the all metal construction does not attract the dust .

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Movo-Rapid-Multi-Lens-Changer-Swivel-Strap-for-Canon-EOS-EF-EF-S-Mount-DSLR/183367322493?hash=item2ab18b4b7d:g:tVEAAOSwTOtbasP3:rk:1:pf:0

Ton14

Looks like a solid construction Pistnbroke and I like the strap connection, super.

CaMeRaQuEsT

Well, look what B&H has on its Deal Zone today:

****link to capture lens deleted as diverts to spam.****

That's 50% off MSRP, and still too expensive for me!

KnockKnock

Took me about half an hour to get my muscles to do this, but it's awesome:

Pistnbroke

Now do it with the lens hood on.

CaMeRaQuEsT

You're bold KnockKnock! This is gonna make you the next viral YouTube sensation, via PetaPixel, of course! Also, scariest YouTube video I've ever watched! Hope you didn't drop any of your lenses during taping! I'll also love to see how you do it with the hoods on backwards!

PB_PM

Now do that with some nice big super telephoto lenses. Never found the need to change lenses like that. For quick changes I use a well padded shoulder bag, with all the caps off the glass with lens hoods on, to keep the mount from being exposed to wind and such. Might be awkward for weddings and indoor events with tight spaces though.

mhedges

Yeah that method in the video seems really risky. I wouldn't do it.

Pistnbroke

lets not be too hard on knockknock ..he has taken on the problem and come up with a solution that works for him . gone to all the trouble of making a video and proved that not all NR members are old farts who talk about equipment they don't own.
Good Job.