A really silly question - camera case and lens cap

Lesley Jones

Otherwise know as Zooey
I can't believe I'm actually going to ask this. One thing I will say about myself is that I look after my equipment. Even on long trips abroad in the past, no matter what sort of day it was and how late (or even early) I got to bed, the entire kit was inspected and cleaned. Actually... I'm so careful with it in use, that there isn't a lot of cleaning necessary, but it's done regardless. When my OM2n went in for a 25 year service, the guys reported they had never seen a cleaner camera in almost mint condition. (I was a tad annoyed actually. I had the same battery from Day 1 and they must have used it up while post service testing. I had to buy a second battery going into year 26). True story... :D

I have always kept the camera in the case unless it is being used and even then, it goes straight back. Yes - even with my street photography until the day I spent with Ron earlier this year. We sat in the lobby of his hotel and I asked him the same question. Did he walk around with the case off the camera? He did, so I tried it for a bit and what a difference it made. In Borough Market I got really brave and walked around with the lens cap off too.

The problem is that I'm not exactly in mint condition myself. I have some balance problems from Meniere's disease and a bad leg with a fixed ankle that means I'm prone to tripping up. I was OK with Ron until I started to get tired and then I put the case back on. The thing is that I'd really like to try the covert method when I get back from the Peak District, but I'm worried. I've already seen in here that cameras have accidents and you replace them, but I'm not like that. It would really upset me if anything happened.

I was just wondering how you operated and if you've had any damage as a result of a trip or fall...
 
I never use a case and I usually don't even have the cap with me. I do have the odd dent in my cameras but they all function perfectly. I managed to drop a Nikon FE down the metal steps on SS Great Britain (small dent in pentaprism but otherwise fine). There is a scuff on the end of the barrel of my Leica 90mm ASPH cause by knocking it on a railing - again it works perfectly. Even though I often buy cameras I don't often replace them (if that makes sense) and will have something repaired / serviced if possible. But I am not precious about them but neither am I reckless. I sometimes have to take images on sites in far from ideal conditions but, with care, the cameras don't sustain any damage although they might need a thorough clean after. I often use a UV filter to add some protection / add a sacrificial layer though even though it can have a small impact on image quality - but I make sure I use very high quality one (B+W).

Although I am probably tempting fate by saying it, I have had few mishaps with cameras over the years and I would not let fear of damage put me off too much if I were you. But you need to be comfortable otherwise you won't get the shots anyway.
 
Cheers Pete. I've always used skylight or UV filters on my lenses, but good quality ones. My Olympus has certainly travelled, having been up mountains, down the Amazon and I've even galloped across the steppes in Mongolia with it strapped to my back. It has great sentimental value though, as my Dad spent an entire day driving me around trying to find the last one for sale after they discontinued production. I think I'll stick with my current method which is to carry a small rucksack which can take the case if necessary. I'm always aware of the changing light and the settings are adjusted regularly, so removing the cap and grabbing a shot isn't too much of a problem. I did feel a wonderful sense of freedom without the case, but I also know how clumsy I can be...
 
As I think I'm being refered to I guess you know why I'm going to say ;)
Stuff is stuff ... I like having it, but at the end of the day if it gets damaged that's just the way it is for me!
I think I probably mentioned the time at Toms wedding where a Moris dancer told me to watch where i was waving my camera as it might get hot by one of thier sticks ... I shrugged and told him I didnt care as long as I got the shot!
Ar the wedding last Saturday another photog commented that I didn't keep my RLC's on my lenses and that I was mad hooking my 70-200 into my belt loop and running around with it ... It's to hand there, and I don't need to faff as much to change the lens!
Its about practicality for me ... Especially with pro kit! As I said else where, it's insured, so if it breaks I'll get another! At the end of a shoot it gets cleaned and returned to its hard case anyway ...

My personal kit maybe gets a bit more love... I'm more careful with my Epson for eg as they are goin to get harder and harder to get hold of! But even my cv lenses don't get caps when I take them out for the most part! They just get in the way!

Im certainly not haphazard, I don't swing stuff round my head for example ... I just don't let it all worry me too much!

I haven't used a uv filter for probably about 3-4 years ... I bought a stick on one for the Sony the other day mind but that's mainly because of all of the compact cameras I have seen with jammed automatic lens caps (and also because I read a revue that said it has no effect on image quality apart from adding flare when shooting in to sunlight - which sounds like a good thing to me :))

I can see why you have a sentimental attachment to your Oly though ... I would def look after that of it was me! I have my first camera my nan bought me 20 years ago ... I look after that! (I don't use it, but I do look after it)

- - - Updated - - -

Here http://www.realphotographersforum.com/your-kit/1370-my-first-camera-nikon-rf10.html
 
The flexible rubber lens shades are quite good. They protrude about 5 or 6mm in front of the lens and if you have them extended the rubber shielding often tens to fold over the lens. Not 100% protection but some more than none. They are quite cheap as well. Or how do you think you would get on with something like a OM10? You can get the bodies quite cheap from ebay so if it does get damaged or knocked it's no big deal.
 
I think the problem is that I'm a girl and we do get sentimental about these things. I don't have any family left, so the day I spent with my Dad hunting down the Olympus and ringing my Mum as we drove around was very special. That camera has been a trusted companion for over 30 years. It's been all over the place and never let me down, so I couldn't see me leaving it in the cupboard and going off with another body. It took a while with the Sony because I didn't plan on getting it (and not shooting digital either), but it happened. I've grown to love it and I think we work well together. Actually, I use it just like the Olympus - an aperture priority camera, only with autofocus. I'm afraid I don't use 99% of the features it seems to have.

Perhaps you can sum it up in that I treat my animals like my children and I treat my cameras like my pets. I will have to learn to walk around without the lens cap off though... :)
 
I carry my lenses in a small Billingham on my shoulder, and the camera and lens in use I keep out, on a wrist strap. (I find the wrist strap better than a neck strap)

I used to use lens caps all the time, but have given up with the Fuji as it's a pain to fit/remove them with the fuji lens hood designs - I was concerned at first, but now I'm comfortable without caps.

I have the hoods on all the time, and they provide great physical protection.

I have dropped a camera twice - one resulted in the camera needing surgery at Canon, the 2nd required a lens rebuild at a Canon service agent.

So stuff does happen - but it hasn't been frequent enough to persuade me to be more careful! :D
 
Thanks for that Chris. I've seen the wrist straps being used in videos, but I have problems there as well. I've had three operations on my right hand in the past few years and while trying to find the cause of that problem, they discovered I have non-union fractures of the scaphoid in BOTH WRISTS. Now you can see why I'm scared of wobbling, tripping or dropping.

I shouldn't be let out of the house really... :D
 
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